Anxiously awaiting our flight to Dublin where we will meet Mo’s brother Peter and his wife Gloria to start our circumnavigation of the Island of Ireland, including Northern Ireland, for LOTS of golf and plenty of sightseeing. Including flight days we will be on the road for 27 days.

This adventure was partially inspired by Tom Coyne’s book “A Course Called Ireland” (well worth the read) where he visits every links course for the entire two countries. Our adventure falls well short of that but we are going to do battle with 15 of the best of the best including a number ranked very highly on the world’s top 100 list.

Along the way we will be visiting numerous landmarks, learning the correct way to drink Guinness (is there a wrong way), determining if Irish whiskey is better than Scotch (over to you Mo) and hoping we don’t get blown into one of the various seas and oceans that surround Ireland. Fingers crossed.

We will have a summary of our touring Dublin in the next day or two once we’ve got our sea legs. Stay tuned.

Well our lucky star run of great weather was shattered overnight and into Friday. Sheets of rain and high winds meant doing anything outdoors was out of the question given it guaranteed wet clothes. Not a good pre flight strategy. So it was a leisurely morning packing up and heading out to the airport early given our limited options. Even then getting from the car rental return to the shuttle required running through the pouring rain. Despite checking in super early we just missed out on snagging a second sky couch for the Auckland to Vancouver leg but we do have one which will give us much more room than our inbound flight. The international terminal at Auckland is very impressive with the largest duty free area I’ve ever seen. Although we’re virtually souvenir free (suitcases bulging with hiking gear will do that) we resisted the chance to add to our load. It’s been a long day but killing hours and hours before a flight isn’t so hard with a good book and strong wifi. With a pre boarding glass of wine in hand it’s hard to believe all the adventures we’ve had here. Wonderful people, exceptional geography, unique settings and a series of challenges made this an unforgettable experience. Hopefully you have enjoyed the blog as much as we’ve enjoyed creating it through actions and words.

Stayed tuned for our next adventure. Imagine if you will Arabian nights and the desert skies……….. Hmmmmm. Cheers.

Our penultimate day in NZ was devoted to visiting Waiheke Island and sampling some of the fine wines produced there. Access is via a 50 minute ferry ride from the Auckland port across a fairly large bay.

Our weather streak continued so we grabbed seats on the upper deck outside.

The primary mode for tourists getting around the island is a hop on/off bus which has stops in a couple of the small settlements as well as many of the wineries. The scenery is enchanting with different hues in the water, sandy beaches and lots of greenery.

We rode the entire loop (about 5 km in each direction) and jumped off at the Mudbrick winery. After a full flight of tastings with very very little spitting out or dumping, we sat down to a huge lunch looking at the ocean.

We also stopped at the Cable Bay winery where we completed a repeat performance except no second lunch. A very knowledgeable employee took us through the process but by our 9th glass of wine on the day we weren’t sure what she was saying. So rather than move on to another winery we felt it better we should get back on the ferry and head home.

The bay leaving the island was calm and blue while the crossing was green and choppy. Thank goodness we were out in the open air.

Back to the Auckland harbour and the hustle of a big city versus the idyllic setting we had just left. Really two worlds apart.

Tomorrow we have a museum or two on the agenda (all done with the active adventure calendar) before packing up and starting the long journey back to Toronto. Not looking forward to 20+ hours in the air but hey, we do get back the day we lost a few weeks ago.

A chance conversation last summer at a golf tournament led to an invitation from David van Wely, a Canadian who winters in NZ, to join him at his club as part of our holiday.

The Muriwai GC is on the west coast opposite Auckland and looks out onto the Tasman Sea.

The urban sprawl of Auckland is immense. Traffic volumes have simply overwhelmed the road system and we were extremely fortunate to be heading out of the city while thousands of cars stood still heading the other way. The last half of the drive was a stark contrast. Lots of horse farms and green space complete with the requisite twisty narrow road.

The day of golf was fantastic, even with rental clubs and running shoes, as we enjoyed yet another hot sunny day with the breeze (wind?) coming off the sea and over the dunes. OK it was WINDY at times and it swirled. Very challenging.

And of course what’s a round of golf without a wee nip of birdie juice?

After a well deserved very cold beer we drove a kilometer south to a large Gannet colony. It too provided spectacular views of the birds, the coastline and back towards the golf course.

Our drive back to the city was without incident and as in the morning, the outbound volume of cars was unbelievable. The commute for some people for relatively short distances must be hours. There doesn’t seem to be much if any mass transit or rail service so everyone is in a car. Oh well.

Tomorrow is ferry rides and wine tasting. Can’t wait.

You might ask, what the heck is blackwater rafting? It’s simply whitewater rafting underground in a system of caves where, with no artificial light, it’s very, very dark or, say, black.

