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A Trip within a Trip: New Zealand

6/21/2014

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I am still in awe that I made it to New Zealand. That has always been a dream of mine, one that I never imagined I would attain -- at least not for many, many years. I am so amazed and happy and grateful that I was brought to that part of the world. Being in Australia with my research opportunity at the Hawkesbury Institute brought me tantalizingly close to New Zealand. Once I realized this, I was determined to make it there. It is a short 3 hour flight, and with discount airlines such as Jetstar, and with a bit of forethought, the plane fare from Sydney to NZ is entirely manageable. If I had been able to plan even further ahead, it could have been incredibly inexpensive but I was just satisfied to realize it was attainable. And it is even more incredible that my sister was able to meet me there. Together, we road tripped through the South Island. Interestingly enough, this is the second birthday she has spent traveling with me -- last year, she was visiting me in Japan during the exact same period of time. Her birthday is on April 4th, and last year she was in Kyoto with me, this year in New Zealand. I've written up a little account of our trip. Just to give you a summary at a glance, it was 9 days on the South Island, traveling from Christchurch to Queenstown by car during April 3rd~12th. My route was Christchurch > Kaikoura >Punakaiki > Franz/Fox Glacier > Wanaka > Te Anau to Milford Sound > Queenstown/Glenorchy. From there, she flew back to Minnesota and I flew back to Sydney.

I arrived in Christchurch the night of April 2nd about 1AM then I made it through customs successfully and relatively quickly as it was not very busy at that time. It's definitely true, when in doubt about what you're bringing in such as outdoor equipment etc. just declare these items--everyone in customs was very friendly and I had no trouble with my camping gear, as I had cleaned it all as suggested. I took the airport shuttle to the Christchurch YMCA. I selected this hostel because you could check in at anytime, and I knew my flight was arriving late at night and just needed a bed. I got there by about 1:45AM. I didn't actually see this hostel at all in the light, so I can't say much about it except the beds were very rickety and narrow, and the ceiling so low that I bumped my head in the dark up on the top bunk, haha. But all I needed was a place to catch some sleep, so that was fine.

(Day 1) In the morning of April 3rd, I walked from the YMCA to the Apex car rental location and picked up the car by 8:30AM. It was a little hard for me to find at first, but once I realized the street it was on, it was no trouble at all. They were very friendly and helpful!  I also rented a gps, which did indeed come in very handy for navigating, and not having to worry about getting lost. It was also quite conveniently located near some large grocery stores (Pak n Sav). I stocked up on groceries for the week. So I only had a brief glimpse, really, of Christchurch. Although walking to pick up the car gave me a bit more of a view of some of the damage and construction that is still ongoing.

 Seeing that I still had quite an early start, I decided to try for Kaikoura. I had originally hoped to go there, but then it seemed there would not be enough time. However, I kept hearing so many good things about the area and so I decided to give it a go. I'm very glad that I did! The drive from Christchurch up to Kaikoura was so stunning. Of course, it was also my very first day in New Zealand and pretty much everything is stunning! I also found that the roads were not very busy at all! Most of the time it was just me, or a few other cars. I did have trouble with the speed limit. I was intimidated by the 100km/h on such narrow, winding roads and so I tended to go slower and try to let people pass (and gave me a good excuse to pull over and take pictures anyways!). I don't know how folks can drive so fast! But perhaps they are more accustomed to the roads than I am. In any case, by the early afternoon I arrived in Kaikoura, and did part of the peninsula walk and saw some groups of seals. On the drive up, grey skies in Christchurch had broken open to blue and sunshine, but by the time I was back on the coast in Kaikoura it had become a bit grey again. It gave the area a gloomier/subdued atmosphere, but it was still lovely. After walking around on the stones and rocky shore, and watching the snoozing seals (they were all pretty soundly asleep), and after jumping around over pools of water and seaweed for a few hours I got back on the road.

As I was already farther north, I opted to take the Lewis Pass making my way across to Punakaiki. One of my favorite stretches of road on the whole trip was actually the Kaikoura inland highway which I took to connect with the Lewis Pass, which was also so beautiful. I had printed out a complete map of DOC campsites, and there was one before Springs Junction and Maruia Springs called Deer Valley. I made it there about 8PM, just as the last light had disappeared. I was definitely glad not to be driving in the dark-- I had decided before hand not to drive at night, and especially after getting a feel for the roads, I made this an important rule to mind. This might have been my favorite campsite, actually. It was so quiet. There was one other group of people there, but the site has separate little parking spots for vehicles with space for tents beside them. It is literally just off the highway, but still sheltered and amidst the trees, with the lovely stream just behind them. It's also a free campsite! The night sky was clear and the stars were beautiful to watch as I went to bed.

(Day 2) I woke up early the next day and started driving just after sunrise. Only a short drive from the campsite, I came to Maruia Springs hot springs/resort. I hadn't planned to stop there, but I was really tempted to have a good shower and relaxing soak. They had just opened at 8:30AM and so I really had the whole place to myself, which was even more alluring. The sandflies attacked me in the outdoor baths, so I retreated to the indoor Japanese bath which was so nostalgic for me. Although this set me a bit behind for driving,  I was feeling happy and refreshed when I got back on the road by about 10AM. Driving through the Victoria Forest, the trees were so amazing. I really wish that I had allowed myself some time to wander around there. But for the future! I made it to Punakaiki, and it was excellent warm, sunshine weather. I wasn't there at the right time to see the waves splash through the blow hole rocks, but it was still a nice stop to walk around, listen to the ocean, take pictures and enjoy. It also made me realize how much the landscape and flora of New Zealand changes in such a short distance. It felt so different from the drive the previous day, as I headed down the coast from Punakaiki towards Franz Josef. Here I collected more maps and information about trailheads, etc. then camped at the Gillespies Beach DOC site. An interesting campsite, and I got there at sunset and left at sunrise so regrettably didn't get to see much. While there were quite a few people camping, or with RVs or camper vans, there was still quite a lot of space nonetheless. The road to get there was a bit long, but probably worth it if you're planning to spend more time on the beach. Also, there were sheep everywhere just before the campsite itself! I suppose I should not have been surprised. It wasn't one of my favorite spots, though, mostly just because I let so many sandflies in, ha. During the night, it began to rain. Thus began my troubles--but of course, the weather is beyond control.

