Here are some goofy photos of my group and I out on the town in some crazy clothes. We have a blast together! Good times :)
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Routeburn Track
For the past 3 days and 2 nights I have been hiking through the mountains on the famous Routeburn Track. It is a 32 km track through the mountains of Southern New Zealand with a 2,200 ft elevation gain. It was beautiful. The area of New Zealand that we were in is actually considered rain forest because it rains 285 days a year there.... but for us, it was beautiful blue skies.
The fist day didn't consist of a lot of hiking, but began with a boat cruise around Milford Sound. In Milford Sound, the mountains drop right into the Tasman sea. It is gorgeous. On the 2 hour cruise, we were able to see bottle nosed dolphins, fur seals, and even penguins (we were actually pretty close to Antarctica). There were waterfalls dumping into the sea, and the clouds just sort of hung on to the mountains, giving it a really cool hazy look.
After the cruise it was off to the Track. We strapped on our big packs containing our tents, stoves, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, food, water and clothes. Even though we tried to pack light, the pack probably weighed about 15 kg or so. And we were off. The track was a gradual uphill through the forest, with great views of snow capped mountains every now and then. We hiked about 3 1/2 hours that day before we came upon a water fall. The waterfall was beautiful and was right next to the path so we stripped down to our underwear and went behind the waterfall.... the cool water felt so good, and it was absolutely beautiful. Camp was another hour hard up hill, and when we got there, we set up camp and cooked dinner.
The second day was the hardest, with about 8 hours of hiking. The morning started out with a tough uphill track, and evened out once we were above the tree line. The views were amazing. Snow capped mountains with clouds settled in the valley. It was very peace full and beautiful. After another steep uphill climb, we were almost to the top. It was another 1/2 hr of super steep uphill to reach the summit of the mountain... but it was worth it. The sky was so clear that you could see all the way to the Tasman Sea. Amazing. Then it was a hard afternoon with some steep downhill. The steep down hill hurt my knees, so I was happy about 3 1/2 hours later when we finally reached camp for the night.
The last day was a piece of cake with an easy downhill walk back to the car park (parking lot).
The hike was tough, but worth every second. The views were amazing and the weather cooperated very nicely.
Today we are in Wanaka where we went mountain biking down a mountain this morning. It was kinda scary at first, because you are going down a mountain on a curvy loose dirt road with lots of rocks on a bike that I didn't exactly know how to control the best, but after I got the hang of it... it was actually kinda fun. I might try some more tomorrow, to practice my new-found skillz.
We will be in Wanaka for another day and then off to Christchurch again before flying off the the land of Australia. New Zealand was pretty great.... lets see if Australia can top it.
The fist day didn't consist of a lot of hiking, but began with a boat cruise around Milford Sound. In Milford Sound, the mountains drop right into the Tasman sea. It is gorgeous. On the 2 hour cruise, we were able to see bottle nosed dolphins, fur seals, and even penguins (we were actually pretty close to Antarctica). There were waterfalls dumping into the sea, and the clouds just sort of hung on to the mountains, giving it a really cool hazy look.
After the cruise it was off to the Track. We strapped on our big packs containing our tents, stoves, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, food, water and clothes. Even though we tried to pack light, the pack probably weighed about 15 kg or so. And we were off. The track was a gradual uphill through the forest, with great views of snow capped mountains every now and then. We hiked about 3 1/2 hours that day before we came upon a water fall. The waterfall was beautiful and was right next to the path so we stripped down to our underwear and went behind the waterfall.... the cool water felt so good, and it was absolutely beautiful. Camp was another hour hard up hill, and when we got there, we set up camp and cooked dinner.
The second day was the hardest, with about 8 hours of hiking. The morning started out with a tough uphill track, and evened out once we were above the tree line. The views were amazing. Snow capped mountains with clouds settled in the valley. It was very peace full and beautiful. After another steep uphill climb, we were almost to the top. It was another 1/2 hr of super steep uphill to reach the summit of the mountain... but it was worth it. The sky was so clear that you could see all the way to the Tasman Sea. Amazing. Then it was a hard afternoon with some steep downhill. The steep down hill hurt my knees, so I was happy about 3 1/2 hours later when we finally reached camp for the night.
