The Milford

Anonymous

 The video below is a grand view of the waterfalls we were able to see! It rained hard, but it was totally worth it because without rain, there are no waterfalls.

 

This is at the top of our journey through the Milford Track! The view was breathtaking and we were informed by a guide that it is only sunny and warm 4 out of 10 days! We really lucked out with the rain and sun!

The Final Countdown

Anonymous
We're at our final full day down under. Our current location is Christchurch again, and we are scheduled to fly out tomorrow evening. I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say this month has flown by.

After the Milford track, we headed up to the majestic Mt. Cook for a two night stay, where we just came from, actually. We were scheduled for at least one hike as a group, and another optional hike the next day. However, a tropical storm decided to blow through, making the first a (very windy) optional hike also. Those who were brave enough (read: not this guy) came back rather quickly, not to mention soaking wet. I'm sure it was an experience, to say the least.

I wisely waited for a gorgeous second day on the mountain to hike the Hooker Valley, a 4-hour hike that leads you to a glacier-fed lake at the base of the mountain. I then, not so wisely, decided to take a dip in said lake. It was quite cold, but I'm sure that goes without saying.




Anyway, we will be spending tonight at our usual spot in Christchurch, and soon arrive back in the US after our roughly 12 hour flight tomorrow, which will actually be a -15 minute trip, if you account for the changes in time. I think this is as close to time travel as I will ever get. Just call me Marty McFly.

Location:Oxford Terrace,Christchurch Central,New Zealand

Ah YEAH!

Anonymous

Bungy = awesome. We had a fantastic time this morning bungy jumping and everyone had safe jumps!

As we take a leap of faith . . .

Anonymous Hello from Queenstown!

The group arrived in yesterday afternoon and the atmosphere was buzzing with excitement as we entered the adventure capital of the world!! Plans of bungy, skydiving, whitewater adventures, jet boating, and lord of the rings sight seeing are just a few. The southern alps are beautiful and the lakes below them are pristine.

This morning, Sam and I prepare to jump from a 134 meter (440 feet) suspended platform in the middle of a valley. The company claims an 8.5 second free fall, but Andrew (Tony's son) and I did some math and believe this to be slightly off (physics is phun!). If this is Sam and my last post we would like everyone to know two things: 1) We went out with our boots on, and 2) the Nevi bungy's  safety record is nearly perfect, or was. Alexis, Andrew, Bryan, Sam, Nick, Brittney, and I are all up for this adventure and it looks to be a promising day!

3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . . . B U N G Y!

Queenstown Bound

Anonymous

We've passed the halfway point on our trip but the fun hasn't stopped yet! We have finished the Abel Tasman Coastal Track and we are currently on our way to Queenstown, the adventure capital of New Zealand! Today we hiked on the Franz Josef Glacier. It was an awesome experience, and one that was very unique.



We will be spending a day and a half there. Different people will be bungy jumping, white water rafting, jetboating, and all kinds of other activities. Afterwards we will be heading out for the Milford Track, possibly the biggest challenge of our trip.

The Able Tasman Tramp

Anonymous Hello All!

We have successfully completed our second multi day tramping (or hiking in US terms) endeavor. It was a wonderful series of walks through the Able Tasman National Park. This track is on the beach and is absolutely beautiful. We were able to swim in the ocean and find some very pristine bays. The sun shined down on us for two lovely days and then we encountered a bit of rain. That was to be inevitable. It did not dampen our spirits, although I believe a few found their packs to be more waterproof than others! We have also seen a fair number of seals, fish (although they are mostly small), muscles (including the NZ Green-Lipped), penguins, and many other forms of life (including the sand flies:). This country is phenomenal in many ways, from the friendly people to fun tramping up and down the coasts. It is one of those places that can be shown in pictures, but you must truly experience it for yourself some day!

Anthony

Banks Peninsula Track: Conquered

Anonymous After 4 days of adventure we have successfully completed the Banks Peninsula Track, the first of our 3 major hikes. We were split into two separate groups because of the small hut capacity. My group tramped with 4 locals who are part of a tramping club and we learned quite a bit about the local area from them. They were quite a pleasure to have on the trip!

Now we are safely back in Christhurch for one more night. Tomorrow we will head out on an all-day bus ride bound for the Abel Tasman track in the northwestern part of the South Island. Look for more pictures after that!