Day 1: Saturday, March 24th
After spending the night on the concrete floors of Christchurch International Airport, we get our vans and hit the road! The first part of the drive was as windy as western Kansas, which made our first driving experience a bit challenging. As we approached Arthur's Pass it started to rain which put a damper on our travels. Unable to get out and explore we drive through Arthur's Pass and find a camp site to spend the night in Hari Hari.
Day 2: Sunday, March 25th
After a relaxing morning we headed towards the Fox Glacier for our glacier hike that afternoon. We got suited up in rain pants and jackets with huge hiking boots and "crampons" for walking on the ice. The first part of the hike was on normal terrain until we reached the glacier. Once on the glacier we got to drink fresh glacier water which was absolutely freezing but very refreshing. There were a couple manmade crawl spaces we could explore and the scenery was beautiful. After the four hour hike commenced we settled in for some dinner at a restaurant in the nearby town Frans Joseph. That night we indulged in some outdoor hot pools which felt great after a long, rainy day.
Day 3: Monday, March 26th
After considering an 8 hour hike to some natural heated hot pool, we decided we weren't prepared for such an extreme hike. We decided on a simple "3 1/2 hour" hike which ended at a beach with a "seal colony". Unfortunately most of this was false because it took us 5 hours and the only seal was saw was pretty much dead. But we did get to see a lot of the beautiful rain forest and a stone beach which was completely deserted. The path proposed a few challenges as well considering it had rained for 2 days before the hike and the once dirt path had turned into a mud puddle in many areas, ultimately turning my pretty white tennis shoes brown. After the exhausting hike we hopped in our vans and headed towards Queenstown where we stopped at a campsite on the way to enjoy some spaghetti and place to sleep.
Day 4: Tuesday, March 27th
Finally in Queenstown! Shortly after arriving we all rushed to the Information Station to book our adrenaline rushes of the day. 5 members of our group booked a bungee jumping trip, while I settled for the less exciting Shotover Jet. It is a jet boat ride that takes you up into the canyons and crevices of the Shotover River while getting dangerously close to the canyon walls and completing thrilling 360 degree turns. It was a lot of fun and an exciting way to see more of the scenery. While the majority of our group was bungee jumping I got to walk around and explore the main area of Queenstown. The shops and atmosphere reminded me of Breckenridge, Colorado or another touristy ski town. The shops, restaurants and bars proceeded all the way to the water at the foot of a beautiful mountain. The group got back together for a hearty meal at the famous burger joint, Ferg Burger. After enjoying one of the largest burgers I've ever eaten, we headed back to the vans to relax and get ready for a night on the town. We were able to check out a few of the cool "pubs" in the area and experience some of the nightlife.
Day 5: Wednesday, March 28th
After deciding to stay in Queenstown for another day and skip out on Milford Sound, we park our vans at a park and head back down to town to walk around and explore. Little did we know that our time in Queenstown would be unexpectedly prolonged. Turns out putting unleaded gas into a diesel powered vehicle doesn't work out too well... After a slight 2 hour delay we made our way to Invercargill to spend the night..
Day 6: Thursday, March 29th
Bright and early we hit the road on our way to Dunedin with some scheduled stops at various waterfalls and scenic views. The scenic drive was absolutely beautiful. Before heading into the city of Dunedin we stopped at Sandfly Beach in hopes of seeing penguins and seals, but were unsuccessful yet again. But the view was worth the drive regardless. That night in Dunedin we parked our vans outside on of our group member's friends apartment who was studying abroad in New Zealand for the semester. We got to meet some other students studying abroad and a few "kiwis".
Day 7: Friday, March 30th
Another early morning. We make our way back to Christchurch to return our vehicles on time, this time with no scenic stops or nature hikes because we were clearly too worn out after a busy week. We said goodbye to our campervans and settled in for another slumber party in the airport in preparation for our early flight at 7am the next day.
Overall, it was an amazing trip and I wish I could have spent more time there and even made my way up to the north island. Unfortunately I did not run in to any hobbits while exploring New Zealand, but we did see a few of the destinations filmed in the Lord of the Rings movies. Now I am off to Melbourne for the long Easter weekend. It's hard to believe I'll be back home in 2 months... time sure does fly!
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