The well-known meadow or the first overnight campout

Thus I arrived Tuesday evening at Lake Rotoroa, passing the famous according lodge (to my surprise it was pre-seasonally closed) and setting up camp at the simple campground close to the lake that seems to have a special appeal to  sandflies. Some years ago we had the same plan but due to the even worse sandflies invasion we choose to go for a hard roof at a nearby B&B - that as many other houses in that settlement - is now up for sale. 

The whole day I could not reach the boat taxi to arrange for the morning transfer to the lake head, thus my delight was high as they arrived with their boat to slip it to the lake. Seemed they were out for the day. I made arrangements for the next morning transfer to the chosen river mouth.

Cooking dinner (beef filet nicely structured and some read) right on the lake beach, camp, sleep, sandflies.

Next morning packing the back pack for the overnighter with the new Vaude Ultralite Tent and the Yeti VIB 600 luxury down sleeping bag (the last trip we had the VIB 250 which is a good blanked as long as it is +10°C but not below - I learned from experience...) and off we were across the lake. 

The trail's first section is flat out, then around 100meters of steep elevation again and back down to the river reaching what I would call the first meadow (using Yellowstone's Slough Creek famous meadow system here) to put up camp. Did that and started to fish. 

It started to rain sometimes lightly and sometimes more heavily. But the fish - hard to spot due to the overcast sky - came more or less ready to my flies (Adams and special Florian PT nymphs). Five fish of something of around 4,5lbs up to +7lbs - a good start! And good to be back to such a nice river with water tasting so sweet!

No campfire that night, just some tortellini and two cans of beer and then horizontal position.

 

The night saw some more rain. Unfortunately proofing that my ultralite Vaude SUL was not so well constructed: as inner and outer tent unavoidably touched each other the tent was just leaking and by sleeping bag was in danger to get soaked up... Making a picture of that mess did not work as the front lens was immediately fogged up.

Breakfast in some drizzle. Getting ready for the next round. I started somewhat below the camp and fishing part of the day before stretch again - not wise and not to be followed. Still I caught three browns of around 6 lbs. - again on the dry and nymph. The rain eased and got stronger and so on, but the river did rise only inches over the rainy night and was still clear as gin. This river seems to be quiet tolerant to some rain and only rises and discolors after heavy rain. Looking back to that overnighter, hiking up for the camp some half hour further would have been good, but I did not want to overstress it and start it lightly. I was relying for the start on known terrain.

Early afternoon I went back to my packed (right after breakfast I broke camp) back pack and started the hike back out with some time for the odd cast at the lower section of the river. Arriving at the gorge and its bridge I could see a couple of fish feeding at the end of the gorge. I could not resist having a few casts aiming for one of these "bridge fish" as the last fish on that river. And to my surprise I was lucky on one of them - again something of around close or above (I cannot even remember the weight of fish of one single day...) 7lbs. A good end of this first overnighter to the bush. Not abnormal many fish but good fish and some on dries as well.

Back by the boat to the car and off to St. Arnaud, picking up a hitch hiking tramper, which turned out to be a German traveler doing several of the great and less known walks. 

A New Adventure - Mouse Season in New Zealand SI 2014/15

A shorter trip this time, just four weeks plain fishing, solo on my own, planed ahead just a couple of weeks. Thus air tickets and cars were harder to get and more costly.Thank you Ines for letting me go (she was not the hurdle)! The reason to come again after less than two years was not just the nice landscape of NZ, people, friends, stile of traveling, pristine fishing, but a very special one, a reason that in this magnitude might occur every 10 – 20 years….

