Monthly Archives: March 2017

Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul,

Ash nazg thrakatulûk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul.

 

One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them,

One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.

 

The Hobbit & Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings were the second series of novels I read as an adolescent (2nd only after Little House).  Finished LOTR twice, read The Hobbit 3 times.  Foreign language, foreign lands – no surprise I left home right after high school, lived & worked in Russia, travelled much of the world.  Wanderlust.  Boy’s a dreamer.

Novotel Hamilton Tainui: final stay in NZ, fancy digs.  Up early, last morning run – almost 4 miles on Hamilton’s River Path…marathoning tomorrow, USA return same day.

Rural drive thru sheep country, destination: Hinuera, Matamata.   Rural drive thru Middle-Earth, destination: the Shire, Hobbiton.

Folks have attempted movie adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit for years.  Not until Peter Jackson, did a Director get it right.  Filmed in his Jackson’s homeland, much of New Zealand naturally LOOKS like Tolkien’s Middle-Earth.  From South Island’s Mt. Cook & Remarkables (Southern Alps) mountain range to North Island’s rolling green-grassy sheep farms.  Felt transported into one of my favourite childhood novels.

Generally, movie sets come down soon after filming ends.  Not here – whatta treat!  Queued near a rock carving of Gollum.  Boarded our tour bus, quick intro/history, clips from the movie – then, the SHIRE.

Hobbit Holes – not one but an entire town of thatched Middle-Earth dwellings.  Past the Garden, a frog pond, apple orchards – kept trekking UP, UP, UP.  Bilbo Baggins lived high on a hill in the Shire.  Retreating down Bagshot Row, paused at ‘the Party Tree’ [re: Bilbo’s “eleventy-first” 111th birthday], past the Mill – before stopping at the Green Dragon Inn for a Southfarthing beverage (just a cider for me).  Couple minutes in the gift shop & my half-day had vanished.  WELL WORTH GOING!

Bib pick-up for tomorrow’s run – then walked the afternoon thru the Hamilton Gardens.  21 gardens, called it after 13.  Last night in New Zealand – fancy dinner [at Chim Choo Ree] with my travel bestie, Dawn.  How does one say goodbye?

 

 

 

To hold myself ‘run accountable’, photo-blogged EVERY day of my 2 week journey in New Zealand.  Reward?  Would see more than your average tourist – each morning: new run, brand new area.  Last day in New Zealand?  Kirikiriroa Marathon.

 

March 11: Queenstown Gardens – 3 miles

Doubtful Sound.  FULL day: 2 buses, 2 boats – 7:15am pickup, 8pm return…but first, a 3-mile pitch-black run along Lake Wakatipu thru Queenstown Gardens.  Would purchase a flashlight later in the day – last time getting spooked in the early a.m.

March 12: Sunshine Bay, Queenstown – 6 miles

Hobbiton

Misty day in LOTR’s Misty Mountains.  4WD tour UP Coronet Peak, gold panned in Macetown.  Back in Queenstown, laced up, light jacket (from February’s Cowtown Marathon)…gotta get in my run miles.  Steep hill climb to Skyline Gondola, then west ‘cross town past 3 city parks – run destination: Sunshine Bay, on the road to Glenorchy.

March 13: Frankton Track, Queenstown – 9 miles

9 mile trek on Frankton Track, mix of trail & bike path, east alongside Lake Wakatipu.  Last day in Queenstown – goodbyes to my fave New Zealand town.  3 ½ hour drive, south & far far east today – Dunedin, South Island’s 2nd largest city.  Inside Cadbury’s, filled a taster cup with thick liquid chocolate.  Heart racing, sugar-shook remainder of the tour.

March 14: Southern Cross Hotel, Dunedin – 6.2 miles

Rain Day #3: 10K treadmill trot at the hotel gym, window view of Otago Harbour.  Only 2 of 14 NZ days ran indoors, not a bad average.  Climbed to the top of Larnach Castle.  Slow rainy-day Garden stroll [with bestie Dawn] I’ll remember most.