The last day was a piece of cake with an easy downhill walk back to the car park (parking lot).
The hike was tough, but worth every second. The views were amazing and the weather cooperated very nicely.
Today we are in Wanaka where we went mountain biking down a mountain this morning. It was kinda scary at first, because you are going down a mountain on a curvy loose dirt road with lots of rocks on a bike that I didn't exactly know how to control the best, but after I got the hang of it... it was actually kinda fun. I might try some more tomorrow, to practice my new-found skillz.
We will be in Wanaka for another day and then off to Christchurch again before flying off the the land of Australia. New Zealand was pretty great.... lets see if Australia can top it.
Friday, February 16, 2007
1....2.....3....Bungy
To jump or not to jump... that was the question.And jump I did.
Not only did I jump, I did it big. The Nevis Bungy in Queenstown New Zealand is the largest bungy in New Zealand and the second largest in the world at 440 feet. You jump from a jump pod that is suspended on a wire the middle of a canyon, free fall for 8.5 seconds, and stop 15 meters above the river below. I was intensely scared in the moments before the jump, but once I was falling it was an amazing feeling. I wasn't scared anymore, and surprisingly a sense of peace came over me. It was amazing to see the scenery flashing before me and the wind rushing by me as I fell. It was over very quickly and before I knew it I was bouncing back up. After a couple more bounces, they brought me back up the jump pod where I could celebrate.
Not only did I jump, I did it big. The Nevis Bungy in Queenstown New Zealand is the largest bungy in New Zealand and the second largest in the world at 440 feet. You jump from a jump pod that is suspended on a wire the middle of a canyon, free fall for 8.5 seconds, and stop 15 meters above the river below. I was intensely scared in the moments before the jump, but once I was falling it was an amazing feeling. I wasn't scared anymore, and surprisingly a sense of peace came over me. It was amazing to see the scenery flashing before me and the wind rushing by me as I fell. It was over very quickly and before I knew it I was bouncing back up. After a couple more bounces, they brought me back up the jump pod where I could celebrate.
Sweet as.... ( The New Zealand term for way cool).
Check out the video link....
http://www.wakamol.com:6969/julie/2007_0221/JulieJump.mov
http://www.wakamol.com:6969/julie/2007_0221/JulieJump.mov
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Rock Climbing, Whitewater Kayaking, Glacier Swimming and Mountain Climbing
Hello!
First of all, I would like to say thank you for reading and replying to my blog. As much fun as I am having here traveling... I've been gone a month now, and it is nice to get little notes from home. So, Thanks!
Ok... on to the good stuff. Where did I leave off....
On Monday we drove from Kaikoura where we did the dolphin swimming to Christchurch, a bigger city in New Zealand. We arrived the day before a holiday (Waitunngi day sp?- which is similar to our fourth of July). When we arrived at the YMCA (it was fun to stay at the Y-M-C-A) I got to open all of the mail that you all sent me. Thank you for that!!! Then we took off the the park across the street to watch a celebration with music and fireworks! I love fireworks. It was a really nice time... and very cultural as well. You see, here in New Zealand, instead of screwing the Indians, or Maori as there are called here, they signed a treaty with them and actually kept it. So, the Maori culture is very rich and going strong. A Lot of people even speak the Maori language. It is a really neat thing to see.
Tuesday was the day for Rock Climbing. We went to a rock cliff just outside of Christchurch where we all harnessed up and began climbing. I don't know if you have ever been.... but it's pretty hard! I did feel pretty cool when I got to the top of the easier climb... but the harder ones kicked my butt. I guess that's what happens when you have no upper body strength.
Wednesday was a free day for us in Christchurch and Tami and I took that time to explore the city. We went to a museum where we learned more about the history of New Zealand, and art museum where we were able to check out a bunch of different art, and of course.. a little bit of window shopping. They had a nice "town square" where a bunch of street performers were performing, so it was fun to watch them for a bit. Later that evening we went for a run through the park and came across a free play going on, so we stopped and watched that. It was a cool city with some things going on, but personally I think I like the small towns and just being in nature way better than the cities.