We set off in our tiny little car, affectionately dubbed Sparky, for the Waitomo caves south of Auckland. Auckland traffic is beyond description hence the heavy red line near the city.

We joined 8 members of the NZ under 23 national triathlon team who were taking a day off training in squeezing into full body wet suits complete with miners helmet and light. Flattering doesn’t come to mind.

We were then driven to a river to be taught the technique of jumping backwards off waterfalls clutching an inner tube. It was also an icy introduction to the water we would be immersed in, in the caves. Some handled it slightly better than others.

The big white boots were necessary for those sections where walking in the water on rocks would occur. They had drain holes in the sides to help minimize the weight.

Then it was time to squeeze underground. This is not for the faint of heart of small dark places with rushing water.

At times we waded through the rushing water but much of the journey was spent balanced on small inner tubes when the current slowed.

The trip marketing material hi lights (no pun intended) the presence of millions of glow worms in some of the larger caverns. It was magical when all our lamps were turned off and the ceiling glowed like a beautiful bluish green sky full of stars.

Of course we had to have the requisite tourist shot which also confirmed we hadn’t got lost and were still warm enough to smile.

And in one section we were given the option to crawl through a small water filled tunnel. Only idiots need apply.

All too soon, although it was nearly 90 minutes underground, we emerged back into sunlight and a waterlogged clamber out of the river.

Back on the bus to the equipment depot where, comically, we shrugged off the wetsuits and stood luxuriating in steamy hot showers. A large hot chocolate helped immensely as well. Back into Sparky for the return to Auckland and the end of another unique adventure. Simply a wow day.

Tomorrow, golf! Look out Muriwai GC on the west coast.

How does one follow up 14 days of intense physical effort in the mountains of the South Island of New Zealand? Why, of course, you fly to the north island, absorb a quick reminder of the vagaries of driving a car on the left, grab some sleep and then go for a 3 1/2 hour bike tour of Auckland. A huge disclaimer – they were powerful e bikes and our biggest challenge was learning what buttons to push and not veering into traffic.

Our tour started on the waterfront and eventually took us to the highest point in the city, Mount Eden.

Our guide was a knowledgeable historian and took us through the evolution of the area from a Māori stronghold to a British base to the vibrant metropolis of 1.6M that exists today.

With bays, coves, rivers and the ocean at its doorstep, it’s no wonder Auckland is a city of boats. The world’s largest marina (2,000+ berths) hosts a staggering array of every imaginable type of sailboat and yacht.

The city also is attempting to get more people out of cars and has a very friendly approach to developing bike lanes and rights of way.

The hills, and there are some steep ones, were a breeze with the e bike so getting to the top of Mount Eden was no problem. As with our hikes, the reward was the view.

Then it was back down to the harbour with our guide describing numerous landmarks on the way. We also saw many vestiges of NZ’s participation in the Americas Cup sailing race including the launch of a small prototype used for testing potential design features of the next generation of yachts.

The harbour is a bustling place full of F&B options. Having worked so hard on the bike – NOT, we certainly had to rehydrate.

Tomorrow we take action adventure to a new level with a walk/float through caves south of the city. With glow worms adorning some of the caverns it could be quite illuminating.

The finale of our hiking holiday proved to be a fitting act. It included lots of incredibles: the route, the scene, the views, the challenge and the sense of accomplishment at the end.

Day three required hiking up from the Angelus hut to the spine of Robert’s Ridge and eventually down to the start of the Robert’s circuit near Lake Rototi, thereby almost closing a big loop.

We had consumed all the provisions save a lunch sandwich but loaded up on water given there was no drinking source awaiting us in the next six plus hours. The backpacks did feel slightly lighter or perhaps our shoulder muscles no longer had any feeling. The early start created a movie set scene of mist on the lake.

We had to climb out of the volcano by traversing a steep rock fall in order to access the ridge at the top. It too was from a movie set, perhaps, on Mars.

We were able to look back down on the lake at our now tiny hut and marvel at Mother Nature’s work.

Then we found ourselves above the clouds and in the bright sunshine. Jaw dropping.

There was still a few hundred meters of climbing before we escaped the volcano.

Finally after a couple of hours we crested the ridge.

And now we could start down albeit along a narrow track called Robert’s Ridge. Not surprisingly there were still some ups to come as well.

The track was slippery given the loose shale but the grade was bearable. Not exactly a walk in the park but we were on our way down.

This sign greeted trekkers on the way up along Roberts Ridge heading to the Angelus hut. It shows what we did from right to left.

Finally we stopped for our sandwich and a mini celebration as we found a picturesque ridge overlooking Rototi Lake. We still had an hour to go but the hard work was done.

The final stretch was a series of switchbacks and finished, fittingly, in a beech forest.

