Nowhere: March 2006

Tiki touring

Lydia and Holly took us on 2 tiki tours since we've been here. It's nice to get to know the places people love in and around Dunedin. Just a little glimpse as to how we've been passing time.

Tiki tour care of Lydia. Finally playing tourist.

No shark, no octopus, and no jellyfish. Pretty lame aquarium, but we still love it. Apparently.

Allens' Beach rest stop

Township and harbor of Karitane

Blowholes at Karitane

Digging for cockles with Holly

Wha? Yes, there are crazies here too.

The Catlins

This is a brief and censored show of our trip to the Catlins. Geoff, having worked for the Department of Conservation, was able to book a cabin (the only one on Nugget Point) for 10 people all weekend. 18 people came...there was much wine, dine, and unwind. We went on a couple of hikes to a waterfall and beach, but spent most of our time around the point. Dramatic cliffs, rough seas, a lighthouse and thick bush made for lots of exploration.

Our DoC cabin

Windswept cliffs behind our cabin

Nugget Point

Geoff, Celia and Lydia

Drippy mountain trickle

Secret waterfall

Rivers and rocks

Hunting

Geoff was kind enough to take us (Ben, Justin, Reuben and John) hunting at Silver Peaks, Department of Conservation land about 20 min out of town. Its really amazing how much nature exists around a town of modern degree. Looking back, it was more for the walk than the hunt. Also because you can't sneak up on anything with 5 guys stomping up and down hills with no footing.

Hunting party looking for stalking routes

Sitting on top/the edge of the world. Damn you shoe!

Finding our way down to the riverbed. Yoda what?

Sweet smelling tiny rock orchids

Man on point, following hidden goat trails

With this one shot Ben scored the entire day's spoils. One shot at a rabbit, ricochet to hit a small goat hiding in the bush who then kicked a rock which fell over a cliff to kill a deer. Believe it or not.

Sandfly Bay

Our endless summer continues with beach fun. Dunedin is surrounded by perhaps 100 beaches.

Beautiful Sandfly bay. Surf, big dunes and soft warm sand, often occupied by seals and penguins.

Lunch in between launching over dunes. Ben, John, Reuben, Justin

Descending into the bay

This guy kept an eye on our stuff while we were swimming.

Swoosh..

Kung Fu Leapfrog

The Cambrian Forest

Our next destination from the dairy farm was into the woods...well, kind of. Bob L. DeBerry and his son Cambrian are doing what very few people even think of. Growing a forest by hand. We came to this tiny valley amongst the harsh hills of Central Otago to find small groves of baby decidious trees. All planted by Bob and his Wwoofers, to one day become a legacy in the region. In 30 years the autum sun will set through a freckled canopy of maple, oak, cherry, sycamore, and ash. Meanwhile, as winter takes hold, pines, spruce and redwoods upon the hill will fend off the cold winds and stand as beautiful snow angels. Our days filled with watering thirsty trees, and escaping the heat. Cam and Bob showed us the little things which keep life going. Water. Swimming in the blue waters of St. Bathan lake, the Secret Gorge of Death!, and little quiet creeks for relaxing in. In the evenings, we often gathered with neighbors in the village for a Petonque match, discussion on teaching (most of the village are teachers on summer break), or just looking up at the stars counting satellites and meteors. Thank you Bob for a wonderfully relaxing time and doing what we all know must be done. Long live the trees!