I hope this message finds everyone well. It has
been another fast 6 weeks and I find it hard to believe that I will be home in
2 months or sooner! We are starting to get a bit tired after being out and
about for the past 10 months and we miss everyone terribly. However, life is
still good and there are no complaints! Jim and I spent 5 weeks in New Zealand and have been in Bali and South East Asia for another 6 weeks. As most of you probably
know, New Zealand
is the place where the Lord of the Rings was filmed and without a doubt an ever
growing international tourist destination. Deemed by some as the safest place
to travel and certainly one of the easiest, it is filled with some of the most
dramatic landscapes I have ever seen. I am about to take you on a ride through
my experience here and since this is my longest Trip Update yet save it for when
you a moment to kill and if I begin to bore you just push it to the trash (I
will never knowJ).

New
Zealand is made up of 2 islands, the North and South.
Most people agree that the South Island is
where the bulk of the beauty is, but we decided to give a good amount of time
to both. We spent two weeks in the North
Island and another 3 weeks in the South Island. We hit multiple cities in New Zealand and on average spent 1
to 2 nights in each place. This was the fastest we had moved during our trip
thus far. The positive thing was that the distance b/n most places was
relatively short and the scenery magnificent.

We landed in Auckland
and headed for the Sky
City hotel and casino to
celebrate Jim's 31st birthday. It is also home to the tallest building in the
Southern Hemisphere, the Sky
Tower. Our luck was
running good and we left with a couple bucks in our pocket to travel with. We
didn't do much else here really, it's a big city with a lot of people and we
were eager to get a move on since our agenda was long and our time seemingly
short.

Jim and I at the Sky Tower
The Sky
Tower
Jim after we won
playing roulette

After Auckland we
headed to the Bay of Islands, located on the Northern tip of the North Island it is a beautiful set of islands in a Bay (how
is that for a description).  Some of the land is privately owned with
public beaches and crystal green and blue water. It was raining during our boat
tour so I am just telling you what I think it would have looked like . . . just
joking, it was still beautiful.

View
of the Bay of Islands  . . . .

From here we headed to Hot Water Beach on the Coramandel Peninsula. However, we weren't
expecting the spectacular mountains covered in green palm trees and other vegetation.
This was only the beginning of our stunning scenic drives. Half the fun of
going to New Zealand
is just driving through it! We reached Hot Water Beach and had a chance
to experience why it’s called this name. The beach is home to an
abundance of thermal activity and if you dig yourself a hole in the sand during
low tide you will have yourself a personal outdoor Jacuzzi until the tide
rises. When we were there the seas were at an all time high so we just dug in
our feet and had a thermal foot bath. It was right on though. After a
coastal hike the next day to Cathedral Cove, one of the most beautiful
beaches I have ever seen, we charged to the Waitomo Glow Worm Caves to
go cave tubing.  The tour we
selected in Waitomo was actually the "Lost World" and included a 100m
abseil (repel), but since it was $300 per person we settled on the cave
tubing which was actually really fun. We were geared up with a full body
wetsuit and went inner-tubing through a cave splattered with glow worms
(tiny maggots that glow in the dark) and jumped off of mini-waterfalls
in the dark!

Our
drive to Coramandel
Peninsula                                              Me
digging my feet in for a thermal bath

Jim in front of Cathedral Cove                                    View
of Cathedral Cove Beach

Hahei Beach
(our campsite)

Our next stop was Raglan, a small surf
town on the west coast and internationally known for its left break, and where
would meet Malinda and her Grandma to hang out for the next few days. We were
all in for a very pleasant surprise. . . unknowingly;
Malinda and her Grandma had reserved accommodation which was considered by
the locals "the best spot in the world.” Jim and I went from
camping on a hillside to sharing this cushy pad overlooking this killer
surf spot (I don't surf myself, but I will take everyone's word for it).
Also, there just happen to be a surf competition going on and until Malinda had
arrived I was convinced that she had planned all of it. It turns out it was
just coincidence. So we had a chance to watch the pros catching the waves and
Jim and Malinda caught some themselves. We had a blast!

View of Raglan
Malinda and I at the Surf Competition   getting ready to catch some waves

Sunset from our deck
On our way to Bridal Veil Falls
Bridal Veil Falls

The
3 of us at the Fall                  View of Raglan
Jim
and I at sunset

Rotorua is one of the most active geothermal areas
in the world. Many of the people indigenous to New Zealand, the Maori, live in
these thermal villages that are surrounded by thermal mud pools,
geysers, and hot mineral pools. We visited one of these villages and also
the colorful and spectacular Wai-O-Taupo thermal
wonderland. The colors generated by this thermal activity
were fluorescent orange, yellow, and even green! No doubt this
is one of the areas that makes the North
Island so unique and
worth visiting.

Maori Thermal Village
Boiling
mud pools
View of the thermal Village

Spouting geyser after
stuffed with soap!                         Wai-O-Taupo thermal wonderland . . .

