Blogs from Queenstown, Southland, South Island, New Zealand, Oceania

It had been raining most of the night which made us worry we would not be going. With a clear(ish) head we rang the canyoning company to see if the trip was still on, they we going to wait a while to see if they could get a better forecast. We called the company again and they said they would give it a go. Down in the shop Nicola and Mike were not convinced that once we got there we would be able to get in the canyon as there had been so much rain but there was only one way to find out. The roads and Nicola’s driving made everyone feel a little sick. We stopped at a lodge on the famous Routeburn track and put on our wetsuits and safety equipment. We walked for ... read more

Well I had a great adventure on Saturday and Sunday. I stored my gear at the lodge I'm staying at, packed my backpack and headed out for a tramp (Kiwi term for hiking). The Routeburn track is one of New Zealand's "Great Walks" and also where some of the "Lord of the Rings" was filmed. I took the Tramper's bus to the trailhead and started off around 10am. I was pretty tired from the bike and hike from the day before and wasn't sure if I had the energy to hike 4 miles into camp and then another 8 miles Round trip to a view point. The hike in was wonderful. I crossed a couple of suspension bridges as I followed the Routeburn river. The river was strewn with large grey white boulders and emerald green ... read more

Well, I forgot to mention that as I was driving down the road with the fishermen I offered to by them dinner because I was so greatful to be rescued. The guide said he'd love to but it was valentines day and he had to take his wife out. Great, I thought its Valentines Day and here I am having a miserable rain soaked day from hell. Then it dawned on me it was Valentines Day here but it was only the 13th in the US. I suddenly felt better. Tomorrow would be a better day. It was. Talk about vast differences in cycling. Yesterday had been the worst riding day I've ever had. Today was one of the best days I've had riding in New Zealand. I almost had given up on riding but after ... read more

Back in Queenstown briefly before heading over to Christchurch for my flight tomorrow. Rachel and I have done some more stunning treks and the area around here and the fjords really warrants weeks of trekking! We really enjoyed doing part of the Routeburn trek and the night on Milford Sound was awesome (in the original sense of the word!). Stayed at a private hostel yesterday where the owner took us out on his yacht so we could go swimming in the lake. So, we've now swum at the most Northerly and Southerly points we've visited in New Zealand (Russell in the Bay of Islands and Manapouri in Fiordland). I've posted some pictures on my last entry too, if you fancy taking a look at those. Next stop - Sydney!... read more

It's been a while since the last blog because I've been so busy covering over two thousand kilometres of both North and South Islands of New Zealand and haven't had a chance to sit down at a computer for a proper internet session until now! I arrived on 6th January and met Rachel Borer at the airport the same morning. How we managed to coordinate my flight from Santiago and hers from London is a miracle and we have shown none of this organisational spirit during our journey since then! We hired a car and it's been a spontaneous whistle-stop tour, spending 10 days on the North Island before crossing over to the South. New Zealand really is a beautiful country and the three weeks I have don't do it justice. My main impression is that ... read more