Australasia

Travels with Clifford

February 23, 2024

As long-time followers of this blog may know, my youngest brother, Clifford, has both graced many photos and been behind the lens for quite a few more. Beginning with Maui in 1990, Clifford and I explored Belize in 1993, Wales with our dad in 2000, and coastal California and the Southwest US numerous times since 2007. More recently we traveled and hiked together in Tasmania and mainland Australia in 2017, Malta in 2018, Ireland in 2019, and Costa Rica in 2022. Clifford’s innate curiosity, far-reaching knowledge, boundless enthusiasm, and child-like sense of wonder for the natural world enriched my travels in so many ways. Here are some recent fond memories. . .

Posing with stringy bark eucalyptus, Franklin River Nature Trail, Tasmania, Australia, 2017

Scratching an alpha male Forester kangaroo, Tasmania

Smiling from inside a hollow eucalyptus, Notley Gorge, Tasmania

Investigating a termite mound, Bed Boyd National Park, New South Wales, Australia, 2017

Admiring the vista at Kalarranga Lookout, Finke Gorge National Park, Northern Territory, Australia, 2017

Enjoying the strata, Kings Canyon, Northern Territory

At a cliff-edge along the south coast of the island of Gozo, Malta, 2018

Admiring the cliffs from his kayak, Dwejra Bay

Looking up into the canopy from under a Dragon tree, San Diego Botanical Garden, 2022

Standing with an impressive yucca, San Diego Botanical Garden

Posing with an endangered Elephant tree at Torote Bowl, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California, 2022

Under California Fan Palms, Anza-Borrego

At the trailhead of the Domelands Loop, Coyote Mountains Wilderness, California, 2022

Making empanadas with Valerie, Guanacaste, Costa Rica, 2022

At Toroweap Overlook on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, Arizona, 2023

Smiling with our brother, Mark (c), and me, the Dingle Peninsula, Ireland, 2019

Clifford Blizard

1970-2024

Carpe Diem!

Kent Blizard, the Vagabond Hiker

Rapa Nui (aka Easter Island) Archeological walks

February 16, 2019

Easter Island, or Rapa Nui in the native language of the Polynesian people that first settled there, is one of the most remote inhabited islands in the world. (Tristan da Cunha in the southern Atlantic Ocean also lays claim to this title, depending on how one considers the year-round Antarctic base several hundred miles away). It is also not cheap to fly as LATAM airways is the only airline flying the nearly 2500 miles from Santiago (Rapa Nui is legally part of Chile) with between one and three flights per day depending on the season and day of the week. While providing the locals with much-needed income, the limited number of flights has the benefit of keeping the island from being over-run with tourists and their concomitant infrastructure that could easily ruin the whole experience.

Its compact size, interesting topography, and good road access to much of the island make Rapa Nui an ideal place to enjoy nature as well as the archeological remains from the Polynesians. Essential to planning your visit and appreciating the sites is A Companion To Easter Island (Guide To Rapa Nui) by James Grant Peterkin. We spent five night in a small AirBnB cabaña where we were able to rent a small 4×4. While we saw all the main sites, there were several more hikes to do had we more time – and had my gout not flared up!

Pastoral view from the Te Ara O Te Ao trail near its trailhead just west of the airport at *Matarevi*

*Hanga Roa* from the *Te Ara O Te Ao* trail. *Hanga Roa* is the only town on the island and where virtually all visitors stay. The runway is also visible in this photo.

*Rano Kau* crater and wetland. This is the only wetland on *Rapa Nu*i and contains many endemic species.

Three islets off the southwest coast of *Rapa Nui*. The *Tangata manu*, or bird-man, was the winner of the competition to collect the first sooty tern egg of the season from *Moto Nui* (the largest islet shown here), swim back and climb the sea cliff to the village of *Orong*o.

*Rapa Nui* coastline near *Ana Kai Tangata* caves

Bird-man pictographs, *Ana Kai Tangata*.

*Hanga Roa* coastal view of the pebble beach and some restaurants and shops. Everything was expensive on the island, but the local seafood was excellent.

Petroglyphs at *Papa Vaca* (literally “stone canoe.”) Images at this site include fish hooks, tuna, canoes, turtles, and even one shark.

*Rano Raraku* quarry. If you visit one site on Easter, *Rano Raraku* with its over 400 *Moai* at various stages of production should be it. While you can walk the paths in less than an hour, plan on spending a morning here.

*Moai* in profile at *Rano Raraku.* Nearly all of the almost 900 known *Moai* were carved from tuff, compressed volcanic ash.

*Tongariki Moai* and platform (*ahu*) from behind. This is the best example of the skill involved in constructing *ahu* for the *Moai*. Like all *Moai*, these had been toppled over during the civil wars on *Rapa Nui* and only recently restored.

The fifteen *Moai* at *Tongariki*. Note the top knot on the 2nd from the right *Moai.* Several others had similar red scoria (basaltic) head gear, but they have since been destroyed.

The “traveling” *Moai* at *Tongariki*. It was loaned to Japan for the 1970 World’s Fair and returned. In contrast, the British Museum, despite tearful entreaties from the Rapa Nui, has held the Hoa Hakananai’a for 150 years.

*Rano Raraku* quarry site seen from *Tongariki*.

*Anakana* platform (*ahu*) and *Moai,* many showing top knots. *Anakana* is one of only two white sand beaches on the island, popular with locals on the weekend.

