Day 4: New Zealand

You know how we felt trying to walk today! But it was so worth it - bridges and all! Ross wanted to walk up to the "face" of the second glacier nearby, Fox. So we at least hobbled up to it! Again, amazing and beautiful. The sun was shining and the sky was brilliant blue. We were still in sweatshirts, jackets, and gloves! The glaciers here are particularly interesting because they come down from the Alps into the rain forests of the west coast here. How unusual! So the views are of dramatic snowy peaks on the mountains and lush rainforest all around.

We spent the day driving south along the west coast. This is very rugged terrain, and the cliffs and rocks below remind us of the most dramatic sections in Oregon. At one point the road went along the ocean, so we stopped to get out and touch the Tasman Sea. The water was cold, the sand was rocky, and sparkling white rocks, perfectly rounded and smooth dot the shoreline. I collected one the exact shape of an egg. I said to Ross, "Where is everyone? Why aren't people down here swimming or at least playing at the beach? It's beautiful here!" Then the sandflys hit. Within moments we were eaten alive! So we jumped into the car squealing and drove with the windows blowing the air through! The bites are still painful three days later!

Our drive took us away from the Alps and rainforest, away from the ocean to the farmlands as we headed south east towards Wanaka. The countryside here reminds us of Oregon, but there is something more enchanting about it. Is it that it's New Zealand?? Could be. The farmhouses and out-buildings are rustic and quaint. Sheep dot all the fields, as do cattle and elk. Yes elk! Farms of elk. Pat salivates as we drive past.

It is fall, and the trees are turning color. It's our first real visual that it is fall, since New South Wales doesn't really experience a change in the season as we know it. So the farmland and countryside are gorgeous with the different trees.

Wanaka is a town situated on a beautiful lake, very much like Wallowa Lake in north eastern Oregon. We pulled into the Youth Hostel there and set up camp in our bunk room! The hostel was cozy and comfortable, very much like a ski lodge with spectacular views out over the lake. Not bad for $50 US for all three of us! We perused the brochures looking for tomorrow's adventures in the Queenstown area, known for thrills and adrenaline activities . . . I left the guys to this, since the suspension bridges were enough adrenaline for me for awhile, and made a cup of tea. By dinner we were booked on a white water rafting trip for 1 p.m. tomorrow. I was assured nothing was high up . . .