Routeburn Track

New Zealand has a system of national tracks (aka trails) with huts along them for backpackers to use instead of tents. The huts have bathrooms, kitchen facilties, and a bunkroom. You have to reserve your spot months in advance, so we have been hiking only small parts of these tracks.

The Routeburn Track is 32 km in total. We hiked only to the first hut, but the scenery was stunning. From the parking lot you could see a double waterfall cascading from the mountain above, not a bad way to start. We crossed the swinging bridge and the track hugged the crystal blue river. Miraculously a couple of hours into the hike a port-a-potty appeared. It had an amazing view and Natalie, of course, needed to use it. We stopped for lunch by the water where we had 3 waterfalls to view from the bank.

After the hike we got in the car and headed back to Glenorchy. On the way Jeff saw a lone female hitch hiker, so he, of course, felt compelled to pull over. Julie was from France and had lived in New Zealand for a year. We asked if she had been on the track today. "Yes, I actually hiked all 32 km of the Routeburn Track today. I started at 7 AM." Here we were so proud of our half day excursion when Julie had done 32 km in 8 hours and was walking back to town! Well, it was still breath-takingly beautiful for a 6 or 32 km hike.

Bathroom Break

Unplugging in Glenorchy

The house in Glenorchy had great mountain views, but no internet. So it was time to unplug (never mind that Mrs. Wooly's General Store had some wifi where we could check email). The mountains loomed large out our back windows. We had lots of rain, which made for snow capped peaks and many mornings where we were greeted by rainbows.

Jeff talked to the principal of the local school and managed to get Natalie an invitation to be a New Zealand student for a day. So with her lunch, swimsuit, and backpack in hand she headed off to meet some new friends at the small local school of about 50 kids. They all swam during the day, had math, history, and even gardening. She had a great time meeting new friends and had a playdate later.

Later in the week we went to the world's smallest church! There were about 10 pews and 15 people in attendance. The Presbyterian minister gave a sermon and afterwards we were invited to tea at a local artist's home. We met some new people, drank tea, and looked at the artwork. We were asked if we wanted to stay for tea, which was confusing since we just had tea. As it turns out there is tea and there is tea. The second tea was actually a potluck dinner that we were generously included in despite the fact that we brought zippo. So nice to be included in community.

School for a day.

Reading Tintin

Inside the tiny church (not on the day we attended, I would not wear that to church).

Lord of the Rings Fun!



Our house in Glenorchy

The birthplace of bungy jumping (no we didn't jump)

We arrived to Queenstown on Valentines Day. (For those geographically inclined, you will note that my blogs are out of order, but most won't notice and I had to tell you about the ferry crossing.) I got an amazing present from my honey in the form of a lakefront rental with an outstanding view. I watched water skiers and the jet boats pulling 360s on the lake from our balcony. He got a homemade card. :)

We walked around downtown, which was packed with people. This city of adventure where bungy jumping was invented had lots of thrills on offer. We saw someone on a hydro board on the lake. Water shot out of his boots as he rose 30 feet in the air, Iron Man style. And personal watercraft shaped like sharks or tigers would leap up out of the lake and then go under like a submarine.

We stuck to observing all of this and had scrumptious tacos at Taco Medic. Next to that was the Below Zero Ice Bar, where everything is made of ice - the bar, stools, glasses, sculptures, games, etc., and the whole place is kept at -10 C. Jeff and I were not interested in this, but our future Antarctic explorer was eager to get cold. The kids price was cheap, so for $10 the generous propritors let her go in alone while Jeff and I waited outside. I am not sure what was more exciting for her, the ice or the act of being solo. Check out Natalie's blog for details www.theawesomelifeinnewzealand.blogspot.com

The next day we took the gondola up the mountain to Skyline. Surprisingly there are no ski slopes up there. But there is a restaurant, great views of Queenstown, and a luge. A chairlift takes you to the 2 luge tracks. You put on a helmet, get on a cart, and gravity does the rest. It was lots of fun and we all went on both tracks.

On the way back to town we passed Taco Medic and had to grab one more taco. So yummy.

Below Zero Ice Bar

Luge track

Frodo Lord of the Beans

Jelly Belly Art

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times

It started off as a great day. We were all packed up and ready for the 2 1/2 hour drive to Picton to catch the ferry to take us from the South Island back to the North Island.

