After spending the last quarter of 2009 hosting family, getting back into the work routine after a four-week holiday hiatus, and enjoying all that Summer had to offer, it is time to post again on The Starbuck Report!

I will start with a tramping excursion Rus and I completed at the beginning of February on Mt. Fyffe, the tallest summit of the Seaward Kaikouras (not to be confused with a second set that runs parallel and further inland, aptly named the Inward Kaikouras) - about 1600m (5,250 feet).  This meant that we would travel, once again, to one my favourite places in New Zealand - Kaikoura.

Since there was a popular concert happening in the area, budget rental cars were sold out across the city.  We did not want to pay for a better car when all it would do is sit in a carpark all weekend, and it looked like we might have to cancel our trip.  Thankfully, one of my workmates allowed me to borrow her SUV for the weekend.  I took the bus to her house after work on Friday, drove the car to my house, and we packed it up with the necessary gear.  Soon afterward, with the windows down and the warm sun shining, we were on our way to Kaikoura!

As I have mentioned in previous posts, the drive to Kaikoura is one of the most breathtaking one can imagine, and this time was no different.  It has been a rather wet and cool summer, so the grass on the plains was as green as green could be.  Combined with the Alps as a backdrop and the turquoise water, it was stunning!

We arrived around dinner time, set up our tent for the night at the holiday park (before nightfall), and treated ourselves to a nice dinner and wine a restaurant in town that serves local, organic food.  We enjoyed expertly-cooked pieces of quality meat (me, venison; Rus, beef fillet); we understood we would be eating far differently the following day.

After a lovely sleep in the tent, we woke up late, had a coffee and a big brekkie at a cafe, then drove to the start of the track about 20 minutes inland.  It was a perfect day - sunny, clear, and sure to be warm.  Once at the carpark, we double-checked our packs for the proper gear.  The Department of Conservation (DOC) maintains huts on tracks throughout New Zealand with bunks and basic facilities (though no shower at this one); however, because of the time of year (summer), the fine weather, and the influx of Europeans who come to New Zealand to tramp, etc., we thought it would be best to bring our tent in the event the hut was full.  It turned out to be a good move…

Ten minutes into our walk, I was wondering what we were thinking.  We started entirely too late for the weather (nearly 11:00AM), meaning that it was already warm (about 28C/ 82F), even without our 22kg (50lb) packs!  The track was steep; the terrain groomed, course gravel.  The profuse sweat started near-instantaneously.  Without much breeze coming from the Pacific (unusual for this location), it was going to be a long day.

Despite the hot (and, at times, miserable) day, the views climbing the to the summit were becoming more spectacular with each step.   After nearly four hours of steep, sweaty climbing (with plenty of short breaks in between!), we finally reached the hut.  The first thing on our minds was a well-deserved lunch of tuna (from pouches) and crackers.  Whether it was sheer hunger or not, it tasted amazing.  We met another couple who arrived before us who were curiously shaking something in peanut butter jars.  After introducing ourselves and mingling, we learned that they were making a no-bake cheesecake.  How’s that for “roughing it”?

The hut is not at the summit; the summit is another 90 minute hike to the top.  Thankfully, however, we could ditch our heavy packs and proceed with just water and poles - phew!  We took a liberal three hour break beforehand; resting, digesting, and meeting the other trampers who came up after we did.  There was Paul, a young lad from the U.K., and two members of the New Zealand Air Force who just arrived…they looked like we had a few hours previous before we dried off and had a hearty meal.  They might have been needing a good rest, but we were ready to climb to the summit!

The last 90 minutes were as tough as the first four hours, even without our packs.  Once we reached the top, though, we were treated with some truly magnificent 360 degree views.  The entire Kaikoura peninsula was in view, as well as the mountains stretching all the way to the south and north.  The ocean stretched as far as the eye could see.  The patchwork plains and rolling hills below made me feel like I was on top of the world!  We took some photos and decided it was dinnertime!

As always, the descent is far faster than the ascent; it only took us about 45 minutes to get back to the hut.  It was not easy, however, because our legs had turned to jelly. By then, it was nearly 6:00PM, we were ravenous, and I was sure we would be in bed shortly after sundown.

