"One does not simply walk into Mordor"

Well, it turns out Boromir was wrong, you can simply walk into Mordor. The afternoon of the first day of new years was spent in good company traversing up to the base of Mount Ngauruhoe, otherwise known in the movie, the Lord of the Rings, as Mount Doom, the ending point for the book series where Frodo casts the ring back into the fires of the volcano. Our journey was not fraught with the same dangers as we expected, however, at the beginning of the trek, enjoying the fine views, we did notice a sign which might have been of some use to adventuring hobbits.

Not heeding the danger, but remaining aware of it, we traversed the course gravel road over hills and through grasslands that led into the perilous mountains. The trail was indeed rugged but manageable. The same could not be said for the hillside which were covered in eroding rocks which we were warned could pose a danger, and thus admired them from afar. Aside from a bit of solar irradiation, the weather was nice; a light breeze with cool mountain air to try and take the edge off from all heating. At this point it was far from the moonscape I expected of an active volcano, with numerous plants in a very prolific grassland. We didn't know exactly how far we were going, or how long we would be, but that is how most good adventures are.

The ground beneath us became increasingly covered in rocks of volcanic origin, including the ever so light pumice with which Tom and I had a rock fight, tossing a few sizable chunks at point blank range that had they been just about any other type of rock would have been felt, but instead bounced off harmlessly to our amusement. The great volcano grew larger as we continued and the path grew increasingly rugged. There was a quiet beauty to this landscape which in the past had been an area of death and destruction. Chunks of volcanic rocks sit as stoic reminders of that destruction while along the path a gentle stream bubbles over rock, providing a lush green zone, a slice of paradise in an increasingly barren landscape. Even this however, reminded us of the powerful force of nature looming over top of us, as the water was mildly sulfuric.

A bit more than halfway up we stopped for lunch by the stream, close to a hillside that was part of the mountain range. Like a scene straight out of the movie we watched the ridge line for signs of orcs while we took advantage of the clouds having moved away from the summit of the mountain. Due to the clouds persistence around the summit, this was the best pictures we could take which had the whole mountain in it. It seemed as though every other time we tried to get some shots, the mountain would catch another cloud, like branch catching your sweater, hanging on until either the sweater loosened or tore. Tom was super stoked to be hiking the most dangerous mountain in all of middle earth!

The plant life was beautiful, and one of the most interesting features was the incredibly short shrubs, like bonsai trees, stunted in growth by climate. These dotted the path but diminished as we approached the base of the mountain.

It was very clear that the guide wasn't kidding when he said it got very dangerous beyond the base. Already close to 2 km above sea level. The vegetation had almost ceased. The mountainside near Mount Doom was quiet but evidence of it's violent activity was clear. Black river beds where lava had poured down the mountainside were now frozen in time, scaring a great deal of the mountain. The volcanic chunks were becoming monolithic as they mounded on top of one another. Although we were all glad to have not been there at the time, it would have been a spectacular site to see when the volcano had erupted.

We also learned an important lesson at this point, which was to never trust an outhouse built on rock in the mountains, especially one on a trail that can be frequented easily by large numbers of tourists! Pheww! Anyway, there was one more hidden gem at the end of the trail, an area known as Soda Springs. This was like an oasis in the dessert, a small falls that was the visible beginning of the little stream that followed us along the track. Being significantly upstream it was also ripe with the smell of sulfur, but was home to some beautiful lush greenery and some gorgeous mountain flowers.

After a very quick bathroom break, we wandered down the mountainside, finishing off what water we had in the now hot environment, looking back for the chance of getting a shot of the mountain without a cloud and for any marauding orcs that might be lying in wait. Frankly I don't know what all the fuss was about, Tom and I could have taken care of it in a day, but then again, that wouldn't have made for a very exciting movie. Anyway, we said good bye to Mount Doom, our 10.2 kilometer hike, and hopped in the car. We drove to our next spot in Pureora Forest Park where we set up camp, ate, had a nice chat while waiting for the rain to stop, and went to sleep. Conquering a volcano on our first day in the year 2014. The next day would be full of more adventures, but until then we reminisced on the sights of the day, including this nice stop on the way to the camp site.

New Years Day

After a rather chilly sleep, we emerged from the tent to prepare for a new day in the new year! We packed up as an ever creeping ray of sun tracked it's way across the campground to our tent at a painfully slow pace. With a bowl of oatmeal in our bellies and a warm shower to refresh us, we headed out for an exploration of the Tongariro National Park. The drive started out with a nice view of the hillside once again smoking into the morning air and in the distance our first real good look at our afternoon activity, the volcano known as Mount Ngauruhoe. 

