3rd stop – New Zealand

We did not want to leave this part of the world without seeing New Zealand. Our friends, the Buicks, had taken a trekking trip on the South Island of New Zealand, on the Milford Track/Sound. We decided to do the same and flew from Melbourne to Queenstown. We arrived in New Zealand on February 6. The tour started on the 7, with Ultimate Hikes. It was a 5 day, 4 night hiking/boat/bus trip that goes from Queenstown up the Milford Track/Sound and back. There is 53 Km (34 miles) of walking. The trip goes through the mountains and valleys of New Zealand’s Southern Alps. On the average, the walks are 14 km/day. Following each walk you arrive to a lodge where you have a nice hot shower, a good bed, great food and great wine/champers. The weather, for us, was average. We experienced a cloudy day, a rainy day and a couple of sunny days. It is summer and the temperature ranged between 40 and 70 degrees F. This area gets an average of 9 ft of rain annually. Basically all the rain that should fall over Australia falls here on New Zealand’s west coast due to the Southern Alps. We met a bunch of fun people from Japan, Scotland, England, US, Kiwis and Aussies. It is a trip well worth taking. We highly recommend it.
On Friday February 13 we left New Zealand for Los Angeles. Taking that last flight on Qantas was sad; Qantas is a wonderful airline. These past 18 months in Australia have been full of great experiences. We had a chance to see a good part of the continent, as well as acquiring some great new friends. We bring priceless memories we will cherish for the rest of our lives.