4-14 The New Zealand Tour South Island: Golden Bay, Farewell spit, Wharariki beach, and Nelson.

After a nice sleep in a bed I got up to make some left overs and also stumbled upon a conversation about a beach called Wharariki. Two gentleman staying at the hostel where talking about the beach and how you can play with baby fur seals. I was super intrigued and asked where this beach was. One of the gentleman showed me on a map where it is and also explained that you need to be very calm for about twenty minutes before trying to play with the seals so they can get adjusted to you. I told Rena and we, her and I, ate some food, charged up some things, cleaned up the car, looked up some Internet searching, and then head out to check out the farewell spit with also the intent of heading to the Wharariki beach after. The drive along the 60 to the Collingwood-Pupinga Main road was very nice and didn't have as many crazy turns as the one from Motueka to Takaka. We arrived at the Spit and walked all the way down to almost the end before running out of time to see the seals during low tide. The beach of the Spit is seashell land and when your walking down the beach it's very hard not to crunch down on more than a few shells. At around five thirty we made it over the dunes to the amazing Wharariki beach and walked along a huge sand bar ending up at a small pool filled with baby fur seals jumping out of the water playing with joy. We sat for a bit before playing with them and got a few amazing panarama sunset pics as well. We then walked out in amazement and drove off to Nelson in search for a good place to park for the night.

Bye for now...

Some thoughts:

You'll find me starring at an animal who keeps Coming up to me and trying to nibble at my feet. I keep wanting to jump in with them and swim away but don't want to familiarize them too much with humans. I can't really believe what is going on in the moment and when I leave this place there is the most amazing sunset I've seen in a long time. I feel pure bliss when I just got an amazing view of an animal so close to me and also our sun putting on a show.
I hope you find something that feels completely out of this world and you remember ill till that one day you tell your grand kids or your friends grand kids this amazing story that makes their eyes light up brighter than a skylight.

For my video of the seals on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTgc3lgENOo

But it might just be easier looking up jubean16 on YouTube or google jubean16 and it will pull up all my videos and youtube channel

4-13 The New Zealand Tour South Island: Motueka, Abel Tasman, and Golden Bay.

After a nice car sleep in the neighborhood of Motueka we,Rena and I, headed out to the Abel Tasman in the pouring rain and hoped for some good weather. When we got there the rain stopped barely letting the sun peek through the clouds and we decided to walk 14km to Anchorage Bay and then run the 14km back. When we made it back to the car the rain had found us again and it started to throw giant water beads onto the windshield while the car was warming up. I decided we should go to the the Golden Bay in search for a hot shower and a warm meal at a hostel. So we hoped on the Riwaka-Marahau road to the 60 which goes up a winding road to the top of a mountain then down the other side winding again. We arrived into town, Takaka or Golden Bay, and found a SMALL YHA to make food with maybe a shower after. While cooking a blonde German girl came around the corner saying: "where'd you two come from" and we replied: "we came through the back and are so hungry we started cooking before looking for you". She said: "are you wanting to stay here tonight?" and we replied with "of course!" Our luck had run out and our hunger didn't think about how small the hostel was so we decided to finally sleep in a bed for once. We finished making our food and hoofed it down before watching Heartbreaker on Netflix. We then sprawled out giving our knees a break from bending and passed right out.

Bye for now...

Some thoughts...

You'll find me running along a trail full of dense greenery and black moss that crawls over a whole five meter area. I feel as if I am lost in the trees and the water falling along the mountain echoes though my ears like crackles of popcorn. This is the moment I feel at home and when I'm alone in the beautiful nature of the earth is where I feel most enlightened. I also feel as if I could fall down the side of the hill and turn into a mist that washes through the ocean. I've let go of being human and I have surrendered my mind to be here NOW.
I hope you find your path in life and I hope you find that letting go of what holds you down is the most peaceful thing you can bring into your life as well.

4-12 The New Zealand Tour South Island: Christchurch to Motueka

After waking up a couple times realizing where I actually was, instead of a dream, I started up the car and we headed out to Castle Hill along the M73. It was my second time being there and Rena's first which we took a different look of the place than the time I did before. I saw it a completely different way from the last time and we hiked through a maze of rocks to then all the way up to this hill that gave a great view of the whole place. That whole place is truly spectacular and if you ever get to go there you'll feel the same wow as I did. We then headed out up to the Motueka taking the 73 to the Lake Brunner road which turns into the Arnold Valley road then into the 7 taking a left onto the 69 to the 6 and then ending up on the 60. The drive was beautiful but nothing much to stop and stay at. When we got to Motueka the sun had disappeared into the darkness and we where pretty tired from sitting in the car all day so we got for a stretch. We then ate some food, found a nice place to sleep, and got ready for the adventure awaiting the next morning in the Abel Tasman.