The area around these mountains was patchy forest and lot of open plains, leaving great views of the mountain range. We were able to drive quite far up the next volcano, known as Mount Ruapehu, a local ski location. This was the closest thing to snow we would be seeing this Christmas, if you don't count the frost in the back of the fridge. The ski resort area had lodges which in winter probably fit in quite nicely but during the summer, appeared as stranded ships upon the barren volcanic rock.

The scenes looking out however were breathtaking, being at eye level with many of the clouds as they drifted over distant lands. Enormous chunks of volcanic debris and old lava tubes dotted the countryside and meandered along paths on the hillside.

But even in this treeless place, life clings to the mountainside in every nook and cranny, small flowers, low growing shrubs, and lichens. Alpine species vying for space among the rocks, wherever they could find it.

A great start to first day in the new year, despite the cold beginning and after enjoying a snack and soaking up the fresh but thin air, we headed back down and drove to the next volcano which would consume our entire afternoon.

Tom arrives and the journey begins!

Bright and early on Monday morning Tom arrived after the most horrendous layover in China, some 23 hours long! Anyway, he arrived safely and we settled in to have a low key day. The main attraction of the first day was the Christmas dinner. Mary-Ellen slaved away in the kitchen to create a delicious roast chicken, home made stuffing, vegetables, potatoes, and the piece-de-resistance, a homemade apple pie which was promptly finished off the next morning. It was a positively delicious meal, that after consuming enough to keep us full most of the night, we took off to the local theatre to view "The Hobbit" in New Zealand, thus crossing off the first thing on the list, see a lord of the rings movie in the very heart of middle-earth. Not confident that Auckland is that heart, but still in New Zealand. Tired, we managed to get through a few games of Skip-bo before heading to a much need

ed sleep.

The next morning we arose, woke up snoring beauty from the futon and packed up for the excursion that would take us to a few of our first New Zealand attractions. We headed south towards a mountain range located in the Tangariro National Park. We stopped in Hamilton so that Tom could get a taste of a real hamburger at Burger Fuel. Our next big stop was lake Taupo, the ancient volcanic crater filled with water and the largest lake in New Zealand. We tried to stop frequently to let Tom stretch his legs since he spent more than enough time squashed in an airplane seat. One of the more notable pit-stops, the lookout on lake Taupo gave us some spectacular views of water, sky, land, and the mountains that bridged the gap between the heavens and earth.

  After some ridiculous photo shoots, we moved on into the mountains. We had some very clear signs that we were on the right path when there was visible steam coming out of the mountain side. Billowing up and spilling out of cracks in the ground, wisping around rocks and into the air. Our first glimpse at the geothermal activity that continues to occur in this area.

We said goodbye to the smoking mountainsides and continued onward in the diminishing light to locate our "basecamp". Tired and hungry we pulled into a holiday park (campground for those in North America), and set up for a well needed rest. We put up the tent, started our supper of pasta, and pulled on some warmer clothes. The higher altitude brought some colder evening weather and while we were working hard, the flat visitors were slacking off! These were part of a grade 3 school project on Geography that Mary-Ellen and agreed to help on by taking them around the world with her and then mailing them home!

After supper, there was still a bit too much light, being summer here, so we ventured out on a walk to see if there was anything nearby worth checking out. We didn't go too far, just across the highway where an old path, possibly for logging, was starting to grow over so we took a walk down. Much to our delight, there was a bit of running water that meandered past providing lush fern growth and a few wildflowers, still open in the fading light.

After the walk we prepared ourselves for some sleep, as we had a big day planned for the first day of 2014. Tom and I stayed up, probably not till midnight, we watched the last light of day fade over the treeline and the stars emerge despite the bright light from one of the cabins.

Not a bad end to a long year, ushering in a year that is bound to be full of wonderful new adventures and discoveries, some of which were to be made in the next few days. Mary-Ellen and I have a lot to post so it will take a while. Bare with us as we try to get it all up. Stay tuned!

Fiddlehead Flat

We have decided on a name for our place, and it shall thus be known as Fiddlehead Flat, combining a taste of home, a symbol of New Zealand, and a splash of Celtic culture. It is the third flat in a unit of 3 flats down a long drive off of a quiet road. As many of you have seen, it was rather empty but over the two weeks we have managed to build a home out of it. After entering the old wooden gate you are greeted by large windows, brick and a nice large front deck which for the moment houses a broom and some poorly guarded strawberries that are constantly stolen by birds (netting to be developed later).

The whole yard in general is decorated with ferns, impatients, and bromeliads, not much work to be done there. Inside is the living area, which started a bit more meager with a few shelves and some camp chairs. Since then we have added a dining table, desk, and most recently a chair and couch. Now Tom will have something to sleep on when he arrives tomorrow.

