Oh, the places you'll go

Here we are in Tasmania--one of those places you never really think you are going to visit. Did you know that Tasmanian devils are real? I haven't seen one yet, but I have run into several wallabies (small kangaroos). It's really weird to see a kangaroo-like animal running out of the bush, like a squirrel back home.

Weirder still, we are staying in the lovely home of the parents of some friends of ours (Pam Codispoti and Mark Habner). Thank you Pam and Mark for leading us to Kateland Manor Estate, though we are really sorry you cannot be here with us! And thanks to Jill for all the logistical work to make it happen.

I've got to be honest, we are not doing much--and it's lovely. Tasmania is like stepping back into the 19th century. Our first stop was Richmond, a small town outside of Hobart that felt like a small English village. I've deliberately used the "antique" feature on iPhoto because that's how we felt.

If you look through the arch of the bridge, you can see the Wheelan Family lounging in the grass!

We then made our way to the north of the island, where we are now ensconced at the Habner's lovely home, which is also a working farm. (Are we supposed to be feeding the cattle??)

There is some spectacular scenery when we muster the energy to explore. We are on the coast of the Tasman Sea.

But, to be honest there is a lot of pent up demand for sleeping, reading, playing games, doing schoolwork (a little), and cooking in a well-equipped kitchen.

This being Australia, we obviously had to throw some things on the barbie.

Finally, Katrina continues to disparage my flower photos. I think they're beautiful. I will remain true to my inner artistic voice.

Why does Santa have an Australian accent?

It's nearly 100 degrees in Melbourne, but folks seem to be in the holiday spirit.

We may be 17,000 kilometers miles from home (and have been away so long that we now think in metric), but the kids were keen to have a real Christmas. We started on Christmas Eve with holiday cookies, complete with colored frosting. (Thanks to Grandma Boo Boo, and her mom before that, who made this such an important and enjoyable tradition.) We made a staggering number of cookies in our Airbnb apartment.

If you look carefully at the plate on the right (below), the cookies are supposed to represent the flags of the countries we have visited so far. CJ (above) was in more of an American mood.

On Christmas, we hung stockings (with downtown Melbourne in the background). Santa brought practical things like Band-Aids, shampoo, antibiotic creme, and Swiss Army knives.

Later we headed to the lovely Intercontinental Hotel. There is nothing like a fixed price buffet when: 1) We have been traveling for four months; 2) We are all losing weight; and 3) No travel budget on Christmas! (More shrimp anyone?)

A good time was had by all . . .

Merry Christmas!

We miss New Zealand already

"New Zealand is cute," Katrina said at one point. She said it without irony, and it was not meant to be patronizing. Leah and I were here 20 years ago--hitchhiking across the country--and we were delighted on this trip that the country had preserved its friendly, laid back character. (And the food is now MUCH better.)

We knew we were no longer in New Zealand when the Melbourne immigration officer reprimanded us for not having our forms properly organized. (In her defense, they had just foiled a planned terrorist attack on the city.) Still, every New Zealand official asked excitedly about our travel plans and wanted to make sure that we were enjoying ourselves. One guy repeatedly told me to be careful while driving on the left side of the road. (Only twice did I turn into the wrong lane, and only once into oncoming traffic.)

So, here is our final homage to New Zealand. We've posted plenty of pretty pictures from the trek and other adventures, but one thing about New Zealand is how pretty it can be while doing normal things. Here are some pictures we took just in the course of traveling around--while we were driving, or walking to dinner, or doing something else.

One of our favorite stops along the way was a hippyish camper park in Golden Bay. We had our own little cabin. Each night the owner fired up a pizza oven in the center of the camp and offered up free pizza dough to anyone who brought their own fixings. The result was a charming evening, shared with the eccentric guests. Very New Zealand.

CORRECTED: The island of misfit birds

CORRECTION: I have heard from readers around the world (2) that snipes really do exist. All I know is that my relatives had no intention of finding them. A "snipe hunt" was an excuse to wander in the Wisconsin woods drinking beer.


Katrina and I carried on the New Zealand road trip to the very end. While Leah, CJ, and Sophie stayed behind in Invercargill to do school work, Katrina and I took a ferry to Stewart Island on the tip of the South Island of New Zealand.

From there, we took one more ferry to Ulva Island. To clarify, we were on an island to the south of an island to the south of the South Island.

Ulva Island is unique because there is not a single mammal on the whole island--not a squirrel or a rat or any potential predator for New Zealand's native birds. This is relevant because for hundreds of thousands of years, all of New Zealand was this way. As a result, its native birds, such as the kiwi, either never developed the ability of fly or lost that ability.

Suffice it so say, when predators eventually arrived they found the equivalent of bacon-wrapped scallops. The native birds have been destroyed by the tens of millions. Ulva Island, however, is one place where many of these native species can still be observed. So we did some bird watching, including a search for the elusive kiwi.

At one point, two "kiwis" came running out of the bush. I took nearly a hundred photos before a New Zealand family came over a bluff and informed us that we were photographing a weka, not a kiwi. We had done the equivalent of confusing a seagull for a bald eagle. Bummer.

However, I did sign up for a late-night "kiwi adventure." (Katrina had no interest and went to bed instead.) The kiwis forage for food at night. So on nearly the longest day of the year, I set out at 10 p.m. hiking with a guide through the woods and along the beach for kiwis. After about three hours, nothing. It began to feel like the "snipe hunts" that relatives would take us on in Northern Wisconsin. (For the record, there is no such thing as a snipe.)

Then, sometime after 1:00 a.m., we spotted two kiwis. They look like rodents with big legs and a long beak. No photo, I'm afraid, as it was long after dark and the kiwis were illuminated only by flashlight. Very cool nonetheless and a fitting end to our stay in New Zealand. We've now made it back to Christchurch and will fly to Melbourne, Australia tomorrow.

"Climb every mountain . . ."

Note: This post is best read while humming, or listening to, Julie Andrews singing songs from the "Sound of Music."

We launched ourselves on the Routeburn Trek, which is a highlight of any trip to New Zealand. Leah rushed online last May to get one of the coveted spots in the huts along the trek. As is the case everywhere on the South Island, a lot of the beauty is just in the getting there. Much to the frustration of the family, I continue to swerve off the road to take random photos.

One attractive feature of the Routeburn Trek is that the terrain changes with each day of the hike. We began with forest and mountains, kind of like Vermont with more rugged terrain.

Day 2 crossed a snowy peak, rockier and covered with patches of snow. Although it is nearly summer here, the mountains got a fresh coat of snow the night before.

With snow in summer, we were able to see wildflowers AND make the world's smallest snowman, all in the same day and same place.

The lodges were comfortable and cozy. I mean really cozy. How often do you sleep this close to strangers?

On Day 3, the trek goes through a rain forest--more dense greenery than I've ever seen in one place, almost like a rain forest Land of Oz. 

 Of course, things get that green because it RAINS. And on Day 3, that was the forecast. Lots of rain.

Torrents of water poured off the mountain, turning large parts of the trail into a stream.

In the end, Team Wheelan persevered! (We checked into a motor lodge with a washer and dryer.)