At the beginning of our trip, we might have anticipated that by the beginning of Week 9 in one small country, we might be pretty weary and ready even for that interminable jet ride home. But, instead, we were eager to keep going and to soak up as much more of New Zealand’s South Island as we could in the last seven days. The week began in Marlborough, a region on the northern coast edged by an elaborate chain of peninsulas and islands. A highlight of Marlborough was spending a day on the Queen Charlotte Track, one of dozens of long hiking paths in NZ by which travelers can explore remote scenic areas by walking, often for 3 - 7 days, and staying in shelters or huts along the way. Unlike many other tracks, the
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