lukemolé

Almost all of the sights and sounds that October gave me

parents in nz

My wonderful parents were able to visit me in Dunedin, it was so strange in the best way. It was unique to be the figure that was fully in charge of all of the plans for the first time, as usually on trips it is the parents that do so. We drove along the southern coast and were able to see sights like Nugget Point and some stunning waterfalls. We stopped through Invercargill, New Zealand’s most southern city, then continued along to Queenstown. Driving through New Zealand never fails to provide rolling hills flurried with sheep and greenery. My parents enjoyed discovering this reality. We spent the evening dining with a perfect view of the Remarkables, a prominent mountain range that is highly recognized in New Zealand. The next morning came with drowsy weather, so we decided to shop around the town, of course buying many souvenirs, and returning home.

We filled the remainder of the week poking around at different sights around Dunedin. Local beaches, the Botanical Gardens, yummy restaurants, a campus tour, penguin viewing, and hosting some friends for dinner. We finished our time exploring Christchurch, a short hour plane ride from Dunedin. Don’t let me forget our luck being tested several times whilst driving on the opposite side of the road, only a few close calls.

Castle ball & Aurora australis

Castle Street is historically known for their wild party culture. It is very easy to find some rather incriminating content with a simple YouTube search. Some acquaintances of mine decided to throw an end-of-year “ball” for any who wanted to come. It was a much tamer environment than what you may find on the internet. Seemingly everyone I had ever interacted with was at this black-tie event. I found myself being the only one wearing a bow tie, I think everybody else missed the memo. The night was filled with what felt like some goodbyes, constant dancing, and was overall a very fulfilling last big social event.

Unrelated to the Castle Ball was finally getting to witness the southern lights! A long exposure camera shot looks entirely different (and much better) than what was seen with the naked eye. However, it is still a super outwardly experience and is something I hope every human gets to experience at least once in their life. The pictures are absolutely incredible! I was still able to see the brightness of the lights, but not the same colors that the photos depict.

Mueller hut

Myself and two other friends embarked on a journey to Mueller Hut, one of New Zealand’s most sought after and popular hut destinations. The views from the entire hike up, and especially from the hut itself, are breathtaking. In particular you have a clear view of Mount Cook, New Zealand’s tallest mountain standing at 3724 meters. The first half of the hike consisted of mind-numbing stairs that kicked off our leg day in marvelous fashion. At the halfway point is where most hikers stop because anything further requires navigation through snow. We enjoyed lunch and continued on our way to the more difficult part of the route. Each step felt like three as post-holing was almost a guarantee. With each step also came slightly wetter boots which only added to the fun. We did not need our ice axe or crampons because snow conditions were too slushy.

We ironically passed some other hikers from our university as they had stayed there the night before. The trek is considered an alpine route and had no coverage whatsoever. This gave the sun perfect angles to beat down on us no matter where we were on the path. Sections before the snow provided some off-trail rock scrambles which were fun. After pushing through the steepest sections we eventually made it to the ridgeline and it was only a short time thereafter that we could see the hut. The greatest part of the experience was the sunrise in the morning. We looked at the sky at 6:27 and it was grey, as we walked passed the hut and looked back up at the sky after only two minutes, it was illuminated with magnificent colors and a stunning sight to see over Mount Cook. I have never experienced something quite like it.

What’s next?

I have admittedly been slacking on my blog efforts, but I am glad it is simply because of lack of time. My next blog will be about the Milford Sound and a 43 mile trek that my friends and I did to end the month.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Luke Mole (@lukesummits)

Visiting Auckland with some friends from home • 26 September 2024 – 30 September 2024

I had an incredible opportunity to meet some friends in Auckland (whom also attend the University of Denver) and are currently studying at the University of Newcastle in Australia. This had been the first time I had spent time in an actual city, meaning one that had buildings that required me to bend my entire neck to see the top of. We spent the weekend catching up, exploring random areas, and ensuring that coffee was included in the plan each day.

WINE TOUR

My general knowledge of wine, the creation, aging, and consumption is something that I have never had a proper understanding of and is an area that I was enthused to learn more about. After finding a local coffee shop that was renowned for its latte art- I got a seahorse- we caught the ferry to Waiheke Island which is known for its wine vineyards. The weather was drowsy but did not take away from the fascination of the wine tour.

We first stopped at the Cable Bay vineyard which turned out to be my favorite by the end of the day. It was unique being the youngest aged group on the tour but it made for an excitement that the other tour members didn’t quite have. The vineyard was beautiful. It boasted an impressive wine cellar and the actual vineyard was a new sight for me. I was already extremely impressed by the knowledge that goes into wine, especially the fact of it being possible to guess the year, brand, type of grape, and so much more solely based on smells and taste.

I was also so fascinated that aerating your wine in your own glass can change the smell and taste, apparently it is more commonly known, but it was news to me! We enjoyed a wonderful lunch and two more vineyards to end the day. One of the best parts of the day was the gentleman that guided our tour. He was so full of life, rich with energy, and amplified the experience in ways we did not expect. 10/10 overall experience!

hobbiton & Small hike

I admittedly should have put more effort into watching the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings movies prior to this movie set tour, however disregarding my lack of basic understanding for these films it was still incredible. All of New Zealand’s landscape can best be described as majestic and unlike any other terrain I’ve ever experienced. There is no surprise that Peter Jackson decided to take his crew to this country to film what was described as Middle-earth in the original books. The naturally rolling, staunchly green hills truly made for the perfect movie set for Hobbiton.

Our tour guide was clearly a huge fan of the films, which made her knowledge admirable yet energy slightly over-the-top at times. I found so much joy in observing the thousands of details that went into the creation of the entire set. The degree of detail would require hundreds of tours to catch them all. The impressive nature of seeing such an iconic movie set in person is still a wee bit incomprehensible and only boosts my appreciation for the hundreds of hours that go into only several seconds of some movie scenes. 10/10 overall experience!

After touring the set we stopped for a quick hike to a waterfall lookout. A unique aspect to adventures like hikes that usually doesn’t go into the “planning” of said hike are the conversations that you have along the way. It creates for an environment that encourages conversation and it was one of my favorite parts of the day. It was great to catch up with friends on a deeper level and dissect some of the worlds tricky inner-workings. Thankful for hikes! 10/10 overall experience.

The cinema and hostelS

We went to a movie called “The Wild Robot” to end our weekend, a film that I had been eager to watch especially since reading the impressive reviews. Although meant for a younger audience, it was still a thought provoking journey that confronted several deep rooted societal issues and provided just as much benefit for a 21 year old as it would for a 12 year old. I have an appreciation for films that encourage you to think beyond the surface level and require your constant attention. 10/10 overall experience!

The Lylo Hostel! The culture that is created by hostels is something I would urge everyone to experience. We weren’t able to secure a shared room with many others in Auckland, but my experience with hostels in other areas has been very rewarding. Meeting people in hostels who have equal desire for life is unique. There is an immediate departure time placed on your time spent with them. You are forced to make the most of your time because it is inherently limited which has led to some fun nights out and fruitful conversations. Cooking in hostels is a fun environment that I hope to continue to be a part of until I’m considered “too old” to keep attending. 10/10 overall experience!

See photos below!