Wai-O-Taupo
thermal wonderland . . . and more mud pools

From Rotorua we continued on to Napier,
but first stopped in Lake Taupo to see the gushing Huka Falls.
The fall flows 65 gallons of water per second and is a pretty turquoise blue.
We also did a quick boat tour around the Lake, which
was created by the biggest volcanic explosion in written history. Without
taking a breath, we moved on to Napier which is a very interesting city on
the East Coast. An earthquake had devastated the city in the early 20th century
and when it came time to rebuild, it was built with the most modern
construction at the time, known as Art-Deco. It was also close to Hawk's Bay
wine region so we spent most of our time tasting New
Zealand's superb white wines before heading out to Wellington and onto the South Island.

View of Lake Taupo
Maori rock carvings on boat tour
The gushing Huka Falls
. . .

Huka
Falls
Me in Napier                               Some
of Napier’s Art-Deco

More of Napier’s Art-Deco                                                                      View
of Napier

Onto the South Island!
We dumped our first rental car in the North and picked up a new one in the
South after crossing the ocean by ferry. After living out of an icebox for 3
weeks in Australia
we had decided to huck the idea of another campervan and rent a car and camp.
This way we could use the extra money to stay in hostels once in a while and
eat Subway. As soon as we were sorted out we headed for Blenheim which was the
south's wine country. The tasting was freeJ, but then ofcourse we
walked away with 2 bottles of wine that cost more than triple the cost of
our usual!

Vineyards in Blenheim

After multiple conversations on timing and
deciding on our must see destination we decided to head to Kaikoura to go whale
watching. The subject of whale watching was always one of those “well you’re
not guaranteed to see anything, but we will do our best . . . ,” but this
place was different. We were guaranteed to see a whale or 80% of our money
back! Not only did we see 3 sperm whales, but hundreds of dolphins alongside of
our boat playing. It was my favorite tour thus far. I wasn’t sure how I
would feel about seeing a whale, but it is truly amazing.

Seal Colony in Kaikoura
View of Kaikoura

We were driving to Abel
Tasman National
Park next which was located on the west coast and one of New Zealand's
8 Great Walks. We did a 2 day coastal trek which was quite easier than our
first 2 treks in Argentina so I was relieved, but I am still having a hard
time carrying a pack that weighs at least 1/4 of my own weight for 25kms! It
was sunny and warm with fabulous coastal views and of course a natural feeling
of accomplishment.

Beginning of our trek                         One
of the many beaches                                Trekking

Views
of Abel Tasman
More Trekking

Now we were headed for our drive down
the West Coast. We had been anticipating this since we reached New Zealand
and a part of me was nervous since we had saved the best for last
which I always consider dangerous, but it couldn't have been better. The South Island is overwhelmed with rainfall most of the
year which on one side makes for a beautiful countryside, but on the other
side makes for grueling travel days and last minute changes.
Well, we had absolutely beautiful weather close to 10 days straight!

We headed for the Pancake Rocks, rock
formations on the coast that are stacked like a bunch of pancakes. They also
made for a perfect overnight stop for us on our way south. After some quick
sightseeing, we were on our way stopping along the coast at all of the major
tourist attractions. One that specifically comes to mind was the Hokitika
Gorge. It was this beautiful gorge about 30km out of Hokitika town and it
had bright baby blue water running through it. New Zealand's landscape is dotted
with these breathtaking glacier waters and rivers and you tend to feel like you
are in some kind of surreal wonderland. We were moving from one fascinating
natural landscape to the next and it was never the same, but only slightly
different. All of you must go! Just stop what you are doing and call your
travel agent. I just saw an advertisement for flights well under what we paid.
Well, I know it is not that easy, but this is the kind of place where you
can see a lot in a short amount of time simply because the beauty surrounds you
whether you are at your hotel, on the road or even a short walk. It’s
everywhere.

Sunset at Pancake Rocks                                                     Views
of the West Coast

The Pancake Rocks                                                                Hokitika Gorge

From Hokitika we headed for the Franz Joseph
and Fox glaciers. These are actually one huge glacier nestled in the
Southern Alps (the mountain range in New Zealand). We went on a fabulous
glacier hike with the sun shining and a view of the valley as clear as can be.
Then we started our journey over Haast
Pass which took us
over the mountain range and oh my! Please just take a look at the pictures!
They are unreal.

View of Franz Joseph
glacier                         Me in awe
Trekking up the glacier

Views from the glaciers mid-point . . . and
ecstatic we made it

Haast Pass

Haast Pass

Haast Pass took us onto Wanaka,
a beautiful and upcoming tourist town right on the lake. Our reason for stopping
was also to hike through Mt.
Aspiring National
Park. The hike was up to a glacier
and we were blessed with yet another clear day so the views were
outstanding.