(Day 3) I had wanted to do some serious hiking this day, but with the rain my options swiftly narrowed. I stopped into some of the tour booking centers/ information centers to try to get suggestions about what to do in the rain and spent quite a while reconfiguring things. Rain really does cause trouble if you don't have much time--that would be another obvious advantage to having a longer trip, so that you can account for rainy days and poor weather. I didn't have that option, so I decided to head over to the Fox Glacier viewing area. The area around the Fox Glacier itself seemed so magnificent from what was visible, but a lot of the surroundings were veiled in cloud, rain, and mist. So it must be spectacular in clear weather. The rocks and moss and stream, and the bright blue pools even just in the parking area, were still impressive. It is not a long walk from the parking area up to the end of the path which overlooks the glacier itself. After that I did a shorter hike to the chalet viewing platform (about an hour) through the forest, which gave me a little introduction to the look and composition of the forests and the trails. It too was beautiful, but the rain was so persistent. I wore my rain gear, but at some point everything just becomes wet. Being so wet and soggy, and the mist and cloud and rain hiding so much of the landscape it was quite frustrating. I was also hesitant about some of the trails, which crossed creeks that could easily become dangerous in heavy rain.

So because of the weather, I was forced to admit defeat and change my plans for the time being. I did not want to make a long drive in such rain, and I also really, really wanted a chance to see the surrounds clearly. I was very unsure and indecisive, checking the weather many times, but eventually I gave in and, really wanting to be warm and dry, decided to spend the night in Franz Josef at a hostel. I believe it was Sir Cedric's that I decided upon. I checked in, then headed over to see the Franz Josef glacier and wander around a bit more in the rain before coming back to the hostel a couple hours before sunset to dry off. The hostel was really great, and very friendly. They had complimentary wifi, and free soup for dinner!!! That was perfect on such a wet, chilly day. I would highly recommend them. They even gave me a few dollars off the price, because I must have looked quite crestfallen. After eating, showering, I laid out my clothes in the hope that some of them would dry at least marginally. The rain had finally slowed to a mist, then stopped after sunset. Once it was dark, I grabbed my headlamp and walked over to a trail about 10 minutes away, which was supposed to have glow worms. I went to the end of the trail and turned off my light and did see a few glowing specks. But in fact it was along the length of the trail itself, I realized as I was walking back, that many more could be seen so I kept my light off the rest of the return. Then I got a good rest at the hostel, and woke up early the next day.

(Day 4) The weather was forecasted to have possible showers in the afternoon, but mixed cloud and sun in the morning. This is part of what swayed my decision to give the hikes in the area one last try, and the day before had persuaded me to stay in the area a bit longer. I caught my only glimpse of snow-capped peaks around me that morning, for a few moments on my drive back towards Fox. Then never again until Milford Sound towards the end, alas! The day before I had done a lot of inquiring about hikes and planning things out, finding the trailheads, etc. I kept doing research back and forth between Alexs Knob trail and the Mount Fox Trail.

Although it was cloudy, there were some breaks with little moments of sky, and these encouraged me to try Mount Fox. I double checked with the hostel and decided to go for it, but to be cautious. My plan was any rain and I turn back. The hike itself was definitely a challenging one, but also quite a lot of fun because of the challenge, and I was initially encouraged by little flecks of sun up above the canopy. The trail was marked by orange triangles and you needed to keep a close eye on it. There were spots that really were clamoring straight up tree roots and rock. It gave me a really in depth look at the forest, that was for sure. Everything was covered by moss and overflowing with plants and lichen. As I climbed, however, I could feel that there was less and less light above and more and more grey. The trail stays under tree cover for so long, I couldn't be sure what the conditions were becoming, but I sensed that the clouds and mists had moved in heavy around me even though it was still very early in the day. Sure enough, when the trail emerged from the trees and into open grass/plants/alpine shrubs and tree, the air was shrouded and misty around me. So that was the end of that. I continued on towards the top, but it was a thick fog around me and nothing could be seen below as far as a view. Just as I neared the top, I felt raindrops which was even more frustrating. I had to remind myself again that there is of course no controlling the weather (and also to be happy for those on the other side of the mountains, who were surely enjoying sunshine!). So with these signs of impending rain, I turned back to make my descent to try to avoid dangerous conditions. As I was hiking back down, nevertheless, the rain began to fall, making the process slow, tedious, and cautious. In fair weather, the hike would be amazing and I imagine the view would be too. But I would absolutely not recommend it unless it is 100% sunny and you start early. I started very early, knowing that mists usually move in towards the early afternoon, and climbed fast but the rainy weather arrived despite my efforts. The steepness of the trail didn't cause me any trouble and I was quite quick making my way up and navigating, even as I was being extra cautious. If it had been good weather, I think it definitely would have been among my lifetime favorite hikes. While I was frustrated, soaked, muddy, disappointed, and impatient climbing down, and while I would not do it again with any hint of cloud, I would absolutely want to hike it again. But I agree with descriptions that say you must be a fit and experienced hiker, and that you should be well-prepared for dangerous situations. I had prepared myself thoroughly the day before, and had the appropriate gear to deal with the conditions if they turned (and they did!), as well as in the case of any emergency.