Bye for now...

Some thoughts...

You'll find me in a place that I have been before, but this time I see it completely different and I say: "wow I can't believe how much more I'm seeing!". I make my way over to climb my up a face of a crazy high limestone rock while someone watches with their hands over their mouth in fear. At the same time I slowly pull my way up to the top smiling with success and sit down with an amazing view.
I hope you see things not the same way all the time but see them from a new angle or a different point of view that opens your mind farther in understanding them a little bit more.

4-11 The New Zealand Tour South Island: Queenstown to Christchurch

I woke up this morning to a warm car and an old man peeking out of his house wondering: "who's parked in front of my house!" I slowly drove away while waving hello and in my mind saying "thank you for the nice spot to sleep with a view". I then pulled up to the YHA and loaded Rena's things in ready for departure to Mt. Cook, Lake Tekapo, Geralston, Lake Clearwater, Mount Sunday, and Christchurch. On the way out of Queenstown we saw a young New Zealander girl at the gas station who ran out of gas up the hill and I decided to give her a ride back to her car so she could make it to work on time because I once ran out of gas in California and some complete stranger offered their help. After the paying it forward we set out on the M6 to Cromwell and then switched over to the M8 up to Mt. Cook. Upon getting there we could see the clouds in the distance and were hoping to at least get a peek but the rain kept getting worse as we got closer and closer, so we decided to not waste any more time and turned around in search for sunshine. We then made it to Lake Tekapo which isn't really a site to see and saw some backpackers looking for a ride to Geralston, in our direction, so I asked them if they would like to join us and they said of course. I loaded up their stuff and told them Rena and I are going to grab a bite and maybe a swim in the Lake. Without a choice they watched us swim with shout from the cold glacier water and probably thought: "Crazy North Americans!". Shivering our way out we walked through the wind and joined with the two Germans, I don't remember their names, for a nice mellow drive to Geralston. I felt as if I was sheered off a stone from the glacier water and was a little uplifted in that moment of my body heating up again. We then made it to Geralston and said some safe travel goodbyes to our backseat passengers before heading out to Lake Clearwater that looked adventurous on the map. The Lake didn't look like much so we kept going past it down the road to a valley that felt like no mans land and is located dead center in the South Island. The valley didn't have a name but a small mound in the middle is called Mount Sunday and we thought what the hell we are here let's climb it. When we got to the top it was a wind storm with a small wind device not moving much that had everyones names engraved in it who made it there and I found a nail to do the same. After we left that hidden gem and made a mark for people to see we set out to Christchurch in search for some Wifi, a place to shower, and a cinema to see Oblivion due to Rena loosing a bet about who the main character is in "The Life of David Gale". Upon the arrival of Christchurch city centre we didn't get lost like the last time I did and we made it to the Re:start place for some free Internet in search of where a YHA is and a local cinema that is playing Oblivion. After the nice shower and little sneakaroo we headed out to the movie with a little detour this time due to the city signs. The movie was great, a little long with some corky spots, but above all mind trippingly satisfying. I would say it is similar to Minority Report in the sense of a great Sci-fi film, but has a crazy different story to it with a twist here and there. If you like Sci-fi on the big screen and Tom cruise then I would recommend it, but it's no where near any of Christopher Nolan's Sci-fi films that make your brain say: "overload" after seeing them. After that jazz we headed out to a nice dark quiet spot for some sleep and preparation for the next day ahead.

Bye for now...

Some thoughts...

You'll find me tip toeing my way into a lake that feels so cold it feels hot and as the water envelops all the way up to my chest I slowly can't breath so I decide to jump head first and sink to the bottom. I grab the earth beneath and forget that I'm underwater. I push up to the surface and my body gasps for air in shock of freezing but I say to myself: "be still, breath still, your here now". I come out of the water feeling like I'm icy hot and let the wind blow dry the water off my body. I feel as if I'm reminded of what my whole body feels like and how I can control my body in some of the harshest environments present.
I hope you do something that helps remind you of what it is to live and in that moment you see who you are in the body you have.