The Deep South

Finally. Here it is, the post about Tal's (my bro-in-law) visit to New Zealand, mostly the south island. There was much fun had, many stories were shared and new stories created to pass on to the next generation and those yet to come. Since I could write several pages about the 9 day adventure, I won't. I'll simply leave you with a few abbreviated stories and several pictorial highlights.

1) Queenstown. Simply an amazing place. We rode a jetboat in a river canyon, went canyoning (do this if you ever get the chance!), and hung out with the who's who of the New Zealand Art and Film scene at Carrick Winery (thanks to Tal and his wine snobbery).

2) The two day hike up Mount Oxford near Christchurch. Tal wore 12 year old hiking boots and lost the left sole during day one (which we MacGyvered back together). We eneds up getting lost initially and were forced to set up camp on the side of the sloping trail. Dinner consisted of dehydrated meals and fine red wine. The morning brought a monsoon-like downpour and a 3 hour hike down the mountain to the car. Tal did sustain a minor injury during this descent (which was expected by all back home) and walked with a limp for a couple days but healed sufficiently for his journey back to Canada.

3) Hiking the Franz Josef glacier was absolutely magical. What a breathtaking experience.

4) The people we met along the way. So many travellers we came across that became instant friends.

5) Many other stories that I'm forgetting, but we'll just get on with the pictures. As usual, click on any of the photos to make 'em large. Enjoy.

Tal's First NZ waterfall

Waiting to board the ferry to the south island...not looking good.

Parking next to trains on the ferry.

Gravol saved me from this fate.

Pancake Rocks.

On the way to the Franz Josef glacier.

Tal jumped into this lake.

Tal's bed for the night, complete with alarm clock. He was a freak among freaks, or as Hunter S. Thompson once said, "a freak in the freak kingdom."

On approach. Tal was in the guide's ear pretty much the entire trip.

Climbing the ice.

Glaciel goodness. Just ask the Waterboy.

Superman's lair?

Not a bad view.

PB and nutella on top of a glacier.

Tal, that almost looks natural...

Strange beach where people stop to make stacked rock and driftwood art...we joined in, and then I jumped in. My first Pacific Ocean swim.

Filing cabinent Stonehenge? That's what we thought for much of our journey, until I approached one and heard the buzzing of bees making honey.

More crappy views.

The Shotover River, where we took our jetboat ride.

The most famous bunjee bridge in NZ. Neither of us jumped, I'm waiting for July.

Tal and the owner of Carrick Winery strollin' and chattin'.

Not a bad backdrop to hit a bucket of balls, eh? Check out Tal's excellent form, not that mine's much better.

We got bored driving so much (3500kms in 7 days) and started taking photos like this one. Good times.

We saw plenty of riders like these. Crazy.

Gracious host and noted NZ artist, Grahame Sydney.

That car is the coolest.

A Christchurch hostel we stayed in, The Jailhouse. Yes, it was once an active prison. Our room was an old prison cell. Very cool.

These signs were everywhere.

On the way to and at the summit of Mount Oxford.

Tal's busted up shoe.

Creepy forest.

Dinner on the hike.

We spent one day in Auckland taking is museums, climbing trees, and...

...catching some international beach volleyball. Germany defeated NZ in the final. Nice, uh, block.