On Thursday we drove from Christchurch to the Peel Forest where we stayed at an Eco Lodge. The Eco Lodge was constructed so that it wouldn't hurt the environment at all. All the water was rain water... and if you wanted it hot you had to start a fire. The electricity was solar powered, and the bathroom was a sort of indoor outhouse in which you emptied a bag at the end of the day into a compost pile in the woods. It was a little bit rustic, but really nice at the same time. It kinda reminded me of being at the cabin with my parents- although that outhouse is outside :) Once we got there, we put on our togs (New Zealand term for swimming suits) and headed out to a river where there was a waterfall. Now, something that I've learned is that when you go on a "walk" with Sophie and Craig, our guides, it is never an easy walk. Today's walk to the waterfall included a mile hike upriver... in the river.. against the current... on slippery rocks. It was difficult, and I actually slid down some rapids at one point because the current got the best of me, but the waterfall was worth it. Once at the waterfall, we climbed up to a cliff near it and jumped into its base. So cool.
Friday morning we all went to a high ropes course and walked across some really high wires. It was good confidence boosting, but a bit scary as well. You are all harnessed in, so if you fall its not a big deal... but getting over the mental part of " I'm really, really high off the ground and you want me to walk on 2 wires from one tree to the next!" is a bit more difficult. It is one of those things that you just do and are happy that you did. We also were able to zip line a bit, which was cool too. It was raining that day, so the afternoon consisted of sleeping, reading, and later on a talent show put on by everybody.
Saturday we went Whitewater Kayaking. I've decided that I LOVE kayaking. You are in this little boat, very near the water, and you are going down the river, over rapids and around rocks... I just love it. The water, however, was really cold, and it was raining. I did fall out once because I went into the rapids sideways and I couldn't straighten myself out in time, but it was pretty easy to get back in the boat (because we were only using sit on top kayaks). We did that for about 3 hrs, which was plenty for me.... by time we got out, I couldn't even feel my feet because they were so cold. It was worth it though.
Sunday we drove from the Peel Forest to Mt Cook, the tallest mountain in New Zealand. Our hostel is at the base of it, so you can look out the hostel window and see the giant snow-capped mountain. It is beautiful. Once we arrived, we took off to go near the glacier. Yes, glacier. It is one of the couple of glaciers left in New Zealand and we got to go near it on little boats. We were in a glacial lake that had giant icebergs floating in it. I got to eat a piece of 400 year old ice, which was kinda cool (lol...cool...ice...) and then for the finally, we got to jump into the 34 degree ice water. So, I did... and it was really cold. So cold that your body went numb in about the 45 seconds of being in the water. It was a cool experience though.
Monday we were supposed to go on a big hike, but it was really cloudy out and the views would have sucked... so we just did a couple of day hikes around the lodge instead and enjoyed the beautiful scenery.
Tuesday was the day for the big hike as we hiked up a foothill of Mt. Cook. The hike was amazing. It was challenging because you were going up a very steep mountain, but with enough rest breaks it was enjoyable and the views made it all worth it. There is just something about mountains that I love... they are just so beautiful. And the stars here at night, are amazing. There is no light pollution around, so they are so bright and they just glisten in the sky.
Today is Wednesday, valentines day, so happy Valentines day to all those at home. We will be leaving Mt. Cook soon and heading to Queenstown- the adrenaline capital of the world. More to come next week on the crazy things I do while I'm there. To jump or not to jump... that is the question.
This computer isn't letting me post photos at the moment... so I promise I'll put them up later.
First of all, I would like to say thank you for reading and replying to my blog. As much fun as I am having here traveling... I've been gone a month now, and it is nice to get little notes from home. So, Thanks!
Ok... on to the good stuff. Where did I leave off....
On Monday we drove from Kaikoura where we did the dolphin swimming to Christchurch, a bigger city in New Zealand. We arrived the day before a holiday (Waitunngi day sp?- which is similar to our fourth of July). When we arrived at the YMCA (it was fun to stay at the Y-M-C-A) I got to open all of the mail that you all sent me. Thank you for that!!! Then we took off the the park across the street to watch a celebration with music and fireworks! I love fireworks. It was a really nice time... and very cultural as well. You see, here in New Zealand, instead of screwing the Indians, or Maori as there are called here, they signed a treaty with them and actually kept it. So, the Maori culture is very rich and going strong. A Lot of people even speak the Maori language. It is a really neat thing to see.