March 15: ‘Penguin Run’, Oamaru – 8 miles

Harbour-walked past old rotting bridges covered with sea birds – to tonite’s adventure destination: Oamaru’s Blue Penguin Colony.  Purchased VIP tickets (worth every dime) – then laced up/got my afternoon run on.  Penguin Crossing sign (don’t see THAT every day), then switchback’d UP, UP, UP.  Climbed Cape Wanbrow Reserve, trail-ran high above Oamaru – WOW views of the mighty Pacific below.

March 16: Oamaru Historic District – 4 miles

Sightsaw most of Oamaru during Thursday’s pre-dawn run.  Public Gardens, World War I & ANZAC Day memorials, Harbourside Station, former Post Office (Oamaru limestone, circa 1883), Opera House – & the trip’s best morning sun, pink rising over Oamaru Harbour.

March 17: Matakanohi Reserve, Hamilton – 3.8 miles

Back on North Island, pre-marathon day.  Quick up & down trek on Hamilton’s River Road, along the Waikato River.  Lotta rolling hills, like most of New Zealand.  Morning at Hobbiton, afternoon in Hamilton Gardens.  Tomorrow: my South Pacific marathon, Kirikiriroa.

 

 

Run NZ Cape Wanbrow Reserve, Oamaru

 

 

The whitestone townscape of Oamaru contains some of the best-preserved heritage buildings in New Zealand. In the late 19th century, the town prospered through goldmining, quarrying and timber milling. Some of the wealth was spent on elegant stone buildings made from local limestone.

 

Development slowed, but the population continued to grow until the 1970s. With the closure of the port and the New Zealand economy stalled, Oamaru found itself hard hit. In response it started to re-invent itself, becoming one of the first New Zealand towns to realise its built heritage was an asset.

 

Oamaru Harbour is home to a colony of little blue penguins – that’s why this small New Zealand town made the itinerary.

Checked into our hotel, The Criterion Hotel, on the edge of Oamaru’s historic Victorian Precinct.  Rooms were closet small, bathroom-shared with the entire floor PLUS slept above a local bar – the experience of sleeping in a historic Victorian hotel.

The Criterion Hotel was built in 1877 to a design by Oamaru architects Forrester and Lemon.  It was built for its first proprietor William Gillespie and operated as a licensed hotel until prohibition came to Oamaru in 1905.

No penguins ‘til dusk.  What to do?  Our heavily tatted hotel clerk recommended Steampunk Headquarters.  Asked the lady twice, wasn’t sure what she was saying.  Steam – what?  Only 2 buildings down, in an old Grain Elevator Building – ok, why not?

Outside of the imposing free-standing stone building, a coin-operated “steampunk” engine greets visitors, complete with lights, engine and train while noises, and fire breathing out of its chimney.  The building’s exterior walls are decorated with creations such as giant flies made from metal and industrial parts.

 

Inside, the gallery presents a theme of a dark post-apocalyptic vision of a future “as it might have been”.  Contraptions and bizarre machinery featuring heavy use of copper, gears, pipes, gas cylinders, as well as an ensemble of skeletal sculptures are lit by flickering lights and accompanied by projectors and background sounds.

If you’re looking for normal, this ain’t it.  First room: dark, uninviting.  Large creepy pipe organ.  Weird, beyond my comfort zone.

Second room: started connecting/seeing the art.  Background music pulled me in, helped open my eyes/added to the experience.  And thenthe Portal.  Green light flashed ‘available’.  Entered, shut the door behind me, waited.  Like all of Steampunk, wasn’t sure what to expect.  Overhead lights dimmed, music started slowly – and the light show began.  WOW, whatta experience.

Back outside, walked thru abandoned, vacated rail cars.  Giant houseflies garnished the building’s outer walls.  A 20ft fisherman dropped bait from Steampunk’s roof.  I am better having visited, a New Zealand ‘must see’.

Actually sightsaw most of Oamaru’s downtown & historic district pre-dawn on Thursday morning’s 4 mile run.  Christchurch airport, puddle-jumper flight to Hamilton – vacation ends on North Island.  Tomorrow’s adventure?  Hobbiton.

 

 

Steampunk HQ: The Portal