This spacious room is slowly being decorated, but we have mounted our clocks, one for New Zealand time, and one for the time back home in the Maritimes. I also added a shoe rack so Mary-Ellen will have somewhere to organize all the shoes she brought.

The kitchen is small but suitable for feeding two people, and fortunately has lots of space. The one thing it was missing was a refrigerator. It is a small quaint little thing that definitely does the job. Unfortunately no room for the microwave, but surprisingly, don't really miss it.

The kitchen has one other feature before I move on, that occasionally walks in. I have told Mary-Ellen, that this means we don't need to get one! It occasionally wanders over to see what is going on, especially when we are cooking with the windows open.

The bathroom is interesting in that they separate the toilets from the rest of the bathroom. Not sure why the idea has not caught on more in North America...makes sense...that might be the reason.

The last room is the bedroom, with the hastily purchased bed after a night on the hard floor. It is quite low...sometimes forget there is a foot or two to go when crawling in... We also have great wonderful windows to let the sun in, which is a prominent feature of Fiddlehead Flat.

And lastly, the door in the far right corner leads to a private deck out the back, more gardens, private clothes hanger, and wraps back around to the front of the flat.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is Fiddlehead Flat, our place of abode for the next 2 years or so. We will shortly be accepting our first visitor, hopefully the first of many friends who drop by to see this unusual and wondrous little island in the south Pacific.

Christmas Chicken and all the fixin'

Mark and I were very lucky to have had 2 Christmas dinners with a third one happening next week despite being so very far from home. Our first Christmas dinner was last week, the "Orphan Christmas Dinner" that was organized by a few of Mark's colleagues for those international students who were not heading home for the holidays.

I have met most of those in attendance on our previous trip to Leigh but it was mostly a quick hello as we passed people on campus. This was my first chance to sit down with Mark's friends and colleagues to learn a little more about them. Unfortunately we forgot out camera, so there are no pictures of the delicious feast.

Over chicken, couscous salad (one of my favourite dishes served- it had feta, cranberries, raisins, green onion and a few other delicious treasures hidden inside), lasagna, casseroles, maple and walnut brie and crackers and other warm dishes we discussed Christmas traditions at home. This was fascinating as in attendance we had representations from Scotland, Canada, Chili, Germany, New Zealand and Malaysia.

Desert, tea and coffee came next where we all had to make room for strawberry rhubarb pie, beautiful nameless Chilean desert (a secret family tradition), and stollen (a German desert loaf made by our Scottish attendant).

The food was delicious, the company entertaining and enlightening and the time we had was priceless.


Our second Christmas dinner was a small affair at home with just Mark and I. We made chicken breasts as we didn't want to be eating left over turkey for weeks. I also baked up some stuffing, potatoes, vegetables, gravy and Mark made some cheese loaf. It was quiet, but the food again was delicious and we enjoyed being in each other's company.

Our third dinner will take place this week as one of Marks close friends comes to visit us from Korea where he is currently working. We have promised him a Canadian Christmas (minus the snow).

We want to thank each of you who sent envelopes to us for Christmas this year. We really appreciate the cards, well wishes and love that was enclosed in each envelope. Soon to come, Mark will give you an introduction to our new home. And here is the little tree Joanne gave us!

New Beginnings

Hello again, Mark here as Mary-Ellen and I settle down after a long day. Much has happened since ME landed on Saturday and it has certainly been a whirlwind tour so far. The biggest piece of news aside from her arriving is that we now have a place to live permanently, in a slice of Auckland known as Mt. Eden. We wandered around a bit until we were able to go visit the property and ME was basically sold after a quick look. We picked up the keys on Monday and are now the proud renters of a small one bedroom flat down a quaint little drive. More pictures are to come, but to describe it, I would call it a cottage-esque garden home with a little fenced in area, porch out the front and back, and a very mellow-yellow interior.

As far as decorating goes, we have only recently acquired the necessities to live their permanent, most importantly a bed. Our first night there was less than comfortable, camping on the very stiff floor!

As far as exploring goes, we have focused on getting our place organized so that we can just sit back and enjoy it, as well as getting ME over her jetlag. So far though, we have spent the last two nights in Leigh, a sleepy spot for a sleepy person (I think I am going to regret saying that), as I have a few things to wrap up before the Christmas holiday. The only other site seeing has been a trip down Auckland's Queen street, a place I have shown you before with the numerous shops and old buildings.

One of the park areas was especially geared up for the holiday season, including these trees made of recycled drinking bottles. We should be doing more exploring and more updates on our house as we continue to assemble it over the next couple days. Until then, I will leave you with ME's Christmas tree she put up. Happy holidays and you will be hearing from us again soon!