The Long Goodbye

It's a long, long road

From which there is no return

While we're on the way to there

Why not share

And the load doesn't weigh me down at all

- Bobby Scott / Bob Russell He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother

Road-trippin' with the Beastie Boys blaring.

With each of our moves from place to place, new cities, and new homes, we have met some truly extraordinary people. Some of them we have been fortunate enough to call "friend". From Texas to Washington DC, on to Iowa, and then to South Carolina, every place we lived has been a change in culture and environment. Moving half a world away to New Zealand was sure to provide its own unique challenges and triumphs. New Zealanders are an interesting lot. Every Kiwi I have ever met abroad has been open and friendly to the point of being gregarious. Prior to moving here, I was surprised to read people complain about how difficult it is to establish a social group that includes local people.

When we first arrived, it was understandable, though a bit disappointing, that most of the people we met and socialised with were other expats. There is something comforting about hearing a familiar accent, complaining about the groceries and produce, or playing the "what do you miss the most?" game. "Kiwis are friendly but not friend-making", "Kiwis have a wide range of acquaintances and a small group of friends" are two of the things I read that stuck with me. Our experience has shown this to be true. As we have (slowly) expanded our group of friends to now include Kiwis, many of them have agreed with this assessment. Kiwis are a close-knit group. Of course, our own bias colours our perception. In many parts of the world Americans are seen to be uncomfortably friendly!

There is some added complexity given what I do for a living. Emergency Medicine physicians miss out on birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, soccer games, recitals, and other important family events. Sometimes it can feel like we see more of our ED family then we do of our own. Naturally, our social group is often comprised of doctors, nurses, and other ED staff. Our daily experiences reach a level of violence, trauma, and drama that few who haven't been a part of it would understand. We say things to each other that we couldn't possibly say aloud in other company. Our gallows humour, one of a variety of defense mechanisms, often crosses from borderline into completely inappropriate. Together, we celebrate small victories, weather crushing defeats, and find ways to carry each other through to the end of a shift with enough left to return for the next.

The culture in New Zealand has been a refreshing change from the "with your shield or on it" expectations of practicing in the U.S. Kiwis have a much better sense of work/life balance. I have always taken the position that I work to live, not the other way around. Here, not only is that accepted, it's supported. As part of my contract, I get 30 days of paid leave ... and I'm expected to use it. My original plan was to bank most of that time and use it at the end of my contract, allowing us to travel for a month before returning home. I was told in no uncertain terms that would not work. "We give you time off for a reason." As a result, I have tacked a couple of days of leave onto either side of long weekends so we can travel throughout the year. This has been amazing for our family.

Since most of my social group is comprised of other ED doctors, it can be difficult to find time just to hang out together. Emergency Medicine physicians work days, nights, week-ends, and holidays. The ED is always open, so there is at least one of us who can't make it to any given event. Sadly for us, one of our ED docs is returning to the U.S. after living and working here for three years. Matt and I have similar interests ... whisky, mountain biking, wine, tramping, whisky. His leaving was the perfect opportunity to plan a guys' week-end away. We recruited Tom, one of the other ED docs who also enjoys booze, bikes, and tramps (just a reminder for my NA readers, a "tramp" in NZ is a hike).

I love it when a plan comes together.  Photos - G. Highstead / T. Carter

Kari, Little H, and I had just finished the Tongariro Crossing (Link: In The Shadow of Mt Doom) and I desperately wanted to tackle it again. Matt was in ... one last tramp before he left ... and Tom was just as excited. The hardest part was finding three days where we could all be free from work and family. We made plans in March ... for a week-end in May. The week-end we chose happened to coincide with my birthday, an added bonus. The biggest issue with a late May trip to the Tongariro is weather. After early April, it's hit or miss. By June, the crossing is all but impassable without crampons, ice axes, and other winter mountaineering gear. As much as I pretend to be a bad-ass, an 8-9 hour alpine trek through volcanic craters and along frozen ridge-lines in freezing temperatures and gale-force winds just doesn't have the appeal that it used to.

