january 2016

To the other side of the world. New Zealand was always that far away country that was hard to get to, but I can see why people make the long journey. It's definitely worth it. During my short time there, I felt like I saw some of the most incredible landscapes I've ever seen. In the north island, we hiked across Tongariro National Park, home of Mt. Ngauruhoe, the inspiration for Mt. Doom in The Lord of the Rings movies. The climb to the summit of the dormant volcano was harrowing, a true 45 degree angle up on loose red gravel. Coming down was like being in a mini rock slide. But the views from the top were worth it.

Afterwards, we flew south to Queenstown, our starting point for the other outdoor activities on our itinerary. At Milford Sound, we cruised in the morning and kayaked in the afternoon. From the small town of Te Anau, we walked to the trailhead of one of New Zealand's "Great Walks," the Kepler Track. Kepler was 3 nights/ 4 days of hiking through 37 miles of rocky mountain ridges, deep gorges, and mossy forests. Like in Patagonia, we slept in huts along the way, but had to bring our own food and stove this time. Our packs were heavy but we got used to the weight on our shoulders after our first 8hr hike. The landscape rivals that of Patagonia, and I can't wait to do more of these through-hikes when I go back.