Dispatch 19: No traveler should be without...

From: "dave oshinsky"
To: David K Gibson

Alexandra
16-12-97

As I made it through the country's rainiest region--the West Coast--with scarcely any rain, I should not be surprised that today in desert-like Alexandra it is absolutely pouring. So I'm drying off at the internet terminal in the Alexandra Public Library. 

And reflecting on perhaps the one item of gear that, more than any other, has added to my enjoyment of this trip. I'm even hesitant to categorize it as an item of gear, because it can take many forms. But as far as meeting people and making friends, nothing beats the power of fresh coffee. 

Now New Zealand is not really coffee country. Only recently, apparently, have the coffee shops and tea rooms begun to offer cappucino and other espresso drinks. In this country of electric kettles, coffee drinkers generally must suffer the indignity of instant coffee. Aiyee. 

Boiling water, of course, also lends itself to use in plunger pots (i.e., french presses). But it is the exceptional hostel or home in New Zealand that actually uses the plunger. Instant coffee is easy and it keeps forever. Coffee beans, by contrast, are messy and go stale. But show up to a hostel or campground with a stash of fresh ground coffee, and you're guaranteed a wealth of gratitude from instant-weary caffiends. 

I had heard before leaving the States that New Zealand was a bad place to be a coffee drinker. I seriously considered bringing a few pounds of coffee with me and shipping fractions ahead to future destinations around New Zealand, but scrapped that plan when I read that Atomic Coffee in Auckland offered fresh-roasted beans. Still, I needed a way to brew the coffee on my own. 

At Cost Plus in Phoenix, I found the answer: a cone filter holder that sits on top of a mug and uses #4 size filters. By pouring boiling water through coffee in the filter, I brew my coffee one cup at a time. For those traveling in pairs or groups, I have seen a nalgene plunger pot, but it was heavier and bulkier than I needed. 

And it turns out that just having fresh coffee can make one an instant local hero. Just make sure you have enough to share. I've found a few hostels that have plunger pots among their kitchen wares, and there's no easier way to make friends than by brewing a pot and asking fellow backpackers to help you finish it. Nothing brings a smile to the face of a wandering caffeine junkie like the unexpected cuppa strong, non-instant joe. 

And there's no need to carry too much coffee at any given time. Expect to find excellent, freshly roasted beans in Auckland (Atomic Coffee), Wellington (on Cuba Street), and Nelson (Pomeroy's). Dunedin, a university town, should also have a roaster or two. And many supermarkets, particularly in larger towns and cities, have fine, fresh coffees. Expect to pay upwards of NZ$30 a kilogram, but can you really put a price on wired happiness?