You're not hardcore

Unless you live hardcore
- Jack Black

As the days ticked by, I was glued to the weather reports. In April, a storm blanketed the region in sleet and snow, but it cleared within a few days. In the week before our trip, an Antarctic blast moved in from the south. If we were lucky, it would hit mid-week and leave a weather window to make the Crossing on Saturday or Sunday. In the end, the system hit late and good weather wasn't anticipated until the following Monday. We drove up Friday night as planned, and Saturday morning had to look for other tracks to tackle. The storm system made it pretty wet and windy, especially at elevation, but at least we didn't get snowed on.

Matt and Tom looking out over the lake during a rare break in the cloud cover.

We have previously written about the Maori legends surrounding the still active mountains in the Taupo Volcanic Zone (Link: Baches and Cribs and The Land That Time Forgot). Situated in the geographic centre of the North Island, Lake Taupo is in the caldera of the Taupo Volcano. It is the second largest fresh-water lake in Oceania. Tourism is the driving economic force for the area and throughout the summer Taupo hosts bike races, running races, triathlons, and water-sport events. It can be quite difficult to get in and around town, so we haven't spent much time there. At the end of fall, tipping into winter, it felt like we had the town much to ourselves.

The lake itself is large enough to have a temporizing effect on the local climate. While it was snowing and sleeting at altitude only a few kilometres away, the ridgeline bordering the lake was shrouded in rain clouds. We chose to hike a track called W2K, a section of the Great Lake Trail. Including a connection to the Headland Loop Track, we tackled 22.5 km. Most of the trail was covered in forest with occasional look-outs over the lake. We were quite fascinated by the different lichens, mosses, and plants in each of the micro-climates we tramped through.

  

  

Views from the W2K Track

22.5 km makes for a lot of walking for three old men. By the end of it, we were ready to sit down for a hot meal and a beer. The original plan was to go soak in the local hot springs at Spa Park, but the miserable weather drove us back to the bach and its hot-tub. Fortunately, we had the foresight to pre-stock the fridge with a case of beer. While we were enjoying our time on the trail and our post-tramp soak, the wind and snow continued to blow in the mountains. That evening I got a text from Kari informing us that our primary route home, the Desert Highway, was closed.

The next morning, the road was still closed, forcing us to detour along minor highways west of the mountains. It's a spectacular drive, and one we have made previously. The views of Tongariro, Ngauruhoe, and Ruapehu are quite majestic from the west. I had never before seen them blanketed in snow, and they didn't disappoint.

 Tongariro with Lake Rotoaira in foreground. The saddle to the right of centre is where the final descent of the Tongariro Crossing begins.
Compare the large island front left to the next picture.

View from the saddle during our Crossing in March. Lake Rotoaira below with the island seen in the previous picture, this time off to the right.
Lake Taupo in distant background.

Tongariro

The day was cold and the air was crisp. There were just a few whisps of cloud in the brilliant blue sky. We were quite amazed to watch the mountains form their own weather patterns. Clouds would coalesce around the mountains, obscuring the peaks, then blow away. Within seconds, new clouds would form and blow away. Wash, rinse, and repeat.

Tongariro and Ngauruhoe

Ngauruhoe - Photo T. Carter

We continued our trek around the volcanoes, eventually landing in Ohakune. Matt is a huge fan of a good burger ... something decidedly difficult to find in this country ... so of course I had to take him to my favourite burger joint, The Blind Finch. They expanded their menu since the last time I was there. I had a burger I hadn't tried before and an order of poutine, another food item difficult to find in New Zealand. Poutine is a French-Canadian dish in which french fries are mixed with cheese curds and drenched in light-brown gravy. Heaven on a plate! The most memorable poutine I have ever tasted was the Roast Duck Poutine at Bannock in Toronto, but I still enjoy a classic poutine made with just fries, curds, and gravy. Unfortunately, we have yet to find cheese curds here in New Zealand and the gravy just isn't right. Still, it was nice to have a little taste of home on a wintry day in a small ski town in the centre of Aotearoa.

As Matt prepares to leave us here, I can't help but think of our own pending departure. Our Eurail passes arrived today and we are making plans for our traipse through Europe. Starting in Tokyo, we will visit 9 cities before landing in NYC. It will be a Planes, Trains, and Automobiles adventure (hopefully) without the mishaps.

Hei konei ra ...