Adventure in the Southern Alps

White knuckling along the precarious canyon edge, my hands were shaking, and I remember saying to myself... what was I thinking trying to do this? I was just out of surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome only one month ago- and then the situation got worse. It did sound like a good idea at the time, and it was our first day in New Zealand and we started it off with a bang. I said to Loraine (my adventure girl),  "let's try Canyoning," having no clue what that meant. All I knew is that it was a chance to create a new experience.  Before I knew it  I was hanging off the edge of a 25 foot cliff! With one misstep on the tiny, slippery footholds; I would be slammed into the jagged side of the rock wall below.

 I thought this was going to be easy, you know, zip lining through waterfalls etc. Turns out, Canyoning is something to be reckoned with. I was doing reasonably fine until the lady above me on the wall climb said, "I can't do this, I need to get down," say what? This means one of us has to unclip from the carabiner and pray. She was on the outside and so being the gentleman, I said, "I think you have to unbuckle and crawl around me, I will hold us both if you slip." Luckily, she inched around me with no problem, and then I looked up to see the daunting terrace with my name on it. All I had to do is jump into the tiny turquoise pool 25 feet below. It didn't seem like much, but it's almost a 3 story drop down! With craggy boulder rocks jutting out everywhere, I looked across the pool and could see the bright red emergency tote board strapped to the cliff 's edge intended to carry injured canyoners out of the canyon.  Hmm.. here goes nothing. I remembered, the guides told me to bend my knees, lean back, and hit the water evenly with each foot. No such luck, as I managed to do 2 out 3 as instructed. One foot landed first and it felt like a giant splinter pierced through it. Otherwise ok, and now... I was fully awake. The rest of the canyoning was easier, sliding, and repelling down waterfalls, even a zip line ride was thrown in across the canyons. 

Queenstown New Zealand: Definitely on the list for adventure playgrounds in the world and a bus ride away from the famous Milford Sound. We were here to meet our good friends Jay and Judith, two Kiwis friends that I have known for 44 years. We had met boomnetting off a sailboat on the way to Great Keppel Island,  Australia in 1981.

Boomnetting off a 
sailboat

Jay and Judith

We have been friends ever since, and along the way have done some incredible adventures together. This time, they were going to introduce us to e -bike cycling. New Zealand has an incredible cycling network in the North and South Islands. Basically, it all started when the former Prime Minister, Key, in 2009 proposed the New Zealand Cycleway with a 50 million dollar investment including,  local funding. These pathways usually go for 40 to 80 km (25-50 miles) on hard packed decomposed granite for the off-road scenic areas, and are also connected by on-road asphalt roadways.

More funding was added in 2016 and 2022, which increased the routeway up to 2,755 km (1,712 miles). The trails are very well marked along the way (no need for guides), but it's a good idea to have a company transport your luggage from one hotel to the other. Many of the trails pass by wineries, and end up in old historic towns. Our first ride (about 40 km), was along the newly created Dunstan Trail. It's a spectacular ride along rivers, over mini mountains, along lakesides, passing over bridges, watching bungee jumping and then ending up smack dab in the middle of a vineyard where we stayed overnight. We enjoyed a wine tasting event. The sommelier informed us about the influence of the cold climate around Dunstan, along with the stone and sandy loam topsoil which makes a perfect place to grow the Pinot Noir grape.

Along the Dunstan Trail

crossing bridges

Mount Cook: On the way to Mount Cook we rented a car and stopped at the old gold rush town of Cardrona, known for its quaint vintage hotel. After some wine, beer and of course martinis, we did some hiking along Wanaka lake, where Jay and I once again, contemplated the meaning of life. 

After hiking we all drove back to Queenstown where Loraine and I caught a bus to the famous Mount Cook, while Jay and Judith jumped on a plane back home. The 6 hour bus ride along winding roads was an experience in itself, because our driver was jacked to beat the bus-land speed record. He barely gave us time to use the toilets, rushing us at every stop we had. Well, what can I say we did arrive 2 hours early to the spectacular Hermitage Hotel that is tucked in a valley at the base of the mountains.  First day, was rainy and cloudy, and we couldn't see Mt. Cook, but, that was ok because they had a great museum created in                                                                honor of Sir Edmund Hillary. 

Hermitage hotel

The next day the sun came out, and wow... there it was- the tallest mountain of the southern Alps. Mt. Cook (Aoraki), standing at 12,218' (3724 m).

View out the bar to Mt. Cook

 Doesn't seem very tall, kind of like Mount Shasta, but it's a treacherous climb, no paths up and you need to be a full on mountaineering expert with climbing ropes, ice axe and crampons. At the hotel there is a Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine center, 

where I bumped into him and asked what he thought of Mt. Cook. He said, "climbing Mt. Cook in 1948 was his training ground for Mt. Everest,  and one of my true loves." 