Once back at the hut, we cooked our dehydrated camping meals (when I say “cooked” I mean boiled some water on the camp stove, pour it into the bag with the food and let it sit for 10 minutes) and continued to get to know our fellow trampers.  The couple in the Air Force were truly set: they brought frozen (?!) pieces of steak, mashed potatoes, etc.  They also had hot chocolate and a flask of port, a popular post-tramping beverage.  Another couple, well into their 60s, arrived later.  We had seen them on the summit earlier, and they had chosen another track to hike before returning to the hut (!?).  They did more than we did on the day and did not even look tired.   It gave me inspiration for fun and fitness well into the future.  Our friend, Paul, had decided to see the sunset from the summit; he cooked his meal and headed up.    If the older couple had decided to stay in the hut, the hut’s eight beds would have been full, with one needing a place to sleep.   As it appeared the perfect weather would continue through the night, they chose to camp under the stars somewhere nearby, amazing us once again.

This left space for the remaining seven of us to sleep in the hut; however, since it was hot and tight in there, we were happy to use the tent we hauled up the mountain.  We changed our clothes, hanging them on a make-shift laundry line so they would be dry in the morning, and set up camp.  Our tent is small and light-weight mesh, with a wind- and water-proof cover. Because of the excellent weather, we opted to forgo the cover.

A few hours after dinner, the sun was beginning to set, and all of us scattered to different places catch our own views.  Once we snapped a few photos, I was certainly ready for bed - all of my muscles aching with exhaustion from the day.  But Tim and Catherine, who had made the cheesecake earlier, had different plans.  Instead of resting our tired bodies, we gathered around a few camp stoves, made hot chocolate, ate no-bake cheesecake, and shared stories and laughs.  It was one of the highlights of my day!

As the night grew darker, sleepiness overcame the conversation and camaraderie.  It was finally time to go to bed.  Rus and I tucked ourselves into our sleeping bags (which is entirely gross after a long day of sweating!).  As he drifted off, I could not peel my eyes from the clear, starry night visible through the mesh.   This, my friends, is why I do this.  Not only for the views (as spectacular as they are), not for the cool people I meet along  the way, and certainly not for the food.  It’s for the opportunity to view the night sky far from and above city lights, in all of its sparkling glory.  Despite my fatigue, my eyes could not stop scanning the sky for shooting stars and attempting to memorise every single dazzling one.  It was notable that, even atop this mountain, there was nearly no breeze - a perfect night.  I coerced myself to rest my eyes and drift to sleep.

While we were conversing the night before over n0-bake cheesecake, we all agreed to wake up for the sunrise over the Pacific.  The Air Force, Karen and Peter, were in charge of time, and their knock on the tent came too early.  While Rus was happy to snooze through the whole thing (despite my enthusiasm!), I snapped photos from the warmth of my sleeping bag through the tent’s door.  The site was different than what we were expecting: a thick blanket of clouds shrouded the peninsula and plains below.  It looked like the sun was rising from an ocean of cotton.  It was beautiful!

After a quick breakfast of hot muesli, we dismantled the tent, loaded our packs (significantly lighter after using most of the food and water - the harsh truth in the world of tramping!), and began our descent. We offered young Paul a ride back into town so he would not have to walk the long, flat 15 kilometres back to the town centre to catch his bus.  He left before we did but would catch him at the bottom.

As we caught up with the layer of clouds, and left the sunshine at the top, the weather became cool, moist, and overcast.  It only took us two hours to reach the car, and Paul was waiting patiently for us.  Once we made sure all of our gear was in the car - and the tramping boots were off - we drove back to Kaikoura for coffees and pastries.  We enjoyed chatting with Paul about his travels through India and Nepal, and his planned adventures in New Zealand.  It always impresses me to meet young adults who have done so much travelling!

Once we were finished, Paul made his way back to his backpackers hostel.  We stayed in Kaikoura for a bit, scoping out the area on the outskirts of town.  We went out to the peninsula itself and had a cray sandwich (cray = crayfish, very similar to a lobster, except with no claws) on the coast.  Unlike the weather the day before, it was chilly and breezy.

By the time lunch was over, we had had enough.  We were happily tired and in need of a shower.  After a fantastic weekend, it was finally time to drive home.

*Please visit our Flickr page to see more photos of this trip!  It’s well worth it!