Flights were dirt cheap from Pittsburgh. This was a pretty low season - the miserable weather had begun but was no different than Pittsburgh, really; however, the wintery landscape, with the toboggan slide near the Chateau and thigh deep snow on the wonderful Plains of Abraham, nor the views of the wide, frozen St. Lawrence River, nor the comparative coziness of the charming restaurants that look perfect for wool sweaters and brandy by the fire, had not yet begun. Still, we strolled around town leisurely (it's the perfect walking city), without worrying about the cold, and didn't have to share the streets with many tourists. It's also pretty good place to run, and the impressive staircases from the river to the park are a nice challenge. In the end, I'll always feel pain for the bearded ... read more

I'd been hearing my entire trip that the centre of Christchurch is still a disaster area because of the earthquake they experienced over 5 years ago. The skyline now consists of hundreds of cranes and the sound of demolition and reconstruction is always in the background. Light tremors still shake the city, and you can feel and hear them pretty often if you sit still. But there are a few reasons to visit: Sights While most of the traditional sights have been destroyed, they've given rise to some new places worth seeing. The cathedral still hasn't been torn down and visitors can looks right into the ruined building. Just a five minute walk away is a giant cardboard replica with 187 empty chairs next to it, to represent everyone who died in the quake. Adaptation At ... read more

My buddy Dan and I cancelled our second day in Wanaka and headed out to the highway to hitch a ride to Mt. Cook. The bus there is absurdly expensive (101 dollars for a three hour trip), so we had to figure out another way. We knew it would be difficult, since there were two of us and Mt. Cook is more of a resort than it is a town. Just when we were giving up hope (after an hour and a half) three French girls picked us up, and after telling them what we'd heard about it, decided to check it out for themselves and drove us all the way there. Captain Cook and Abel Tasman named half of the country after themselves, so the Tasman River runs near Mt. Cook, the tallest mountain in ... read more

But if you're making the long drive down the West Coast, Franz Josef or Fox Glacier are reasonable stops to avoid driving all day. The hike to the base of the glacier is nice but heavily trafficked, since it's so easy. The town is quaint but there's not much to do. The Franz Josef Glacier looks incredible but you can't walk right up to it or pay a reasonable fee to walk on it on a tour that provides equipment. Because the glacier is quickly receding, the only way to do a tour is by taking an expensive helicopter that lands in a safer spot.... read more

My buddy Dan and I completed about 3/4 of the Abel Tasman Track from Awaroa to the southern entrance of the track at Marahau. We walked 4 hours the first day and 7 the second day. We spent one night at the Bark Bay hut. It would have been nice to do the whole thing, but we were short on time because we had so much to see. Walking Conditions Dan had arrived from the States the evening before, but we left Nelson the next day because we wanted to get out there and start the tramp while the weather looked clear. In mid-July the high temperature each day was around 13 Celsius (55 degrees Fahrenheit), which made it possible to hike in shorts and a long-sleeved shirt. Still, some sections of the track that see ... read more