Sir Edmund 
Hillary

Trail to the base of Mt. Cook

valley up to the base

We took a well laid out 3 mile hike with platforms and bridges up to the lake at the base of Mt. Cook. It was a stunning view, and I could see there was no apparent route to the top,  just straight up to the peak from all sides.

Of course you can't go somewhere like this and not see the effects of climate change. So, I decided to do some research in the local visitors book center, and found some telltale pictures. Besides this, I found a recent article from "The Conversation," published on 3/9/2025 from the  academic authors at the Victoria University. They pointed out that New Zealand ranks 3rd globally in the proportion of ice lost from glaciers. Almost 30% of ice volume has melted in the past 24 years, global glacier assessment  (Nature -scientific journal). Almost 300 glaciers have now completely vanished from New Zealand's mountains. This is scary stuff, if all the glaciers and ice sheets melted sea level would rise 195 feet (60 meters)!

We walked out towards the remnants of the Mueller glacier to the viewpoint where we could match the pictures from the bookstore to approximately where we were. The stocking leg shape, Tewaewae Glacier, in the left picture in 1915 is in full view, and the picture on the right is in 2018.  You can see the stocking leg shape glacier is almost gone. Behind our picture below, although it is hard to tell (it's by the cloud on the right) there doesn't look like much of the glacier is there nowadays. 

Tewaewae glacier in 1915 left
and then 2018 on the right

Probably shouldn't be smiling

A20 ride

Alps to Ocean Bike Ride: A 315 km, the 8 stage ride throws you all the facets of what I

189 miles- 8 stage ride

call.. an adventure. It started off exciting enough with a helicopter ride over the Tasman River with Mt. Cook in the rear view mirror. Loraine settled in as copilot, as we took off on our 8.6 km flight to start our 80 km ride. We found out there was a surprise in store, we now know what "a rough start means" from the brochure...loose cobbles, ruts, washboard, and several creek crossings. 

Copilot Loraine

Right off the bat...Kaboom, down went copilot Loraine fell on some loose cobbles, luckily she had a very graceful fall, but still managed to tweak her tailbone.

Co pilot down

 I did a rut jump, at least that's what I called it. Riding along the trail my bike's front tire was suddenly stuck in a 3 inch rut, and I couldn't pull out of it. Luckily, there was some soft grass at the end of the rut where I managed somehow to leap off the bike with a two-point landing on both of my feet. Quite the start, and after a couple more miles, we finally reached the edge of the glistening, aquamarine Lake Pukaki, that

Lake pukaki

wraps around the valley for 33 km. Things were going well, when all of the sudden my chain started slipping and jamming. Next thing I know, I almost did an endo into the lake. Finally, I had to stop pedaling, the problem was, we were out in the middle of nowhere, with no cell reception! So, I decided to continue to walk up the hills and then coast down them.  After several miles, we came upon a house and decided to knock on the door and ask for                                                   help. Out popped the farmer's wife, who called Dave, her fixer husband.

Tangled chain

 Dave came rolling in on his quad wearing a full length grubby brown jumpsuit. He was probably 80 something years old, and says "what's the problem?" Then, off he went  zooming on his quad to find a wrench in his other shed? When he returns, Dave and Loraine wrestled the kinked chain back on. We bid our thankful farewell, only to have it fall off in another mile. Luckily, we had cell reception by now and was able to call the bike company for help. They said they could be there in 90 minutes. So we coasted down hills and walked up them for another 3 miles or so and finally settled  under a lone tree to eat some lunch and wait for a new bike. The driver came and we switched out bikes and his final words before departing was "the next section is pretty bumpy." Quite the understatement... the first part we glided along some great single track next to the lake, and then ended up back on the main dirt road which was eroded with riddling washboard rivets, the kind which can jar any loose teeth out. Luckily for me, I had my anti-vibration gloves on, but it still, brought us to a stop every few miles. Once we reached the end of the lake everything was starting to get better. We were back on the exciting single tracts and they lead us all the way to our first day's destination - Twizel. 

But, before we left the lake, I saw Loraine standing there transfixed staring at the water. I asked her what she was thinking, and she said, "my eyes are mesmerized by the shimmering milky aquamarine lake and it is giving me such a peaceful and cooling sensation as the sun is warming my back, and I'm loving watching the ducks gliding on the water. This is the perfect bike ride and scenery that will be forever imprinted in my memories of New Zealand." Wow!

Stage 5 route

The next day, Lakeland bike company picked us up at our hotel and took us to the start of the stage 5 and 6 routes, from Omarama to Kurow. Loraine decided to sit this one out, so I took off on my own for this exhilarating ride around a chain of reservoirs and dams. My favorite ride so far. It started out by crossing a sheep farm, and then climbed along the side of several canyons with sidewinding narrow paths, no rails and  some 300 foot drops. 

Single tract along the lakes

The lakes were full of low lying clouds, where scenic helicopter rides were slipping in for a thrill. At one point, the single tract weaved its way through a pine forest and dropped into a impressive view of the reservoirs--doesn't get much better. 