*Moai* on its back at *Akahanga*. Very unusual since during the civil wars most *Moai* were toppled onto their faces to destroy their power.

Several top knots at *Vaihu*. Once thought to be hats, they more likely represent the hair style of the time. Only some of the later *Moai* were adorned with these massive basaltic sculptures.

And one final image to leave you with. . .

*Tongariki* and the rugged east coast of *Rapa Nui* from *Rano Raraku*

Right now I am relaxing on my balcony overlooking the Pacific Ocean just north of Viña del Mar in Chile, planning my travels through the summer and will shortly update my calendar accordingly. My next blog post, in a couple of weeks, will be a smorgasbord of different hikes and walks I did on mainland Chile this past month. In the mean time, enjoy the outdoors where ever you happen to be.

The Vagabond Hiker

Day hikes in New Zealand’s Nelson-Tasman area

February 9, 2018

While the Great Walks such as the Milford and Abel Tasman Coast tracks garner most of the acclaim, there are many shorter hikes in New Zealand that offer some of the same scenery without all the trampers and with the prospect of a hot shower at the end of the day. The Nelson and Tasman districts in the north western portion of the South Island of New Zealand were on my doorstep, with a widely varied range of hikes and walks within an hour or so of my apartment. Spending six weeks here gave me a great opportunity to experience much of what the area has to offer.

Cable Bay track looking back to the hamlet of Glenduan with Tasman Bay behind. Some of the Cable Bay Track meandered through old growth forest; the rest traversed pine plantations and ranch land.

Foxgloves along the Cable Bay track north of Nelson. Another attempt to get a good photo of these colorful flowers.

Cable Bay track view to Sentinel Lookout and the privately-owned Pepin Island, about 20 km north of Nelson.

Nelson as seen from the “Center of New Zealand,” a marker on a small hill near town that supposedly is the geographic center of the country. Nelson itself is a wonderful town, with many cultural amenities within a beautiful setting.

Patio view from my Garden apartment in Wakefield, about 30 km south of Nelson. Ewan and Valerie cultivate more than two acres of flower and vegetable gardens and fruit trees.

First view toward Mt Arthur from along the popular Mt Arthur track, Kahurangi National Park, about an hour west of Wakefield.

A **bold** Weka near Mt Arthur Hut. These native birds remind me of wild chickens.

View along the Mt Arthur track with the summit visible as the long ridge in the background. The track gains about 900 meters elevation in 9 km to the summit.

Sub-alpine wildflowers along the Mt Arthur track

Vista from Mt Arthur summit (1795 meters) towards Tasman Bay. The track is partially visible on the right side here.

Hacket track, Mt Richmond Forest Park. This park is just to the east of where I have been staying in Wakefield. Although it offers some nice hiking, lots of logging and no real vistas detracted from the one hike I did here.

Lake Rotoiti from Paddy’s track, Nelson Lakes National Park. The village of St Arnaud is just past the lake, about 45 minutes’ drive from Wakefield. It is considered to be the northern-most portion of the Southern Alps.

Fantail in flight, Pinchgut track, Nelson Lakes Park. Another of my series of blurry fantails. . .

St Arnaud Range track, Nelson Lakes Park. Much of the track climbed through beech forest, with Red Beech, Silver Beech (shown here), and Mountain Beech predominating at different elevations.

Lake Rotoiti view from Parachute Rocks, St Arnaud Range track, Nelson Lakes Park. I hiked this track on my second of two day hikes in the park.

St Arnaud Range vista, Nelson Lakes Park. I stitched together 9 photos for this (admittedly a bit distorted) panorama. . .

Lakeside track view of Lake Rotoiti, Nelson Lakes Park. The entire lakeside track is a very long day hike, one I did not do as I prefer hikes that get above treeline.

View along Motueka sandspit. About 45 minutes from Wakefield on the Tasman Bay, the sandspit is about 3 km long and very popular with migrants – birds, that is.

Horse Mussels, Motueka spit. Along with other mulloscs, thousands of these mussels washed ashore here during the storm last week, much to the delight of the shorebirds.

A White faced heron seen at Motueka spit. Along with oystercatchers, terns, gulls, stilts, red knots, etc., I saw three dozen bar-tailed godwits. They have the distinction of making the the longest non-stop migration in the world, a single flight of more than 7000 miles in September each year from Alaska to Motueka.

For my final hike in New Zealand, I chose the challenging Parapara Peak track in Kahurangi National Park. It was deceptively easy at the start . . .

The Pariwhakaoho River. This was the first of many creek crossings along the Parapara Peak track.

The Parapara Peak track along the Copperstain Creek. Many landslides and washouts have disrupted the track, making for some slippery going in parts.

Golden Bay from Parapara Peak, Kahurangi National Park. After more than 1100 meters and several hours of often steep and slippery ascent, the track finally emerged into a sub-alpine zone with amazing vistas.

On top of Parapara Peak at about 1300 meters above sea level. The view was certainly worth the effort, and I only saw one other hiker all day.

It has been a great 11 weeks here in New Zealand. In 2009 when I visited I counted myself lucky to spend 8 days on the South Island!

Tomorrow I depart for Sri Lanka. It is a country I have wanted to visit for many years. I will spend two weeks on a group cultural/trekking trip and then the final 5 days scuba diving off the west coast. From there back to Europe for the spring. My calendar is updated to reflect some planned trips between now and July, including trekking the Huayhuash Circuit in Peru.

Keep hiking!