Akaroa State of Mind

Anonymous This is Sam, coming from the Bon Accord Hostel in the small town of Akaroa. The first half of the group have safely completed the 4 day Banks Peninsula Track.



The tramp was great, with some great hikes and lots of penguins to see. The weather was generally pretty good. A storm moved in last night, but we were well setteled in to our huts by then. I imagine the second group was as well.

So my half of the group will have a free day here in Akaroa while we wait for the other half to finish the tramp, then we will drive back to Christchurch for the night. From there, we will mive onto the Abel Tasman Track.

Location:Oxford Terrace,Christchurch Central,New Zealand

A New Beginning in Christchurch

Anonymous
We've finally arrived! After what seemed to be days of flying (we left on the 4th and arrived on the 6th), we have touched down in New Zealand. Our journey begins in Christchurch where we will take in the sights and go for a small hike or two. The picture above is only a small sample of things to come. It is a view of the town of Littleton, overlooking a harbor used by the English during early colonization.

We hope that everything is going well on the homefront! Keep checking back for more photos and updates!

Location:Christchurch, New Zealand

LAyover

Anonymous
This picture is from our flight from Sea-Tac as we were approaching Los Angeles.

We arrived at LAX not too long ago. Our flight to Auckland is on time, and we should depart for our roughly 14 hour flight at 10:00 pm. Current weather forcasts call for 75 degrees with showers in Auckland.

Next stop: New Zealand!

Location:World Way,Los Angeles,United States

Preparing for the Trip

Anonymous

I'm sure I speak for all of the students in the group when I say that preparing for this trip has been an arduous task. Whether it is finding the right gear, coming up with the money to buy that gear, or getting in shape for long days of hiking, everyone has been hard at work. My roommate Scott and I have been excited for the trip since we found out that we were accepted, and it's hard for us to believe that it's finally here! We've done some great hiking before the trip, but we know that it won't compare to the trails we will tramp in New Zealand.

Keep an eye out for more photos and videos from our trip!

Getting Ready

Anonymous

This is my first blog and it is currently 7:32 am in Whitefish, MT and I've been setting this thing up for approximately one hour, so hopefully it will work without any glitches while I'm in New Zealand, (here after referred to as NZ). I will keep you update on my travels through pictures, videos, and words. Best of luck to you in 2011!