A series of reservoirs

Having completed 4 of the 8 stage routes, Lakeland bike company picked us up and drove us to the end of stage 8 to a city called Oamaru. Oamaru is rich in history dating back to the Maori settlements in the 1100 AD, and then became a bustling southern port for the settlement of New Zealand in the 1850s. Awash with white city center buildings from the famous Oamaru whitestone, it is now famous for the tiniest penguins on earth, the 10-12 inches (25-30cm) Blue Penguins. 

Oamaru Whitestone 

You can only see the Blue Penguins on the return trip from the ocean just after sunset. Unfortunately, or fortunately, the area they return is in a major tourist trap with grandstands, but the colony is now well protected. There are about 700 Blue Penguins in this colony and about 40-50 go out to sea each day this time of year and return at night for the show.  

Blue Penguins returning to 
the colony

Dens for the penguins

With spotlights on the shore the penguins launch themselves on the beach with a well timed jump from the waves and then scramble up a predetermined path to find their nests. After seeing a few landings, Loraine and I had enough and started back walking back to our hotel, only to find out the real show was along the planks up to the entrance building. 

Snuggled in their holes, the "cute as a bug's ear" tiny penguins were calling out to each other. They were all around us, and nobody was else there to disrupt the moment. It sounded like a symphony of coos and calls that made your hair stand up on your arm. 

Jay and Judith's our last stop in New Zealand:

We jumped on a bus heading to Christchurch, where caught a plane up to the north island to see our friends new home. Several years ago Jay and Judith had finally come back home to their family roots in New Zealand. They had been spending most of their lives hanging out in Australia and traveling the world. 

When they did settle back in, they found a gorgeous house on the edge of a rainforest-like setting. Their deck drifts out over the backyard and into the grasp of the forest. The forest is loaded with hiking trails, but the best part is the whistle, clicks and bell-like sounds of the Tui bird. The male Tui birds have a sound to attract mates and also warn others of their territory. The males have a striking white tuft known as the "poi," which flutters during the vocal performances.

Lots of hiking trails

Tui Bird

We spent a lot of time enjoying Judith's gourmet dishes, she is quite the cook, and along with Jay, are quite the sightseeing guides.  

Judith on beach trai.

The region is known for its wineries, and so we had to try one at least one.  Jay and Judith took us to one of the local wineries that specializes in Syrah grapes. The waiter also brought a sample of the Kidnappers Reserve (I think it was a cab) which filled our mouths with exquisite bouquets. 

Clearwater Estate Winery

Judith and I took one last bike ride to to one of the beach restaurants. The

Hawkes Bay area has more than 200 km of off-road paths with vineyards, and orchards along the way. I can't explain how wonderful it was to see our lifelong friends again.  Through the years, they have always been there for me through all the ups and downs of life. And, even though we don't see each other much, it only takes a split second to connect our friendship . I just keep counting my lucky stars for bumping into them while boomnetting on the way to Great Keppel Island. 

Kauai, here we come. On our way home we planned to stop in Kauai to see our next grandchild be born. Max and Shannon, Loraine's daughter, had a surprise for us. They had asked the owner of the local estate, where they help manage, if we could stay in the main house overlooking the ocean. 

Leif (7) with Lanie-notice 
the cool haircut.

Well, needless to say it had a view to die for. Max and Shannon decided to join us in the house and have a natural birth in a birthing tub in the north wing. The little guy was now 4 days late, and homeopathic Doctor Charski finally suggested using castor oil to move things along. Then wham, right after dinner, I had noticed Shannon was particularly chatty. Moments later she said, "it's time, call the Doc," and 47 minutes later, out popped little blue eyes, 7 lbs and 12 oz. - Lucien Koa Gardenier. Welcome to the world little guy.  The brothers, Leif and Leo, who we were anxiously waiting on the other side of the house, could barely contain themselves, bouncing all over the place, who looking forward to welcome the new addition of their family. 

Skater boys Leif (7) on the
left with his Ripsurf Razor
skateboard and Leo (31/2) right 

Finally, Max came out to let us know Lucien had arrived, and they charged in to greet their new little brother with hugs and smiles.

Shannon and mom
having a moment,
watching the
Humpbacks breach

Lucien, 7lbs 12oz

 It turned out to be quite the 2 week stay. Loraine and I did some maintenance, washing the outside windows, and lots of yard work in this paradise setting. I learned how to drive a sit down lawn mower, and it was so much fun I ended up doing the whole 4 hilly acres. 

Proud Dad- Max

Mow man

60 white egrets jumping 
out of the way on every turn
of the mower

This has been a great 6 week adventure, even though it started out sadly losing Loraine's mom, Bon Bon who passed at 91. The trip ended with a breath of new life with the birth of our grandkid, Lucien (# 6), and the  commencing of the full circle of life. 

Bon Bon