Tuesday was the day for Rock Climbing. We went to a rock cliff just outside of Christchurch where we all harnessed up and began climbing. I don't know if you have ever been.... but it's pretty hard! I did feel pretty cool when I got to the top of the easier climb... but the harder ones kicked my butt. I guess that's what happens when you have no upper body strength.
Wednesday was a free day for us in Christchurch and Tami and I took that time to explore the city. We went to a museum where we learned more about the history of New Zealand, and art museum where we were able to check out a bunch of different art, and of course.. a little bit of window shopping. They had a nice "town square" where a bunch of street performers were performing, so it was fun to watch them for a bit. Later that evening we went for a run through the park and came across a free play going on, so we stopped and watched that. It was a cool city with some things going on, but personally I think I like the small towns and just being in nature way better than the cities.
On Thursday we drove from Christchurch to the Peel Forest where we stayed at an Eco Lodge. The Eco Lodge was constructed so that it wouldn't hurt the environment at all. All the water was rain water... and if you wanted it hot you had to start a fire. The electricity was solar powered, and the bathroom was a sort of indoor outhouse in which you emptied a bag at the end of the day into a compost pile in the woods. It was a little bit rustic, but really nice at the same time. It kinda reminded me of being at the cabin with my parents- although that outhouse is outside :) Once we got there, we put on our togs (New Zealand term for swimming suits) and headed out to a river where there was a waterfall. Now, something that I've learned is that when you go on a "walk" with Sophie and Craig, our guides, it is never an easy walk. Today's walk to the waterfall included a mile hike upriver... in the river.. against the current... on slippery rocks. It was difficult, and I actually slid down some rapids at one point because the current got the best of me, but the waterfall was worth it. Once at the waterfall, we climbed up to a cliff near it and jumped into its base. So cool.
Friday morning we all went to a high ropes course and walked across some really high wires. It was good confidence boosting, but a bit scary as well. You are all harnessed in, so if you fall its not a big deal... but getting over the mental part of " I'm really, really high off the ground and you want me to walk on 2 wires from one tree to the next!" is a bit more difficult. It is one of those things that you just do and are happy that you did. We also were able to zip line a bit, which was cool too. It was raining that day, so the afternoon consisted of sleeping, reading, and later on a talent show put on by everybody.
Saturday we went Whitewater Kayaking. I've decided that I LOVE kayaking. You are in this little boat, very near the water, and you are going down the river, over rapids and around rocks... I just love it. The water, however, was really cold, and it was raining. I did fall out once because I went into the rapids sideways and I couldn't straighten myself out in time, but it was pretty easy to get back in the boat (because we were only using sit on top kayaks). We did that for about 3 hrs, which was plenty for me.... by time we got out, I couldn't even feel my feet because they were so cold. It was worth it though.
Sunday we drove from the Peel Forest to Mt Cook, the tallest mountain in New Zealand. Our hostel is at the base of it, so you can look out the hostel window and see the giant snow-capped mountain. It is beautiful. Once we arrived, we took off to go near the glacier. Yes, glacier. It is one of the couple of glaciers left in New Zealand and we got to go near it on little boats. We were in a glacial lake that had giant icebergs floating in it. I got to eat a piece of 400 year old ice, which was kinda cool (lol...cool...ice...) and then for the finally, we got to jump into the 34 degree ice water. So, I did... and it was really cold. So cold that your body went numb in about the 45 seconds of being in the water. It was a cool experience though.
Monday we were supposed to go on a big hike, but it was really cloudy out and the views would have sucked... so we just did a couple of day hikes around the lodge instead and enjoyed the beautiful scenery.
Tuesday was the day for the big hike as we hiked up a foothill of Mt. Cook. The hike was amazing. It was challenging because you were going up a very steep mountain, but with enough rest breaks it was enjoyable and the views made it all worth it. There is just something about mountains that I love... they are just so beautiful. And the stars here at night, are amazing. There is no light pollution around, so they are so bright and they just glisten in the sky.