After a very decent summer in New Zealand it takes two years till a mouse year is likely to happen. Mouse year is a magic word for the fly fishing enthusiasts familiar to New Zealand. (The detailed and highly interesting background can be read here) Mice population explodes due to lots of beech seeds, called beech mast, lots of mice means more mice accidentally or intentionally cross waters. There are exposed to trout. Some of these trout start to feast on mice. Resulting that a good sized fish of 6lbs might end up as 9lbs fish (50% of body mass added was confirmed from one guide catching the one and same fish with 6 weeks apart). Thus a normal nice fish of 7,5lbs might easily be a trophy, thus beyond 10lbs. Exactly these trophy fish allure fly fisher to pilgrim to NZ as frequently as possible, besides other reasons, such as wine, country, people and peace. Remember our travel to NZ early 2013 - it was a summer for the record books, we had pretty much no rain for 3 month. Put 1 to 1 and the equation makes perfect sense, that the season 2014/15 should be one of those sought mouse years.

Such a mouse year that, DOC which seems mainly focus on protecting native birds, poisoned a big part of the country side with dropping 1080-baits from helicopters in a very thoroughly way, this should help to keep mouse, thus stoat and rat population down which otherwise would eat native birds eggs. 1080 is highly discussed and debated. Just let me add: I am right now in a region which was air-bombed by 1080, has a special treatment area against possums and the landscape was sprayed partially against black berries with some herbicides. Is that 100% all natural New Zealand? For me that is just fucking sick. Multi-poisoning the landscape and nature to get rid of something which will not be solved on this way, but a lot of other species might suffer from it as well. E.g. trout and finally humans.

Back to the happy part in live. Just couple of month before the trip I decided to go. Checking flights and car were the only fixed points in that trip before. And a very rough route: first north, then south. Weather would dictate it.

The flight via MUC-FRA-SIN-SYD-CHC, part of it in the old LH C in the upper section of the A380 - too bad it was the last plane with the old outdated C, thus as usual close to no sleep during the flights. All flights went well, and early morning shower in the SYD lounge, last short leg to NZ. First sight of the Southern Alps! Excitement! Arrival in CHC with a large mural picture on the wall of tussock high country and mountains made me shivering - HERE I AM AGAIN YEA!!!

First stop as usual Vodafone: from year to year that gets more easy, it just took ten minutes and I was connected via phone and data (bring your old stick or modem you might have, they can just give you a fresh pre-paid card). Rental car service was called and 15 minutes later I was picked and half an hour later on the route in my Jeep Cherokee (with a small block V8 engine at 4,7 liter and something of around 12-15l/100km) to Tony Davis and his family close to Christchurch. Tony Davis used to run Overland 4WD a rental company specialized in real 4WD equipment. Unfortunately the demand for such vehicles from overseas tourists went down (might be related to the earthquakes some years ago, keeping tourists off the Christchurch area?), thus his business declined and became harder and harder. His only bail out was to close the business and to relocate to Aussie, where he will be the location manager of a 4WD training center and tour guiding company. Very sad for the fly fishing folks traveling to NZ in need of a decent 4WD.

Tony offered me to stay in their small guesthouse for the night after the long flight. Thank you for that! A well needed rest as I was kind of tired and done. This night his family and I went for an Indian restaurant - real kiwi Indian ; )

The next morning saw me fresh and well rested after a solid sleep. Quick adaptation to the local time is accelerated if you did not sleep during the flights. Usual packing and preparation procedure: The Warehouse, Christchurch Fly Shop and food market. What happened to all the prices? Everything up again, gas close to 2 NZ$ a liter with all over the place gas prices going down because of that fracking and oil-sand shit. Without that I would be happily willing to pay more for gas.

I thought about going to downtown Christchurch and luckily I decided to go there. Two years ago we did not went there but more of time related reasons and as we have been there twice before. Thus this time I drove downtown and could immediately see the results of the February 2012 earthquakes: several of the big city houses just gone, construction all over the place and other houses still locked up. 

Arriving on the old central Christchurch Cathedrals square I was just moved to tears: the friendly church I had visited the last time just about three weeks of the devastating earthquake was only a ruin, the nature took already over with weeds growing over the former square and the brigs of the church. I was awe and could not quite understand it. It showed how fast human traces vanish and of how little relevance we are.

More sign of life I found in the so called "Re Start Mall", a kind of shopping mall build off several pop up stores and cafes in containers. Interesting kind of semi permanent city architecture. A lunch there and I was finally north bound.

