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Published: February 5th 2012
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The time spent on the South Island of New Zealand flew by just as fast as the time spent on the North Island. However, some of the lengthier bus rides through the mountains had proved to be a bit challenging . I thought that I had gotten over my "motion sickness" but apparently the windy roads have proven to be too much for me (I am sure my friend Kim can attest to how "pleasant" I am when "car sick'😉. I had to take Gravol nearly every day which consequently made me the worst (or best?) bus partner for Michelle as I was knocked out for a couple hours during each ride.
January 20 & 21/12- Kaiteriteri
We arrived on the South Island and the first spot on our itinerary was Kaiteriteri, a beautiful beach town set close to the Abel Tasman National Park. Because we were staying in this location for two nights I was able to catch up on some reading, writing and sleep. On day two, four of us (Michelle, Sarah, Debbie, and I) rented kayaks for the morning and paddled to split apple rock before finding ourselves a private beach to take in the sun.
January 22/12- Westport
It was a brief stay in Westport but the hostel here deserves a mention. We stayed at Bazil's Backpackers which was smaller than other hostels we had stayed in and had a very homey feel with bright colored walls and matching/themed comforters for each room.
January 23/12-Lake Manipua
A steak dinner and a costume party at the Poo Pub with the legendary 86 year old owner, Les. A friend, Glen, won a prize for his Frodo Baggins (Lord of the Rings) costume.
January 24-26/12-Franz Josef
Day one spent on the beach. Day two spent hiking the Franz Josef glacier. Seems a bit contradictory doesnt it? Day 3 was spent relaxing in the hot pools.
January 27/12-Wanaka
Steph and I went to the local cinema to watch the movie "Drive" featuring Ryan Gosling. We went to the cinema not so much for the film but for the theatre itself as the Lonely Planet had bragged about it's atmosphere. There were couches, airplane seats, and old car seats in place of traditional movie theatre seats. Also, there is intermission during every show to purchase fresh baked cookies. Michelle decided she would
spend the next few days in Wanaka while I carried on.
January 28-February 1/12 - Queenstown
Queenstown is the place that everyone looks forward to visiting in the South Island due to it's high adrenaline activities and, for me, this was the place that I would have a chance to meet up with some friends from the Kiwi bus (the people that had either gone on ahead or had stayed behind in some locations longer). Steph and I spent most of our time wandering the streets, shopping around, walking in the gardens, feeding ducks at the docks, and watching the Lord of the Rings movies. Of course we had to try a Ferg Burger to see what all the hype was about and the burger was just as good as we had heard. We had Fat Badgers Pizza and beer X 2 with some of our friends from the North Island (Sam and Lauren). It was delicious!
And of course, I couldn't go to Queenstown without getting an adrenaline rush of my own so I decided to do the Canyon Swing which involved jumping into a 109 m high canyon with 60 m freefall and 200 m swing. It was AWESOME! So I did it again!
February 2/12- Kaikoura
A four thirty a.m wake up was well worth it once I got on the water and had the privilege of witnessing hundreds of dusky dolphins in their natural environment. All geared up in my wet suite I had the opportunity to jump in and swim with these amazing mammals. It was a bit overwhelming at first as I had no idea that there would be so many dolphins and that they would swim so closely. And of course, I didn't factor in the sea sickness so by the end of the trip I was clutching a bucket closely and practicing my deep breathing techniques. My concentration on stationary objects payed off for me but many others were not so lucky. All in all, definately worth the extra effort to get to Kaikoura. Thanks for the recommendation Jordan!
February 3- Christchurch
I met up with Michelle in Christchurch as we were both taking the same flight to Malaysia (Me on my way to India and Michelle on her way to Thailand). Michelle knew a guy that lived in Christchurch and he took us around on a tour of the city and the damages inflicted by the earthquake in September 2011. Over a hundred people had lost their lives and many of the buildings down town were being torn down.
Overall, New Zealand was easy to travel that I would recommend it to any first time traveller or woman that is nervous about travelling independently. So good! I met so many great people, did many amazing things, and took in breathtaking landscapes daily. I really enjoyed my time in New Zealand! Wish me luck on the next leg of my trip which I am predicting to be a bit more challenging.
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KEN AND BRENDA
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Love from home
Hey Crystal I watched your canyon swinging video....WOW! your a brave young woman! Sounds like an amazing journey so far! Love and safety to you!