And so it ended. A thousand thoughts, a thousand memories. A short bus ride to Kerr Bay where we jumped in the freezing lake to rinse the salt off and reflect. The other trekkers, all vastly more experienced, agreed this had tested their limits like nothing else had. The sense of satisfaction was immense.

We finished the day by driving through the Wairau valley, home to many major NZ wineries, including Yealands, Matua, Kim Crawford and Misty Cove. Mile after mile of vines in perfect rows. Literally thousands of acres of greenery that seemed so at odds with the brown and barren hills on either side of the valley. Sadly, no time to stop and taste. In Kaikoura we raced (a very relative term) to have showers with water just short of boiling and after a great group dinner simply collapsed in real beds with real pillows etc. Luxury.

Tomorrow, after a short “shake it off 5 km walk” along the ocean, it will be back on the bus and off to the Christchurch airport and for us, another week of adventures on the north island based in Auckland. Stay tuned.

After a somewhat restless night we were up early for day 2. Food had been consumed and the tents left behind so, in theory, our packs would be slightly lighter. They certainly didn’t feel any lighter. Today we are climbing to the Angelus hut. Emphasis on the word climbing. The hut sits at 1,650m which means just over 1,000m (3,281 ft) up from the Lakehead hut.

The trek started alongside the river on flat ground. We simply strode through two 15’ wide streams that were a foot deep. Wet boots and socks be damned. The grass was so tall it sometimes made following the path a challenge.

Suddenly we were faced with having to cross a river. This necessitated learning how to safely link with fellow hikers in case of a tumble. Although a very important lesson and one taken with solemn respect, we did look a bit goofy making the crossing.

Then we turned up into the mountain.

We should have known what was ahead as the sign left little to the imagination. This was after two plus hours with wet boots and those unrelentingly heavy packs. The times noted were probably achieved by some Olympic level NZ professional trekker. They were just a dream to us.

Then we really turned up the mountain.

Then we really, really turned up the mountain.

Then we real….. well, you get the idea.

It’s difficult to convey just how challenging, both physically and mentally the trek was. Every step required focus as where to place your feet. Every loose rock seemed to rattle every bone in your body. Thirst was ever present. Something in your mind wants you to just stop and rest for an hour but you know you can’t. It became a battle of wills against the mountain with the knowledge that the hut was just over the next ridge.

Then suddenly it was over. The small lake beside the hut came into view. In fact, we climbed slightly down into a dormant volcano. Spartan accommodations looked like the Four Seasons. Our guides proved to be magicians again and fed us like royalty. Utter exhaustion was truly put to the test when Mo and Mark were assigned upper bunks. Those may have been the toughest three steps up, ever.

Tomorrow has us hiking up to hike down including a number of hours on rock falls and a narrow ridge line. Should be fun.

The fact we did the tour clockwise meant we faced the three day hut to hut mountain hike near the end of our journey. All the day hikes, aches and pains, relearning to use poles semi efficiently and new found NZ knowledge would, in theory, be valuable information.

The day began by leaving the west coast and heading inland, back into the mountains and Nelson national park.

There we were assigned bedding, dry sacs, a portion of the group’s food, cup/bowel, utensils, etc and in Mark’s case, a two person tent in addition to our own three days of clothing, rain gear, cold weather attire, lots of water and so on. All told we were now expected to carry about 20 kg (44 lbs) in very large backpacks.

The hike was divided into three days with two nights accommodation in hikers huts (more on that later). Day one began at Kerr Bay and travelled along the west (right) side of lake Rotoiti on the Lakehead Track to the Lakehead hut. A 4 – 5 hour warmup, if you will, of just 650m (2,150 feet) elevation change through the forest. Warmup should have been a warning sign.

The track was tricky as it combined roots, rocks, mud, running water and forest undergrowth, sometimes all in the same area. Adapting to carrying the pack was hard enough without worrying about stumbling in the deep shadows or crossing small creeks.

At times the path was hundreds of feet above the lake in the forest and at others, we walked on the beach.

Finally we arrive at our accommodation. Hikers huts in NZ number in the thousands and are extremely popular so space can be hard to come by. We carried a few tents to the first site because we couldn’t get confirmed space in the hut. Spartan would be an apt description. Thin plastic mattresses shoved side by side on communal bunk beds for sleeping and a large open room for cooking/eating. Huge plaudits to our guides, Nic and Brogan who, despite the circumstances, managed to create an incredible meal with the aid of a propane cooker that had been stored at the hut.

Despite the cacophony of noises in the night, a veritable chorus in fact, we did manage to sleep given how tired we were – from the warmup! Tomorrow is the big climb as we turn east into the real mountains.

We have emerged from the mountains. Simply too exhausted to write a meaningful blog that has so much detail and photos to share. Will dig in first chance tomorrow after a good nights sleep.

Here’s a shot of our celebration (?) of nearly reaching the finish line (we still had to hike down to the lake but couldn’t pass up the backdrop for a photo).