Abel Tasman

I recently went on a weekend excursion to the beach paradise known as the Abel Tasman region. Billy and I did a three day trek through the region and stayed in huts we had reserved along the way. The place is gorgeous, filled with bays and beaches that blow you away. The pictures don't really do it justice, but take a look anyway. =)

The busses on the way there didn't 'match' our schedule, so we had to hitch hike (using homemade hobo signs). Seven rides and around 5 or 6 hours later we got to the trail head, but far too late. People were looking at us like we rode the short bus to the track, so we decided to take a water taxi halfway to our first hut. The second day we hiked around 25 kilometers and passed out early consequently. The final day was a short 2 hour hike out, where we hitched a ride to Nelson and took a bus to our ferry. Epic weekend.

Abel Tasman

Hey Look a Transvestite

So, school is in session now and my life has suffered a dramatic loss of excitement. Compared to traveling around one of the most beautiful countries in the world any kind of school would be boring, but I am taking considerably hard classes and so most of my time now goes to studying of some sort =( . That is not to say that fun has left the building though. Living in a city is great because there are so many things to do ALL the time. Last night I was walking down the street and Brett McKenzie, from Flight of the Conchords, was coming the other way! I got his J Hancock on a twelve pack of beer I was carrying (it was all I had). However, being the small town boy that I am, living in the city has also shocked the hell out of me. Take, for instance, the 3 or 4 transvestite prostitutes that I pass by whenever I walk home late at night. Yes, they did hit on me once, and yes I did run away utterly afraid. Wellington seems to have no shortage of trannys either. They hang out in different locations throughout the city and as a result people I know alter their walking route home to avoid the whole situation. It really is a situation. But extremely disturbed men isn't a good representation of Wellington. Overall, being the capital of New Zealand, it is a very active, compact, business oriented place. It actually is one of the safest cities I have ever been in. I am loving the city, and the culture, more and more as I get to know it better.

This weekend I am going to Abel Tasman national park to backpack for two nights and three days. It is an incredible place and I am excited to say the least!

Mystical Milford Sound

Milford Sound

Southern Adventures

Southern Adventures

On the Road

The trip down the North Island was really fun, highlighted by bungee jumping and an amazing stay at Tara's family friends house. The Prosor's have a house in Gisborne that is totally self-sustaining. They collect all their own water and are completely powered by solar and wind energy. On top of that, they have an incredible view to enjoy from their incredibly beautiful house.

This past week I have been traveling around the South Island with Billy, Tara, and a French girl named Sandy we met at the international orientation. It was definitely too short, we only had 7 days, but we covered most of the island and had some amazing experiences.
We drove straight to the far south to visit our friends in Dunedin but it rained the whole time we were there. Not too much fun. After that we went to Milford Sound, and my life changed forever. It is the most beautiful place I have EVER been. Hands Down, no competition. Sorry Tahoe. Considerably remote, ridiculously raw, and serenely pristine, it is a magical place. We took an overnight cruise through it and got to see the whole thing. Probably took way too many pictures which I will put up hopefully tomorrow. After that amazing experience, we went to Queenstown where I went hang gliding and had the most incredibly delectable burger of my life. FERGBURGER. the name itself is great, but the burgers are enormous and literally every bite is an experience in itself. I ate two with some fries and could barely move for the rest of the night. Totally worth it. After Q-town we drove up the west coast, stopping at some towns and sites to take in the south island experience. We stayed a little outside of Fox Glacier which was totally overrated and the next day drove up to Nelson where we had a wild night with some crazy kiwi rugby players. Today we took the ferry out of Picton straight to Wellington.
I finally get to move into my apartment tomorrow which is exciting, but University also starts tomorrow so it's bitter sweet.


The waterfall is called Huka Falls, in Lake Taupo which is New Zealand's biggest lake.