So while the Fox/Franz Josef area was quite a disappointment in terms of weather and my ambitions to hike, (I never saw any of the scenery shown in photos, nor Mt. Cook) I took some comfort and reward in making the most of the rain anyways and seeing what I could. But if I had been there longer, it would not have been so urgent and perhaps I could have relaxed. In such rain if I were to return to the area, with more time and flexibility, it would have been a more comfortable use of time to do some jade carving for example in Franz Josef and wait out the poor weather! I was sorely tempted.

After making it down Mount Fox, it was around 2PM and so I decided to start on my way towards Wanaka. The weather was still grey and persistently rainy to misty and sprinkling. The drive was quite beautiful, but I really couldn't see much because it was such thick mist and cloud. I had the feeling that there were probably beautiful peaks around me, but could only imagine what lay behind the walls of grey. So the whole stretch from the Franz Josef area all the way to Wanaka is a bit of a mystery to me even though I've driven through. My goal was to stay at the Boundary Creek DOC campsite on Lake Hawea. Along the drive, I stopped here and there, threw on my raincoat, and took some pictures of what I could see, such as Thunder Falls (?), a few other water falls and views. I also stopped at the Blue Pools, which is the start of some longer trails and seems like a great place to hike on future trips. I only had time to do the little 30 minute loop out to the "blue pools" themselves and the bridges. By this point, I was so accustomed to the rain, it didn't dampen my enjoyment. The water here, as its name suggests and as can be seen many places throughout New Zealand, was such an amazing brilliant blue. It would perhaps be brighter in sunshine, but this time the subdued rain and grey gave it all a very interesting atmosphere. The trees crowding above the pool and stream, the brightness of the green mosses and lichen, the azure water...it was all still a calm way to end a strenuous day. I walked out into the cold water in the drizzle, soaking my feet and legs, then headed back to the car for the short drive to the campsite. I pulled in just as it was dark. Unfortunately, the rains returned during the night so it was quite wet again!

(Day 5) Woke up and started driving around sunrise towards Wanaka. The skies were still grey and misty. It did give Lake Hawea a grey, mysterious feeling. There were many long white clouds hovering above the water. There were some sections of road with beautiful grass and rolling steep hills and rock that I could see. I was nevertheless discouraged. I went to the DOC information center in Wanaka first. A very helpful, and very well-organized place, in fact. The building itself was also very nice, with some great informational displays. I asked them for their advice. I had wanted to hike the Rob Roy track, but because of the rain the previous days and the grey skies looking like rain, I wanted to know their opinions and experience. I knew that the road out to Rob Roy through the Matukituki Valley was described as a tedious one, not to be undertaken in bad conditions, so I also wanted to get more information. They advised me straight away that the road conditions were probably not suitable for anyone without 4 wheel drive given the rain. I ended up driving along the Mount Aspiring Road a ways, doing a bit of climbing on the Roys Peak trail, and taking it easy. There wasn't much for views, but by the afternoon there was no sign of rain and so even if it was still cloudy, it was dry! I used the rest of the day to make it towards Te Anau. The road from Wanaka to Queenstown was magnificent (though intimidating to drive!) with some really amazing views. There were also sections going through grassy scrub lands. Some pretty steep climbs for vehicles, and more sharp turns and challenging sections. But really amazing. I regretted again my lack of time, but hoped to return in the future. That evening I camped at the Mossburn Holiday Park, which is mostly for campervans and rvs, etc. but has tent sites as well. It was not as remote as the DOC sites, cost slightly more,  and is interestingly a cow pasture during part of the season, but there were shower and kitchen facilities so it was refreshing and calm, and I highly recommend it.

(Day 6) I continued the short drive into Te Anau, filled up on gas, then decided to make my way into Milford Sound. The drive was spectacular, and the sun at LAST returned. Ah, it was quite glorious to see blue skies. So I counted myself lucky for that. I was distrustful that the weather would last, but thankful even so. Originally I had planned to spend more time in Te Anau, but due to all the changes, decided it was best to head onwards. Made it to Milford Sound by about 10:30AM, after enjoying many breathtaking views along the way as well as the experience of the Homer Tunnel--what a drive! I had not originally planned to take a boat tour. They are pricey and I didn't really have the money for it. But everyone seemed to be doing it, and everyone who I had met or spoken to in the previous days seemed to think it was absolutely necessary and that I was absurd not to (frankly, even just driving through the area is beautiful in my opinion!). I gave in and took a tour (I went with Orange, because they served complimentary fish and chips). They also had a charming sense of humor. It was really, truly beautiful, although perhaps I would have preferred doing a hike. Nonetheless, my legs were grateful for a calm day even if I'm not usually one for slow boats, and with the sunshine and landscape, I most certainly could not complain! The highlight was at the end, when the dolphins came to swim beneath the boat! That was admittedly surreal! The tour finished by about 2:30PM and I took my time, enjoying the area, as I headed to stake out a campsite early since the Milford Sound area was more touristy/busy than elsewhere. I first stopped at the Gunn Lake DOC campsite, but this was very, very small (although right on the lake and lovely) and there were already 5 cars there. I continued onwards a short ways to the Cascade Creek campsite, which was very large and spread out with many sites, each with its own place to park and little fire pit. It was nice to be able to have a campfire that evening and to relax while cooking some meals, pitching the tent early, and watching the evening mists descend into the valley. This was the first night, however, that it was down right COLD. Because the weather had been so warm and clear during the day, it was especially chilly. I ended up crawling into the car in the early morning hours before light in order to warm up a bit!