Today is Wednesday, valentines day, so happy Valentines day to all those at home. We will be leaving Mt. Cook soon and heading to Queenstown- the adrenaline capital of the world. More to come next week on the crazy things I do while I'm there. To jump or not to jump... that is the question.
This computer isn't letting me post photos at the moment... so I promise I'll put them up later.
Saturday, February 3, 2007
Kyaking, Camping, Seals and Dolphins!!!
Wow! I've been having a blast! I have done so many crazy cool things in the past week...
Last Saturday, Sunday and Monday we were in Wellington and Tami and I took some time to explore the city. We watched a cricket game, had some great ice cream near the port, and found a fountain that was bubbled. We went to TePapa which is a big Museum in Wellington, and then did a bit of shopping. Saturday night we went out and experienced the night life... which was fun after a couple of bottles of wine in our room. We found this awesome 80's bar and danced for a bit before we called it a night. What a good time!
On Tuesday we took the ferry from the north island to the south island where we were greeted with amazing view and good weather. I can tell already that the south island is going to be way more beautiful and exciting than the north. Our first city stop was Nelson... a very liveable city.
Sunday was a day that a lot of people went skydiving. Since I've done it before and I'm trying to stay somewhat on budget... Tami and I took a free hike in the foothills instead. It was so gorgeous. It reminded me a lot of being in Colorado with the really blue sky with the white puffy clouds and the really big hills covered with pine trees. We were originally take a 45 minute hike to the "Center of New Zealand".. but 5 hours later we finally returned from a very long 10 mile hike. So, we might have gotten a little bit lost.. but it was a beautiful hike down by the river. And while hiking... it was so weird. Instead of seeing deer in the forest, there were sheep! Gotta love New Zealand!
On Wednesday Tami and I decided to have a cultural experience by going on a wine tour. New Zealand is know for its wine... and we got to try it all! It was so cool to be drinking wine and sitting right next to the fields where the grapes are growing. I learned a lot about wine as well... I will have to share my knowledge with you all over a glass,... or bottle... sometime!
Thurday morning we were up early and off to Able Tasman National Park for a couple days of camping. The weather wasn't quite as nice as we would have liked it.. for it was drizzling and kinda cool, but we made the 10 mile hike with our big packs on anyways. The hike wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be, because the path was smooth and the views were Amazing- even with the rain. When we arrive, we set up camp and explored a bit.
Friday was a great day. The weather was perfect, hot and sunny with a cool breeze and the first thing that Tami and I did after breakfast was a little bit of sea kayaking followed by a nice snooze on the beach while working on our tans (which by the way are getting pretty dark). Of course we did that all with SPF 45 on because there is a whole in the ozone over New Zealand so burn time is 6 minutes). After some lunch is was a hike to an amazing waterfall, into which we jumped in and experienced the freezing cold water for our self. The hike there was amazing as well and consisted of crawling over huge rocks and walking through streams. (I am a little bruised from the experience!) Afterwards, a little more sea kayaking to an island called "seal island" where we saw tons of seals! The would jump in the water and splash right next to our kayaks! It was the coolest thing. We topped the night off with some tag on the beach at sunset and a good sleep in the tent.
Saturday was our last day at Able Tasman, so we packed up camp and kayaked back to mainland.. seeing more seals in the process. The kayaking is so peaceful and really gives you a good workout at the same time! We drove back to Nelson for a quick shower and some food, and then in the vans for 5 hours to our next destination of Kaikoura.
This morning was the most amazing thing. We woke up at 5 Am to go swimming with dolphins. We dressed up in head to toe wet suits and hopped on a boat which took us out about 20 minuets into the Pacific Ocean. Suddenly... there were dolphins jumping everywhere! Everywhere you looked there were fins and splashing dolphins. The boat driver thought there were about 700 of them! So, we all jumped in the water and played with them. We had on a mask and snorkel and the second that you looked under the water.. all that you could see was dolphins swimming around you. It was so invigorating and so cool to be that near to them. The dolphins were wild dusky dolphins, just swimming in the middle of the pacific ocean. No cages, no pools, no nets, no feeding them..... just dolphins in their natural habitat. The would swim right up to you and look you right in the face and then you could swim in circles with them. Seriously... it was the coolest thing ever. The rest of the day is a free day for us, so I am just catching up on things and taking in all what has happened in the past couple of days.
