Palliser, Pinot, Paekakariki & Peacocks

My first weekend adventure is behind me and I am still alive!

Despite our admittedly severe lack of planning, my friends and I made the very most of our Saturday and Sunday, driven by an almost frantic need to catch every stunning view this country has to offer. We dropped an unreasonable amount of money on an unreasonably small rental car and wound through unreasonably narrow mountain roads to reach both the southern and western coasts of the North Island, and while our cramped style of transportation and bottomless supply of PB&J sandwiches practically screamed "broke-as-heck", the beautiful destinations were so incredibly worth it.

We first drove the two hours from Wellington to Cape Palliser, the southeastern point of the

island, where we free-camped Friday night.

I use the term "camp" very loosely.

What we really did was string up two hammocks between the roof of our car and the van roof of a very friendly kiwi group, which provided sleeping arrangements for three of us. The other four split up between the seats and roof of the car.

And so we camped.

Though I had to huddle underneath a scarf, hat and double long-sleeve layers to ward of the chilling wind throughout the night, the discomfort was more than compensated with the soothing sound of crashing waves and the unearthly view of the Milky Way.

The next morning, we headed over to the Cape Palliser Lighthouse, where we climbed the 252

steps to reach stunning landscape views, then adventured a bit down the shore line, where a couple of us decided to hop up on this big rock at the line of the surf. The ocean seemingly didn't approve.

And that is how my socks ended up drying on the hood of our car.

Also taking up residence along Palliser Bay was a large colony of New Zealand Fur Seals,

swimming, flopping, fighting and sunbathing up and down the coast. The adorable sea puppies were amazing to watch, but one girl in our group learned first-hand not to get to close.

And now I know what an enraged seal sounds like (don't ask me to imitate it).

We then drove a half hour north to Martinborough to experience the Martinborough Fair, held only two days a year. The tents of food, crafts and goods spread out across several blocks in all directions, creating a maze of scents and sounds, that we might have roamed all day, had the temperature not shifted up a solid 30 degrees since that morning at the cape. We managed to withstand the hot summer weather long enough to stroll through one the countless vineyards Martinborough is know for and sit down for a refreshing white wine tasting at the Alana Winery.

After the tasting, we headed back to Wellington to rest up and prepare for our next destination. Sunday morning, after the farmers market, we drove 30 minutes up the west coast to Paekakariki. From there, we hiked the 10 kilometer Paekakariki Escarpment Trail, which lead us across two swinging suspension bridges and up to staggering heights along the coastal hills that over

looked Kapiti Island in the distance. The crisp air and overcast sky provided the perfect weather for hiking, however, the fierce wind made a game of plastering us into the face of the hill as we scaled the steep steps along the trail. Yes, I did fear for my life at times. No, I did not show this fear.

Following our stunning hike, we drove through the mountainous Akatarawa Forest (that was stressful) to reach the Staglands Wildlife Reserve. Best described as a free-range zoo, we shared the paths of the reserve with sheep, goats,

peacocks, emus and countless unique bird species. Also kept in gated areas throughout the reserve were horses, yaks, deer and wild pigs.

We did our best not to antagonize the animals, as we certainly would have lost had they decided to attack. As it was, one of us

was chased down by a ravenous Pukeko, and I think I saw the light when a large mountain goat catapulted out of the Yak coral as I was leaning in for a closer look. No permanent damage was done, however, and we left the reserve with lots of new fluffy friends.

I went to bed Sunday night with lots of new stories; some good, some wild, some funny, but none bad. And while I've still got a LOT of stunning views to get to in the next three months, I'd say that this weekend was a beautiful start, and I cannot wait to experience what the rest of this gorgeous country has to offer.