(Day 7) I was still wary of the weather after my experience with so much rain the previous days, but I had gained hope and energy that things were turning around. I had chosen a campsite that was close to the Gertrude Valley in order to start the Gertrude Saddle hike early in the day. There were a few clouds in the sky, and not quite as blue as the day before, but I remained encouraged. It was so nice to be such a short ways away from the trailhead--only a 20 minute or so drive--so I could really move more relaxed. I had so been looking forward to this hike. It turned out to be absolutely amazing, exceeding descriptions. Ah, it was wonderful. The first part is flat, over a thin narrow trail through the valley, coming to the head falls. Then it starts climbing, and boy does it climb. There are loose, gravelly sections, as well as massive jagged boulders, streams of water tumbling down the mountainside, moss and mountain daisies. The trail very quickly turns into more of an interpretative one, without markers except for the rock cairns left by previous hikers to mark a rough path. You can just pick out where the primary "path" is. After winding up dirt, stones, and looser rocks, you surmount a smoother rock face (with some steel cables bolted to the rock) and come to an alpine lake fed by the glaciers up above, and which feeds the streams that trickled down below it. Then you continue up the rocks and large boulders to the very top, with a breathtaking view of Milford Sound and the surrounding mountains. I could even see boats heading out on tours! Occasionally, a helicopter would swoop past above, and I felt pleased and rewarded that I had made my way up on foot. I absolutely 100% recommend this hike in fair weather. You will need to be in good physical condition, but even if you are not an expert hiker, I would recommend it as long as you allocate appropriate time, prepare yourself well, and wear appropriate gear. I made the climb up quite quickly and easily, but there were definitely many parts that would pose a challenge if you aren't in strong enough shape (or are afraid of heights!). Also, as many websites and descriptions recommend, it is NOT a hike for rainy weather. I could see it becoming extremely dangerous if the rocks were at all slippery. But on a bright, sunny day, there is absolutely no place I would rather be. I would have gladly turned around and hiked up again after climbing down. That afternoon, I made my way back in the direction of Queenstown and camped again at the Mossburn Holiday park as I found it to be a really perfect stopping point going both ways. (And also because hot showers are a nice reward).

(Day 8) Drove into Queenstown in the morning. Actually, I was quite intimidated and stressed by the amount of traffic (partly because of how many tourists and the traffic itself, but perhaps also in part because I had grown so accustomed to less busy drives!). Queenstown itself was nice at first, but I quickly came to dislike it. I was really overwhelmed by the number of tourists...ah, it was just so busy and stressful for me there. It might be some people's cup of tea, but I ended up regretting allocating much time in Queenstown itself. I think it is perhaps a good place to stop and get a hot meal, but I would not have spent any longer than that in the city despite its purported charm. (The surrounding land is QUITE another story; THAT is just amazing). My more negative experience of Queenstown likely has more to do with my own preferences, as I much prefer to be on a quiet trail or mountaintop, or forest path. I could see it being a lovely spot for those inclined to such things. I stopped into the Department of Conservation, tried to gather some information for a good, short hike in the area, walked a bit along the esplanade, then climbed Queenstown Hill. This was much more to my liking. Still too busy of a trail for me, but many of the people were very friendly which made up for it. An easy hour or so hike, but a great place to have a picnic and enjoy the spectacular landscape.

In the afternoon (happy to get away from the "bustle" of Queenstown) I headed on my way towards Glenorchy. That too was a spectacular drive. Just amazing. I made many stops along the way to admire the lake and the mountains, and the weather to my surprise was still favoring me with sun. I camped that night at the DOC Kinloch camp site, which was remote but also not remote at all, as it is managed by the lodge across the road. So that made it a bit less peaceful, even if the campsite itself was quite quiet. You can't really ask for a better view, though! I watched the sunset over dinner, and the sunrise over breakfast. The sandflies were hardly out at all!

(Day 9) In the morning, I did the Trilogy Loop ride at Dart Stables. I love riding, and I'm quite experienced, so I wanted the opportunity to do more cantering than just a simple walk. It was a three hour ride through such amazing landscapes. I think at this point I had been "saturated" by the beauty around me, or I was still captured in a perpetual state of awe. Every way you look on the south island, there is something beautiful and unique. The ride was lovely, the guide was wonderful, and I enjoyed the calm of Glenorchy. After the ride, I drove a short ways towards Paradise, but did not want to go too far as the roads become rough farther along. One of my greatest regrets is that I did not go through a hike in the woods here! I do not know what I was thinking! I spent only a short time beneath them, had lunch, and started to make my ways back towards Queenstown. I suppose I was nervous to make sure I returned the rental car on time, and wanted to make sure I allocated plenty of time to fill up the tank and find a parking spot. After dropping of my gear and bags at the hostel, I successfully returned the car (again the Apex employee was simply wonderful and so lovely to speak with). I have to say, I was so happy with my experience with Apex. It was perfect--positive in every way. Every one of their employees that I spoke with was kind, helpful, and understanding throughout. So I would strongly recommend them for those renting a vehicle while in New Zealand! They were outstanding, and helped to make the trip wonderful. I will definitely rent from them again if I am back!!

 After dropping off the car, I decided to try out a FergBurger, as it was so strongly recommended -- yup, it was delicious, although HUGE. I thought it was really reasonably priced for such an amount of food. I am a vegetarian, and their veggie options were scrumptious. I stayed at Bumbles backpackers, and although the receptionist was so nice and friendly, I didn't really enjoy my night there at all. The room had one bathroom, placed awkwardly in a room with separate beds. The kitchen didn't have many places to sit. I also did not especially appreciate the the Queenstown younger tourist crowd in general (who I found to be, well....a bit of a nuisance...but that is probably just my own sensibilities and preferences) and everyone came back loudly and very disruptively all throughout the night--even talking loudly in the room in groups at 2:30AM. A common problem at hostels, I suppose, which can't always be avoided and is of course a risk of shared space. I had to be awake by 6AM to catch the shuttle to the airport for my flight. In the night, it started to rain again, and so it was a wet and dreary wait for the shuttle in the rain, as well as a dreary feeling surrounding my sadness to see the trip ending.