About an hour into the trip Natalie needed to stop to use the restroom. She has to stop a LOT. So Jeff started looking. He settled on a boutique chocolate factory. Yes! I love it when my bathroom breaks come with free chocolate. The whole place smelled like heaven and mint. I could have moved in.

We made it to the ferry line and listened to Harry Potter while we waited to drive onto the boat (they were running late). Natalie and I were medicated for motion sickness, so I wasn't too worried. Last time she watched a movie and played on the playground (can you hear the foreboding music).

We got some comfy seats near a window and settled in. Our captain quickly informed us that there were 5 meter seas today, which he later upgraded to 7 meter seas (that's 21 feet people)! The playground was closed, so we looked out the window and cruised on.

The first hour was OK, as we were in protected waters, but the next 3 hours were nothing short of horrific. The boat (which is really big), would ride up a wave and slam back down on the other side, then tilt from side to side. A local Maori kids sports team aboard would cheer for each wave (so I knew it was coming). People started tossing their cookies left and right. The motion sickness bags were in high demand. Chairs were sliding, breaking glass was heard in the kitchen, doctors on board were summoned over the loud speaker. The sports kids started singing and chanting in Maori, a nice distraction as they sounded like a peaceful choir, when they weren't cheering for the waves. I made a couple of runs to the bathroom, but mercifully both Natalie and I managed to not puke. Natalie fell asleep half way through and I kept my eyes shut and was in and out of sleep (thank you medication) followed by prayer. We felt like puking the whole time, though. Jeff, who was not medicated, was fine - crazy.

We made it safely to Wellington where I practically kissed the ground. Thank goodness we fly out of Auckland and don't have to make the Cook Straight crossing again. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

Primo Fiord Viewing

As I may have mentioned, I am not a morning person. So when I decided to get up early to go from Te Anau to Milford Sound, I was a bit too optimistic. I slept for most of the beautiful 21/2 hour drive and woke up when we got to the harbor, though I was not my usual perky self. The Go Orange boat was ready and waiting (and I was, of course, medicated). We climbed aboard and headed for the top deck for primo fiord viewing. It was a bit cold (now 9am), but as we pulled out a spectacular waterfall cascaded down the mountain. The sun came out and we saw birds, seals, and more waterfalls. Natalie was cold and, well, . . . bored. I guess a boat with great scenery is not enough to entertain a 9 year old. She eventually retreated to the cabin. But everyone loved when the boat got so close to the waterfall that you could feel the spray. As always, the pictures do not do Fiordland National Park justice.

OK, Mom, I am sick of pictures and bored. I have eaten my BLT, does this thing have a movie theater? (only what I surmise she is thinking, not what she said)

The Sound of Ice

The town of Twizel was built as a temporary town for an energy project, but upon completion of the project, the people refused to leave. So it survives today as the gateway to Mt. Cook, the highest peak in New Zealand at 12,220 feet.

We woke to a beautiful sunny day, which amazes me since we planned this day months before. Mt. Cook is shrouded in clouds 1 out of every 3 days, but not today. We drove the 45 minutes from Twizel to Mt. Cook National Park and the lodge at the base of the mountain. (Also home to the Sir Edmund Hilary Alpine Center, which will remain a mystery since they charge an entrance fee. We had all our money tied up in our big excirsion with Glacier Explorers.)

The drive had fabulous views and the lodge showcased all the snow capped peaks. At the lodge we met the Glacier Explorers bus that wisked us away to a nearby trailhead. After a short 20 min hike we were ready for our boat trip on Tasman Lake, which is the terminal lake for Tasman Glacier. I packed fuzzy hats, gloves, and jackets (come on a glacier - cold right?), none of which we needed. We boarded the boat in our short sleeves and life jackets. The zodiac tooled around the lake while our guide described the different types of ice and showed us various icebergs that had calved off the glacier. It was astounding. Natalie even got to hold an iceberg piece in her hands. We then headed toward Tasman Glacier itself with a chocolate chip cookie appearance created by the rocks on ice. We could hear the sound of ice cracking and breaking away from the glacier. The sound was momentous -big, bold, deep, and rumbling as if the ice were alive. Tasman Lake is only 25 years old and our guide told us that this portion of the glacier will melt completely in 100 years rendering the remainder only accessable by helicopter. So if you'd like a Tasman Glacier Lake Tour, the clock is ticking - you have 100 years left. I highly recommend it!


Best cold smoked salmon ever, right at the salmon farm. Jeff slicing it for us. Yum.