july 15th, 2009: had an early start in the morning. first tip is to avoid booking milford sound tours online. just do it when you arrive in new zealand. believe me, they've got tons of options and the prices are usually cheaper. in addition to better rates, you get to use all the discount coupons you get for free from brochures available at airports and hotels. if you do not know where and how to get these brochures, just go to the airport information desk and/or the hotel concierge. it is a long drive going back and forth from queenstown, so [View Full Entry]

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07/17: if you think a half-day glacier walk is going to be a breeze, think twice. my whole body was sore after the climb. the whole group is divided intro teams of three. i was in team two, which meant that my pace was just right. here are some tips: if you're planning to buy all the gear for this half-day climb, DON'T! the tour operator will lend you all the gear you need. geer rental is inclusive, so you won't have to pay extra. since everything is rented, do not expect brand new gear and equipment. another tip is not [View Full Entry]

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went to phillip island for the penguins. one tip is not to join the tour on saturdays and sundays as traffic is pretty heavy. went to take some pics with wallabies, kangaroos and koalas. wallabies are so much cuter than kangaroos. finally, the sun was setting and it was time to see the penguins. joined the penguin plus tour and it was really worth every extra penny paid. you get to sit on the beach instead of the bleachers and get a really good view of the penguins. no photos were allowed. that was a disappointment, but i think taking photos [View Full Entry]

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joined a tour that took us from christchurch to queenstown via mt cook. highlight was definitely the helicopter tour. we had a lot of opportunities to ride in a helicopter during our trip in new zealand. i knew i wanted to do it, but choosing when to do it was kind of difficult. i was going back and forth between helihike at franz josef or mt cook. choosing to do the latter was definitely worth it. we really felt like we were on the top of the world. it was quiet and the view was just spectacular. it lasted only a [View Full Entry]

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