All in all, I am so happy that I went. I had so many incredible experiences, and saw such amazing places. As I knew going into the trip, it was a woefully short amount of time to spend in New Zealand. I feel like my trip through the south island might be compared to the feeling of opening a book, flipping through it in a flourish of pages and pictures, and then trying to piece together a full story from that glimpse--there will be many holes, and a very incomplete experience, that does not leave you feeling satiated. But that could not be avoided, given the time constraints, and I'm very happy for the amount that I did see! I will consider it an introduction to the south island, and one that I think has left me very well-prepared to (hopefully!) one day tackle a much longer adventure.


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3 Months in Australia

6/20/2014

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As some know, I spent February, March, and April as a research fellow at the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment in Richmond, Australia. At this point, I have to admit that I am woefully and hopelessly behind in writing about my experiences, and unfortunately doubt that I will be able to encapsulate much in the limited time I have. But I'll do my best! During the first month, I was getting settled in and used to the surroundings. I spent my first full weekend in Australia very ambitiously. While I frequently feel that I can be lazy and desire to have calm days painting, writing, etc. I also feel a very strong sense that I must use time to its fullest. (That being said, I still slip into wasting obscene amounts of time accomplishing little to nothing, but oh well). Therefore, faced with two "work free" days,  I headed to the Blue Mountains on the first Saturday to a popular little town called Katoomba. There was even a ukelele festival going on when I arrived! So a very curious experience from the start! My goal was to do a hike to the Three Sisters rock formations (which turned out to look nothing like I had imagined from the pictures, as is usually the case). This was my very first experience hiking in Australian "bush." It was immediately vastly different from any experience I had heretofore with forests. The predominant trees (and sometimes the only trees!) and eucalypts. These can very considerably between genotypes, but are nonetheless very different from the broadleaves of my home. Even the leaf color, and the sway of the forest with the wind felt different. I felt foreign in a way I had not felt anywhere else. I felt more foreign in the forests and lands of Australia than I had anytime in Japan, because I did not have an immediate connection to the land in Australia. I fumbled with establishing such a connection during much of my three months there. I often found myself saying to others that even the colors did not resonate with me. I did not know this land. I did not know its ways or its stories. I believe strongly that culture and land are intertwined, and I was painfully aware that I knew next to nothing about the diverse indigenous cultures of Australia. So much of that culture, like in the United States, is "covered up" by western culture through the process of colonization, and I initially felt lost. Nonetheless, the Blue Mountains are quite incredible. They are different from what I know, but they are so beautiful in their own right. Now, as I think back on them, I miss them in ways I would not have guessed. I think this is because, at the last moment and unexpectedly, the connection was suddenly there. Ironically, this came from traveling to the "outback" at the very end of my three months. As someone who loves deep green, who loves streams and lakes, and rich forest, I thought that I would probably not especially enjoy the outback. It turns out, I loved it. So I wish that I could have spent more than a couple days there. Anyways, I am jumping ahead of myself already. After going to Katoomba on Saturday, hiked the Three Sisters rock formation and through the gullies, then back alllll the way back up. I was quite exhausted, and feeling especially out of shape, after being particularly lazy and and not at all diligent about my running in the previous wintry months. I was also unedge because I was still hyper-sensitive to the many warnings of deadly snakes and spiders, ubiquitous throughout Australia. If it's in Australia, it's probably deadly. So all tall grass and low vegetation was embarrassingly suspicious to me at the start of my time there. While hiking, I did hear a rustle on the forest floor, and looked to see a beautiful lyre bird (of course, I did not know this is what it was at the time). They are about the size of peacocks, with a tale that curves like a lyre but to me at the time was strikingly like a feathery fox tail . It continued peacefully on its way. All manner of small colorful birds can be found flitting around in Australia, and of course the croaking flocks of white crested cockatoos. I spent the night in their wonderful hostel (it had taken me 4 hours to reach Katoomba from Richmond by train, even though it is a mere 45 minute drive. This is because the line for Richmond must back-track to reach the Blue Mountains line. Then someone got hit by a train and we were transferred to buses, then back to trains. An ordeal, in my typical style, for my first time on Australian trains. My housemates had also encouraged me that the hostel was very nice and I would probably enjoy my time more if I spent the night). The next day, I came back to the house in the morning by train, dropped off my bag, and then hopped back on the train this time in to Sydney. I was quite intimidated after reaching Central station and trying to navigate towards the Opera House area. I became a bit lost, but after getting a free pocket map from a tourist shop, I was actually quite proud of myself for navigating all day by myself. I stumbled into the "chinatown" area completely by accident, and serendipitously found a genuine Japanese bakery!! How long it had been since I had eaten my favorite, an-pan (red bean bun). I was so astounded and so happy and so nostalgic all at once. Sydney is a really interesting city to me. Very international, and very diverse, with a lot to offer. I walked to Darling Harbor, and was really in awe by the beauty of the area. A really great place. Then I walked along towards the Opera House, took an obligatory picture, and then went to the Botanical Gardens. Now these are simply amazing. Just so incredibly beautiful. I've never seen a "european" style botanical garden before, so I was very much in awe. It is so huge, there are so many plants, statues, flowers, lovely buildings, etc. Sydney is the closest experience I have to anything "european", oddly enough. I was really intrigued by the british style buildings and architecture. I had finally reached the botanical gardens by the late afternoon, and by that time I was admittedly tired (both from the heat, the sun and impending sun burn, the walking, and the not-being-able-to-afford-food -- an issue I will perhaps broach later). When I got back to Richmond, my housemates were impressed by how much I had packed into one weekend.