I miss you all and hope that you all are enjoying life. Happy 21st Birthday Brian! I'll treat you to a drink and show in Australia. Good luck on your flights.
Last Saturday, Sunday and Monday we were in Wellington and Tami and I took some time to explore the city. We watched a cricket game, had some great ice cream near the port, and found a fountain that was bubbled. We went to TePapa which is a big Museum in Wellington, and then did a bit of shopping. Saturday night we went out and experienced the night life... which was fun after a couple of bottles of wine in our room. We found this awesome 80's bar and danced for a bit before we called it a night. What a good time!
On Tuesday we took the ferry from the north island to the south island where we were greeted with amazing view and good weather. I can tell already that the south island is going to be way more beautiful and exciting than the north. Our first city stop was Nelson... a very liveable city.
Sunday was a day that a lot of people went skydiving. Since I've done it before and I'm trying to stay somewhat on budget... Tami and I took a free hike in the foothills instead. It was so gorgeous. It reminded me a lot of being in Colorado with the really blue sky with the white puffy clouds and the really big hills covered with pine trees. We were originally take a 45 minute hike to the "Center of New Zealand".. but 5 hours later we finally returned from a very long 10 mile hike. So, we might have gotten a little bit lost.. but it was a beautiful hike down by the river. And while hiking... it was so weird. Instead of seeing deer in the forest, there were sheep! Gotta love New Zealand!
On Wednesday Tami and I decided to have a cultural experience by going on a wine tour. New Zealand is know for its wine... and we got to try it all! It was so cool to be drinking wine and sitting right next to the fields where the grapes are growing. I learned a lot about wine as well... I will have to share my knowledge with you all over a glass,... or bottle... sometime!
Thurday morning we were up early and off to Able Tasman National Park for a couple days of camping. The weather wasn't quite as nice as we would have liked it.. for it was drizzling and kinda cool, but we made the 10 mile hike with our big packs on anyways. The hike wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be, because the path was smooth and the views were Amazing- even with the rain. When we arrive, we set up camp and explored a bit.
Friday was a great day. The weather was perfect, hot and sunny with a cool breeze and the first thing that Tami and I did after breakfast was a little bit of sea kayaking followed by a nice snooze on the beach while working on our tans (which by the way are getting pretty dark). Of course we did that all with SPF 45 on because there is a whole in the ozone over New Zealand so burn time is 6 minutes). After some lunch is was a hike to an amazing waterfall, into which we jumped in and experienced the freezing cold water for our self. The hike there was amazing as well and consisted of crawling over huge rocks and walking through streams. (I am a little bruised from the experience!) Afterwards, a little more sea kayaking to an island called "seal island" where we saw tons of seals! The would jump in the water and splash right next to our kayaks! It was the coolest thing. We topped the night off with some tag on the beach at sunset and a good sleep in the tent.
Saturday was our last day at Able Tasman, so we packed up camp and kayaked back to mainland.. seeing more seals in the process. The kayaking is so peaceful and really gives you a good workout at the same time! We drove back to Nelson for a quick shower and some food, and then in the vans for 5 hours to our next destination of Kaikoura.
This morning was the most amazing thing. We woke up at 5 Am to go swimming with dolphins. We dressed up in head to toe wet suits and hopped on a boat which took us out about 20 minuets into the Pacific Ocean. Suddenly... there were dolphins jumping everywhere! Everywhere you looked there were fins and splashing dolphins. The boat driver thought there were about 700 of them! So, we all jumped in the water and played with them. We had on a mask and snorkel and the second that you looked under the water.. all that you could see was dolphins swimming around you. It was so invigorating and so cool to be that near to them. The dolphins were wild dusky dolphins, just swimming in the middle of the pacific ocean. No cages, no pools, no nets, no feeding them..... just dolphins in their natural habitat. The would swim right up to you and look you right in the face and then you could swim in circles with them. Seriously... it was the coolest thing ever. The rest of the day is a free day for us, so I am just catching up on things and taking in all what has happened in the past couple of days.
I miss you all and hope that you all are enjoying life. Happy 21st Birthday Brian! I'll treat you to a drink and show in Australia. Good luck on your flights.
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