Driving up north I thought and though weather to go to one of my favorite wineries or not… I drove by the sign some 30k north of Christchurch a couple of meters and slammed the brake and turned. I was on vacation, thus where is the joy and fun! Pegasus Bay, again not lunch there (due to restaurant closure days), tasted just two reds, a bottle of CapSauv (quick aging now in the car) and a quick walk through the rose-garden. 

What I love about driving in NZ SI if you do it on the right time in the right direction: absolutely no traffic. Christchurch was different with lots of boring red lights.

The weather was forecasted to be decent for several days with just light rains. My idea was to go right to the bush in Nelson Lakes for an overnighter to a river I visited years before with a guide from Nelson. 

So the dream I had weeks before, to be in the bush at the river by Wednesday latest might come true...

Auckland ... Farewell New Zealand!

We drove right to our hotel halfway between the city center and Auckland Airport in a neighborhood called Onehunga. The hotel was in the center of a highway entrance, but it was ok and the windows were acceptable soundproof. Unpacked our stuff to the hotel room and headed to the city center via public transport. The first time in a train since month. First we had and appointment at the local post office to pick up a letter, which first pick up attempt in Murchison at Scotty’s Lodge did not work out. Content of the letter was the long awaited Star Alliance gold card giving us some extra luggage allowance and more convenient airport procedures.

Afternoon in the city, walk towards the harbor, the bar/party locations on the waterfront, the swing bridge over the harbor entrance, impressive ocean going yachts, … a beautiful evening atmosphere. 

We slowly started to look out for some dinner location. Our favorite, after extensive comparing and walking back and forth under consideration of menu, location and access to and appropriate place for Tobias in the stroller was Pescado Tapas Bar right on the waterfront. A good choice as food and Mac’s Gold were a pleasure. Back to the hotel by the train, some packing preparation, writing and bed.

Sightseeing in Auckland! Our first target was the Auckland War Memorial Museum. Not because we were considerably interested in the war participation of ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) forces but because the museum provided several other exhibitions. Especially the Maori culture section was our focus. I was deeply impressed by the woodcarving and workmanship. Before that we had a quick look on the general section of the museum and their on the wall was my favoirte chair by Gerrit Rietveld "The red-blue chair". Some years ago I built this chair as a replica. It is very comfortable as the angle is just right and the thin backrest flexes.

Via Auckland Domain park, University Campus, pasing some political demonstration, we continued towards Sky City aka Auckland Sky Tower and later on via buss towards Ponsonby Rd. In search for some evening dinner location we walked the whole Ponsonby Rd. Slowly it go quiet chilly  but we did not find anything that totally persuade us (nevertheless there would have been some nice locations), we walked down College Hill Road, stopover in a super market and back to the harbor district from the night before… quiet some distance we walked that day – and most of it on hard surface, no bush tracks, no comfortable wading boots and worst of all no rod in the hand. 

We ended up in the same spot as the night before: Pescado. Hence the time invested scouting that location the evening before paid dividend. Again a delicious, but more extensive dinner this night. A real fine dining event was ufortunately not a feasible option due to the missing nanny.

Auckland was nice and definitly good for a stop over. Even that we did not see any of the nearby highlights.

Time to leave NZ… very sad feelings. As the duration of this trip was unique, the feelings did not hurt so much than two years ago. And at home we should have been welcomed by summer.

As we had an early morning flight towards Tokyo we had to finish packing the night before. Sorting and packing stuff that would join us on our trip back home and belongings that would stay in NZ with Tony for future adventures (large car camping tent, storage boxes, some cooking tools, …). Think we had one big 40 liter box of rubbish. This part of a trip is most of the time the least fun part. Note for the next trip: take less! 

The time in New Zealand was too good to be finished.

We had an unbelievable dry, long and sunny summer, nice people, landscape, nature, good fishing that was sometimes challenged by the draught, nice accommodations, people, old and new friendship, hospitality and home, good food and most of the time outstanding wine. Everything worked out perfect, no accidents, no sever obstacles. Absolutely nothing more to be wished!

We will come back. We have to.