For the first month (February), I did most of my work with measuring gas exchange, specifically respiration and dark respiration, in the cotton plants that were being grown in the glass house under elevated and ambient temperatures. This was an intense learning process, coming to master the Li-Cors. I am very grateful to the visiting researcher that I was helping, for all that she did to teach me! So needless to say, I spent a ridiculous amount of time in the glasshouses, and then in the evenings did what I could to figure out data analysis for the respiration data, creating temperature curves. Data analysis is one of my definite weaknesses, so although it was challenging to do, it was an amazing learning opportunity and so rewarding. I tried to really make the best contribution I could, and work my hardest. I have no doubt that, at least during my first month, I probably spent about 60 hours during the work week on the cotton drought experiment (some 40 hours on gas exchange measurements with the Li-Cors, and then the rest on data analysis at home). Like I said, this might have been challenging, but it was absolutely worth it in the amount that I learned. As I said in my previous post, I wanted to express my extreme gratitude for the opportunity I was given, and not to squander the faith that my host professor had generously given me. Then, on the weekends when possible I tried to see what I could and travel around. I think that I accomplished a huge amount in both research and experiencing Australia, in a relatively short time! I helped to wrap up three different experiments on drought and temperature stress (in cotton, peanuts, and eucalypts) and collect quite a lot of data. I very much hope that I was a help-- and my host professor was really diligent about making sure I knew I was appreciated, so this was truly wonderful. Ah, I learned so much and gained so much confidence. I feel so lucky for the in-depth research I was allowed to participate in and the great community of researchers and technicians I was able to meet at the Hawkesbury Institute. And I couldn't believe it, but in March my dear Professor Koike from Hokkaido University came to visit the Hawkesbury Institute for a whirlwind couple of days to try to arrange a bilateral agreement between the universities. Although the visit itself was for business, I cannot begin to express how joyful I was to have such an unexpected chance to meet Koike-sensei. I very much miss him and Hokkaido University. Approximately one year ago to that date, I had helped to escort my host professor (Professor Tissue) from the Hawkesbury Institute around Hokkaido University -- now, in a a surreal twist, I was escorting Koike-sensei around the Hawkesbury Institute

I hope that someday I can write more about my time in Australia, but for now I will keep things more brief except to describe a few additional highlights that I should not neglect. The major highlight was that I made it to the Great Barrier Reef!!!! It was quite an ordeal to reach, involving two 6AM flights, a traumatizing 2AM night bus from Richmond to Sydney with drunkards and reaching Sydney alone in the dead of night to hail a taxi,  and only being able to be in the Cairns area for literally two days. I would do it all over again to see the reef. I knew that this was something that I could not let myself miss, so I brushed aside all the other difficulties. It sure is tough to be poor and to travel though! I'm only able to accomplish it because of my willingness to sacrifice all reason (meaning that I don't eat, don't really sleep, and walk everywhere in order to pay for it. Still worth it.) I think that, had the research institute been in Cairns, I might have had a vastly smoother transition to Australia, just because of the richness of the environment there. But I'm just glad I got there. Cairns itself is a town fueled and made purely for tourists. There were wealthy people everywhere. I was equal parts appalled and amused by them, and my rag-tag self felt out of place as usual. After arriving early in the morning, I checked in at a hostel, then walked quite a few miles in the hot sun to reach the only hiking loop within foot-distance (a.k.a "all I can afford"). These are the Red Arrow and Blue Arrow loops, ironically near to the airport so I was actually backtracking. The loops themselves are perhaps a mile, and 8 miles respectively (perhaps shorter or longer, can't remember.) I completed both, was exhausted from not eating or sleeping but proud to cover so much ground. The forests there did begin to intrigue me, which gave me hope. I also met my first goanna! These are giant monitor lizards -- like Joanna from the Rescuers Down Under. It was entirely unexpected. As I was nearing the last stretch of the Blue Arrow trail, which is a dirt trail as opposed to paved, I looked ahead and there he (or she) was across the path. We both stared at each other in surprise, perhaps wondering who would move, and then off he went into the underbrush. This gave me a smile. I hiked around the botantical gardens area, through some of the older growth forest boardwalks, and very much enjoyed the area. After completing the more remote hiking loops during the early morning, and then emerging towards the afternoon, there were increasingly more people in the gardens. I continued to push myself to see everything and all that I could. It was in the 90s, and sunny, and by the end I was definitely feeling tired as I made my seemingly endless trek over hot sidewalks and passed by cars and buses, back towards the hostel. In total, I know I covered at least 18 miles in that days and likely more, with no sleep and not much sustenance to speak of. When I reached the shopping center near the hostel, I was parched and probably pretty ridiculous looking. I ate three mcdonalds icecream cones, which at 30 cents each were just about all I could afford for dinner anyways. The next morning, I woke up early for snorkeling. It is a couple hours boat-ride out to the outer reef. We went to Michaelmas Cay and Hastings Reef. I had been initially overwhelmed to chose a snorkeling tour company, because there are so many companies, but I was very satisfied with the smaller, family-owned SeaStar company. I'm also glad that I chose snorkeling over scuba diving (I couldn't really afford scuba diving either, but I had been sorely tempted). Snorkeling gave me the freedom to swim and dive all over the place. Whereas when I had snorkeled in Okinawa and had not really been allowed to go off on my own (and everyone even had to wear life vests!), this time I was free to dive as deep as I wished and explore all I wanted! I especially enjoyed diving down to where the scuba divers were and circling around, reaffirming that snorkeling is more for me than scuba diving would have been. At both sites we had about 2 hours of swimming time, and I used every single second. Others went back to the boat after getting tired, but I floated and swam around and admired for as long as they would let me stay in the water, even though by the end I was very tired and probably senseless from continuously diving down as deep as I could. I was the very last one back to the boat. The reef itself was not as bright and colorful as I might have expected, but there were so many fish and coral and other creatures. I kept diving down as far as I could to the wall's edges and other overhangs, in search of reef sharks who apparently can sometimes be found there, but no luck. I was absolutely enthralled, even so, to meet sea turtles! And to be able to swim right up to them. (They just continued about their business, putting up with me as I ogled them). In the afternoon, I explored the esplanade area, stumbled into an amazing indigenous/aboriginal art gallery (I cannot begin to express how amazing these paintings were, some of them as large as walls), and as the sunset went for a little jog . The sunset and moonrise (a full moon! Bright and silvery and shining above the shadowed hills and ocean) were breathtaking -- yet again I found myself in a situation I could not believe I was living. Flying foxes swooped in the sky above me. I ate another ice cream cone, went to bed, woke up around 4AM to get to the airport, and then I was back to Sydney.

