New Zealand

So everyone got back from their Easter break travels this week. It was great to hear all the stories. Some went to the Great Barrier Reef, some road tripped the coast, some had family visit, and some (like Zane and I) went to New Zealand! We went on a week long tour trip around the South Island of New Zealand, with two days to explore for ourselves.

New Zealand is the prettiest place I have ever seen. Everywhere you look while just riding in a car looks like a painting. Everything is so green and beautiful. We traveled in a nice tour bus with leather seats and TVs, and stayed in hostels (ranging in quality) at each overnight stop.

Day One

We explored the city of Christchurch on our own before loading up the bus. We went into the cathedral, which was beautiful, we checked out a local market, went to a park, and ate souvlaki (a Mediterranean dish...yes I am expanding the collection of foods I eat). After lunch we headed to Flock Hill Sheep Farm. There, we learned about different wool and the process of herding and shearing. The dogs are so well trained, they will jump on the backs of the sheep to get to the front of the herd to turn it around. It was pretty cool to watch. Then we took turns using a shearers technique to "wrestle" a sheep to the ground. It was harder than the boys thought it would be. Dinner that night was lamb, vegetables, and a special NZ dessert. The first of many meals containing lamb (I was glad to have a different meat by the end of the trip). That night, we were relaxing in the lodge when the farmers came in wearing nothing but trash bags and handed us some to make outfits out of. We had a trash bag party.

Day Two

We traveled on the bus, again with amazing scenery, to Fox Glacier where we got suited up to hike on an actual glacier. On the way, we stopped in the town of Hokitika, the jade capital of New Zealand or N-Zed as they called it. We got to go in the jewelry shops and watch a carver at work. Our tour guide warned us not to wear jeans to the glacier because it would be very uncomfortable if they got wet. The next best alternative many of us had were shorts. Now, I can say I hiked a glacier, in the rain, in shorts. All of the glacier guides called us the "shorts club" and high-fived us. Even though it rained, it was still an amazing experience. But, by the time the hike was over I couldn't use my hands or feet and the guide had to help me take the gear off. Much colder than the weather I had become used to in Australia.

Day Three

The day's drive was full of scenic stops. We stopped at a lake that literally reflected the mountains behind it, colors and all. It was gorgeous. We also got to see the ocean, the Tasman Sea to be exact. The water was so pretty, you wanted to jump in until you remembered how cold it was. We also stopped at a beautiful waterfall that was "magic". If you stared at the waterfall and the looked at the trees, it seem that everything was moving or flowing like water. At all of the places with fresh water that we stopped, we could fill up our water bottles. They say the water from the glacier streams is better than any you can buy in a bottle. We ended the day by arriving in Queenstown and exploring, preparing ourselves for the next day.

Day Four

Queenstown is by far one of the coolest places I have ever been. The main street is lined with shops to go in and book an adventure. Vans and buses pick you up from these shops and take you to your chosen death-defying stunt. Not all of them are that extreme, one choice was to ride horses through the land used in Lord of the Rings. However, our tour guide told us that you could not leave Queenstown without "scaring the shit out of yourself at least once". Zane and I chose white water rafting and the canyon swing. The canyon swing was first. I don't think I have ever been as scared as I was on that platform getting hooked up. Zane was fine, and he went first, flipping off the edge. You can literally jump off of this thing any way you want, backwards, upside down, in a chair, blindfolded... I let the guys talk me into going backwards. Now let me explain how this works. You plummet towards the earth in a free fall, much like in a bungy jump, but instead of bouncing back up, you then swing across a canyon. And one key part of the experience is the workers doing their best to scare you. They will push you over the edge then pull you back or say "Oh wait did we hook you up right?" Just what I needed. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely loved it and could not stop laughing once I had jumped, kind of like your first scary roller-coaster ride. But, while I was standing there, knowing what was behind me, I was shaking uncontrollably. The video is hilarious. I wasn't sure if I would scream, but I did, loudly. After that rush to wake us up, we went to go rafting. I wasn't able to get pictures on the river but it was again one of the coolest things I have ever done. We got to see beautiful nature while floating along the river, and then paddle our way through grade 4 rapids! No one in our boat fell out, but we did get plenty wet. After showering and warming up from the days activities, we got ready to hit the town! Our tour group arranged for us to go into an "ice bar" where literally everything is made of ice: the bar, the cups, the chairs, tables, sculptures, etc. They give you Eskimo jackets, Ugg boots, and gloves to wear. After that, we went to a bar where if they played our tour group's "theme song" called Holiday, the floor "turned to lava" and we were not allowed to dance on anything but tables, chairs, or the bar. It was really funny. Our last stop was at World Bar, where your cocktail comes in a teapot and you pour it into little cups. Overall, Queenstown was a blast.

Day Five

This was the day where the scenery during the drive was indescribably breathtaking. We drove through a gorgeous mountain range and valley to end up at Milford Sound. We made many photo op stops. That day and night and the next morning, we spent on a giant sail boat cruising the sound. The weather was great for us, but we also heard that it is cool to see with rain because of the thousands of waterfalls that appear. The sound is home to penguins, seals, and the world's rarest dolphins. While it wasn't the right time to see the penguins, and we didn't see seals, the dolphins came right up to the boat and same along the side. It was incredible.

Day Six

Another awesome road trip took us to Lake Ohau. On the way we stopped at a fruit stand (delicious!), and the home of the world record holder for largest sweater ever made. It was bigger than me standing with my arms out in a "T". In the winter, Lake Ohau is home to New Zealand's biggest ski/snowboarding resort, and in the summer they wakeboard on the lake. After a chilly polar bear dip in the lake, we were able to warm up in the hot tubs under the clearest sky for stargazing in New Zealand. They covered the sky. Dinner that night was lasagna, finally no lamb! We spent our last night hanging out with some really cool people we had met on the tour, from the US and Europe. Some are also studying in Australia and we have planned to visit each other.

Day Seven

We made the final drive back to Christchurch, stopping at the Church of the Good Shepherd, the most photographed building in New Zealand. It is a tiny, one-room stone church, but still holds services! Back in Christchurch we celebrated our last night together with a karaoke bar and a mechanical bull! I was sore the next day from hanging on for dear life.

We had an awesome trip! New Zealand was AMAZING!