Wanaka Lake
Wanaka Lake                               Mt Aspiring
National Park

Mt Aspiring National Park
and the Rob Roy Glacier

From Wanaka we wound north around the mountains
to Mt. Cook, a small village at the bottom
of these gigantic mountains. An observation I made is that the country is
mostly dotted with towns and villages that have a very small population.
Overall, the country has 4 million people living there and I believe 1 million
of them are living in Auckland.
Needless to say, I have never seen so many sheep in my life. On our way we stopped
at one of the most beautiful blue lakes I have ever seen. Mt Cook was also quite
a sight and although we didn’t have our usual sunny weather our trek
through the valley was so peaceful and nice that I just wanted to
stretch out my arms and scream at the top of my lungs.

Lake Tekapo                         Church
overlooking Lake Tekapo
View of Hooker Valley at Mt Cook

A brief glimpse of Mt
Cook                                                         Hike
through Hooker Valley

After Mt.
Cook we still had a couple more days
until Jim’s brother was arriving so we decided to head to the East Coast
to the Otago Peninsula. On our way to Dunedin we stopped off at
the Maoraki Boulders, very round boulders formed by a rare kind of erosion. Dunedin was a pretty city right on the Otago Peninsula
and it represented a lot of what I had pictured New Zealand to look like. It was
also home to New Zealand’s
famous Speights Brewery.

Maoraki Boulders                                                                            View
of Dunedin

Dunedin                                                                     Speights
Brewery (NZ’s and Jim’s #1 beer!)

Queenstown is a city very well known for its beauty
and Extreme sports with a capital “E”. We were meeting Mike and
Elizabeth (Jim’s brother and girlfriend) and there had been all this talk
of bungee jumping, skydiving, river sledging, fly by wire and so on, so I was
very NERVOUS. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen . . . I had to roll
with it. The first night the decisions were made and we booked 3 tours the next
day. By far the most expensive day of our trip, but it was worth it . . .
you’ll see!  The canyon swing
was first. At this point I was uncommitted; I said that I was going to think
about it, but no promises. I still had butterflies. Somehow, I knew I was going
to do it. It was a 100 meter drop and then a swing through a canyon for another
300 meters. I was scared shitless and it showed. My blood-curling scream could
be heard by everyone and in the end I asked myself why in the world did I do this?
In a couple of hours I wanted to do it again. Jim and Mike did 2 jumps each that were
very creative. Just to give you and idea, Jim jumped with a trash can over his
head (called the Osama) and Mike jumped blindfolded. Jet boating would be next
and it was exciting hydroplaning through a canyon and doing 360 degree turns
and a lot less nerve racking! Keeping with the budget and our lifestyle we found a trailer for a
couple of days in Queenstown (with a lake view).

View of Queenstown                                                        Our trailer with a lake view

The Luge - just before
heading downhill                                      Jim
and Mike prepping for the Canyon Swing

The Canyon
Swing!                             Mike getting ready to jump                              Jim
getting ready to jump

Relaxing at Minus 5 bar
The bar was completely made of  ice!    Preparing for our Jet boat ride

Leaving Queenstown and we were headed for Milford
Sound. This tourist destination is known to some as the best in New Zealand.
Once we arrived I understood why, huge steep mountains with cascading waterfalls
in every nook and cranny. It was simply beautiful and different. We were
scheduled to go kayaking in the Fiordlands
National Park and
unfortunately, the weather was not on our side so it was nowhere near the calm
kayaking experience I had imagined. We were surrounded by the most unbelievable
scenery, huffing and puffing our way across a lake, the wind against us and waves
that seemed to resemble the open sea in a tiny kayak for 4 hours. It was
absolutely hilarious. Who would’ve thought our serene kayaking tour would
turn into a game of the survival of the fittest! Half our tour quit, but the 4
of us still had a great time.

Up until now, it had been raining most of the
time we were in Milford Sound which made for a great effect on the waterfalls.
We were heading back to Te Anau, Mike and Elizabeth
would be moving on and Jim and I were deciding what our next move would be. The
next day was absolutely beautiful. We had to go back! We drove an hour and a
half the direction we had come from the day before and hiked a part of the
Routeburn track (another one of the 8 Great Walks). The views were stunning
from the time we hopped in the car to the top of the mountain and back again.
What a beautiful country!

Milford Sound (Fiordlands National Park)

Fiordlands National Park                                Mirrored Lakes                   View from
the top of the Routeburn track

Afterwards we drove the Southern Scenic
route back to Christchurch
and unfortunately our five weeks were coming to an end. New Zealand is definitely one of my
most favorite countries. And so here I was wishing we had more time, but at the
same time very excited for the next part of our journey. Jessica and Jaime
would be meeting us in Bali and we would be traveling together for the next 2
to 6 weeks throughout Indonesia,
Cambodia and Vietnam! To
be continued soon. . .

Views of
the Southern part of the South Island                                       View from the lighthouse