During my last month (April), I was also very lucky to go to Wentworth Falls in the Blue Mountains, to the Port Stephens area and sand dunes,  and to do the Royal National Park Coastal walk which is near Sydney. This is about 15 miles or so, which I was invited to tag along for with a group of lovely researchers. We walked the first day through forest, camped in a beautiful grassy valley near the ocean (in an afternoon rainstorm, of course, but you know), then did about 12 miles of it the second day: across beaches, up steep cliffs climbs, then along the ridge itself. I wish I would have had more time to go at a slower pace and enjoy the incredible variety of ecosystems along this whole stretch. The change throughout is a marvel itself, and a good way to throw a whole bunch of environments into one experience. Even saw some bounding wallabies in the forested section! Another major highlight for me was to go to Muru Mittigar, the aboriginal (and especially Darug) cultural center about ten miles from where I was in Richmond. I biked there, through back-country roads, and spent the day with some of their staff as they lead me through their set of activities. Their staff member, Paul, gave me a great talk about some of the history of colonization-- brief, but informative even if I had by this point managed to learn more about the history -- but even more meaningful to me was to hear some of his own opinions and experiences. He also showed me through their gardens, and taught me about some of the amazing uses for so many plants. Then during the second half of the day, their resident artist Uncle John Boney gave me painting instructions, and painted with me.
(Uncle is a polite term for an older man or elder, and Aunty for women) I was sheepish about admitting that I actually do a lot of painting myself, so what he showed me was a very basic introduction tailored to the huge groups of people he typically has come in. Usually, groups of around 50 or 100 people come in! Somehow, I was there on a day where it was JUST me! AH, I felt so immensely happy and fortunate. This was perhaps my best experience in my whole time there. I think that he was interested by my attention to his paintings and (maybe I'm just being facetious) my ability to follow his painting instructions, and he even offered to teach me to paint! He said I could keep coming back and he would teach me! When I showed him one of my business cards with watercolor work, he really liked it, and said that he wanted to learn watercolor and we could teach each other what we know. Goodness, few people know how touched I was by this and how dearly I wished to accept his incredible offer. A dream come true for me, really -- to do art and to learn from such a talented artist. Alas that it was my last few days in Australia (for now) and I would be leaving the next week. I heave a heavy sigh whenever I think about this. But I do hope to return. And I've painted him a watercolor piece, in his style, which I hope to send to him. Maybe he will like it and remember me.

My final hurrah was traveling to the outback during my very last week in Australia. In fact, I told Uncle John (the painter I had met at Muru Mittigar) of this plan when he asked if I intended to do any traveling before I left. He was surprised when I said I would be going to visit Bourke (literally the middle of nowhere), and I was just as surprised to learn that he grew up in that area. A group of seven of Phd students, technicians, and myself rented a big car, sardined ourselves in, then drove 9 hours to arrive at 1AM in the desolate town of Bourke -- known as the unofficial "start" of the outback, hence the Australian colloquialism "back of Bourke." Bourke on its own was an experience. A very tiny town, with at least ten closed down and boarded up hotels, in the north west of New South Wales. It is rather isolated, and has a bit of a rough feel around the edges. It is also in the midst of an 8 year long drought, I believe. There is, apparently, a reputation for the area and the outback for crime. Part of this may be true, but part of it I do not doubt is stereotype -- in particular, stereotypes about aboriginal people, many of whom live in the outback (for a host of reasons, many of them socio-economic and which is another topic in itself that I will not go into here, but will write more about perhaps). We did a hike in Gundabooka National Park, red and hot and dry, but also surprising in the amount of vegetation there was. Here I saw the greatest variety of well-known Australian animals during my whole trip, tons of emus and kangaroos and even a bearded lizard. It was as if everything clicked -- suddenly, the connection was there, and I loved this land, different as it was.

Oh yes, and I also managed to hop over to the south island of New Zealand with my sister in April. How could I forget. ; ) How could I possibly come so close to New Zealand and NOT fanangle my way there. I'll share some thoughts about that next.

Well, there are many things I am forgetting or have left out for lack of time, but I hope that gives some idea of what I did over three months and with luck I will add more. I had my share of disagreements with Australia, but also a whole lot of incredible experiences as well. During this whole time, I was struggling immensely with decisions over graduate school. In the end, I was choosing between a PhD at the Hawkesbury Institute and a masters at Oregon State University. They were both very different offers, with advantages and disadvantages of their own which in the end balanced them evenly. I wavered back and forth for months, feeling so overwhelmed. In the end, I have decided on Oregon State, because I felt I could not sacrifice being so far from family. In doing so, as my head began to clear once back in Minnesota for a time, I realized that I should have been brave and chosen Australia. But I will make the most of it, and it is certainly not a bad place to be, and it will still work out.


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Landed in Australia 

2/5/2014

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Here is a quick summary of my first few days in Australia. I left Minnesota on Saturday, Feb 1st for my long, long journey by air:

It has been very busy immediately since arriving here. I landed at the airport (after what felt like a very long journey--mostly as a result of having to change planes twice in seattle/los angeles) at 6:20am and went through customs. (I'll note that my characteristic streak of luck did not spare me on the flight...the plane had some malfunction with the emergency lights so all 13 hours of the overnight flight were as bright as day. I wore my hat over my face.). Customs used sniffer dogs, a cute little beagle in this case. Then I had to figure out how to contact the driver who was supposed to be picking me up. I ended up purchasing a cheap track phone at the airport with a couple hours worth of minutes (which the worker installed incorrectly resulting in my not actually being able to use the phone for two days and defeating the purpose of having a phone, ugh). I had to borrow a phone, but contacted the driver. A rather gruff and odd man, who asked me multiple times if I was sure I was Jamie Mosel. Maybe he was expecting a guy? Anyways, I had no real idea of how far the drive would be, only a rough idea of where the university is outside of Sydney. The drive must have been about 45 minutes to an hour. I was really nervous during the drive and perhaps a bit stunned by the whole process that it had taken to reach Australia.

When we reached the campus (in what I would describe and others have described as a "redneckish" town), the driver pulled up to the administrative building and said "here you go" and pointed to a back door which ended up being locked. He left, and I was standing outside of the building confused. Luckily, a grad student walked past outside and unlocked the door for me--although in a pinch I could have gone around the front once I figured it out. I literally stepped through the elevator doors and there was my host professor walking up the stairs. So that was a very fortuitous meeting. Literally five minutes later (after dumping all my luggage in the professor's office) I was pulled into the meeting of visiting international researchers. This was at 8am or so, which felt much later to me than to everyone else! I was still wearing my Olaf sweatshirt, jeans, and boots and it was 91 degrees. Ha. I told them I wanted to appear as Minnesotan as possible. We were all supposed to introduce ourselves and I had to go first. I felt intimidated by the end and uncertain of how to describe myself. There are perhaps ten visiting researchers, a mix of primarily established professors, as well as some post-docs. Boy do I feel inexperienced!! I tried to piece together "how exactly to I fit in here? I'm no professor, and no post-doc...I barely even know what research I'll be helping with!"

Afterwards, I was shown to the offices for bit, signed a few papers, then my host professor gave me a quick tour of the immense research sites they have here. Extremely sophisticated, extremely complex, extremely expensive. Then he offered all the visiting researchers to go out to lunch. Apparently Thai food is really popular here, so even though we are in a tiny town there was a Thai restaurant. After lunch (around 1:30) my professor handed me off to the Canadian married couple who I am staying with. It turns out that the room in the grad student house was given to an international student from England and so plans were re-arranged--this I learned in a whirlwind upon arrival.

The Canadians are very Canadian. And so extremely kind. They must be in their thirties. Ironically, they are both vegetarians and both run. So I am lucky, as I am both a vegetarian and a runner! And hopefully, maybe, one day I can go running with them. The woman, named Jen, apparently likes to trail run over hiking routes and has run a 50 mile race before!! She is also a fungi researcher at the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment where I am. Here husband, Corey, is an airplane engineer. They live in a house that is in town and about a 20 minute walk from campus. Surprisingly, I was able to navigate my way back from campus without getting lost. Now THAT is an accomplishment. They have been very helpful!

The next day I came to campus for a 9am meeting and then to hear brief presentations by the researchers at 10am. After the presentations, my host professor originally said that I could head home to settle in a bit more--I think he is very busy this week and stretched for time, so I was glad for a chance not to bother him. But I told him that I am happy to help with any and all projects, and I had gathered during the meetings that all the visiting professors might need help. I also wanted to make sure that he knew that I wanted to work hard and didn't want to seem as though he needed to hesitate about putting me to work. Just at that moment a visiting professor from Texas wanted to install some infrared heat sensors (well, really, to put AA batteries in them and hang them from bungee cords tied to sticks over some potted peanuts...but that doesn't sound as sophisticated). I got to tag along instead of going home to settle in immediately. After it was done, I admitted that I have some experience with Li-Cors (photosynthetic gas exchange measuring machines...beasts, expensive, and complicated). The visiting professor saw this as an opportunity to sign me up for taking some measurements for him, and asked my host professor later about it. So I might be helping with that. Word spread quickly that I can run those machines, and so today from 9am to 5pm I helped another visiting prof from toronto/duke university to collect data. Light curves, specifically. I could pretend to explain to you what they are but...I'm not entirely certain myself. They are photosynthesis as a product of light over time, in a sense. Towards the end she asked me if I could also do the analysis~! I said of course (glad for a chance to learn), but informed her that she would have to show me how. So this evening I didn't get back to the house until after dark, about 8:30PM. So an 11 hour day? That's pretty good. I've made some 48 graphs in one day. I have no clear idea of how to describe them, other than that they show light and dark respiration in plants, so don't ask for now! We were doing the measurements on potted cotton plants grown in a greenhouse under elevated and ambient co2 and high/ambient temps.

On another interesting note, there are white cockatoos flocking in trees and in the skies like crows. And there are crows as well, but they sound ridiculous and nothing like normal crows. There are apparently deadly snakes everywhere to be found, as well as poisonous spiders. I have yet to see any, although apparently there is a lethal spider that lives under a bench in the backyard of the house and there was a giant snakeskin near the entrance to the greenhouse. Terrifying. The first day, as I mentioned, it was 91 degrees. But yesterday it rained and misted (of course), so the weather has cooled to the mind 60s and 70s. Not as cold as home, but a surprise.

Well, there you go. There's a bit of what's been going on here. I pretty much jumped straight into things! From the moment I stepped foot on campus! People kept asking me when I arrived if I was tired. Nope! I'm pretty resilient, I would say! I've been going to bed around 10pm and waking up around 7am. It still feels a little bit intimidating for me to know how under-qualified I am compared to all these experienced and established researchers. But I keep telling them: "I have the least experience, but the most time available! So ask me to help!" Unlike in Japan, that offer has been accepted wholeheartedly and I've so far been put to work with the short-term visiting profs. It will be interesting to see when and if and what sort of other work I will be given on the projects that I was originally proposed to work on (elevated co2 and eucalypts). The professor is extremely nice, though. Although so busy, constantly running here and there. So I hope eventually he will have more time for me but until then, or at least for a few days, I have been given lots to do.
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