| Summary | None |
| Owner | Matthew Gilbertson |
| Creation Date | 2012-12-10 22:24:36 UTC-0500 |
| Description | Matthew Gilbertson, Eric Gilbertson, Ian Rees
Nov 7-11, 2012 1745km driven Eric and I finished Mt Cook a few days early so we set out on a little road trip with good friend / high school classmate / fellow A.T. alum / and Kiwi, Ian Rees. Ian was gracious enough to let us borrow his car for the first leg of the journey, and we rendezvoused with him at the Queenstown Airport. Then we headed south to the Fiorland Visitors Centre in Te Anau. After a quick discussion with the rangers, we decided to drive south to Monowai Lake for a few days of backpacking. On the first evening, we camped near the shores of beautiful Lake Monowai and built a nice roaring campfire to evaluate the flammability of New Zealand wood. Next day, we hiked past Green Lake and some Lord of the Rings-style mountain meadows, and camped at the luxurious Borland Bivy. We hiked out along the road the third day, tramped through some sheep pastures, and hopped in the car for more adventuring. Ian showed us one of the awesomest drives in the country: the drive to Milford Sound. We drove below some incredible cliffs, gushing with waterfalls, and got a close-up view of a kea while waiting to enter a tunnel. Milford Sound showcased the rainy side of New Zealand. But the fog in the fiord only added to the magnificence. That night we camped in a lush mossy jungle on the shores of a sparkling-clear lake. The next day we headed north and stumbled upon an antique tractor show in the town of Gore, at the beginning of the famous Gore-Clinton "Presidential Highway," linking Gore to the town of Clinton. In Gore, we got to take a peek at some working 100-year-old steam tractors. And, to make our grandpa, we posed for a photo in front of an antique John Deere. We continued on the whirlwind tour by visiting the Moeraki Boulders, some giant mysterious spheres on the southeast shore near Oamaru. We booked it to Christchurch that night, and got an excellent night's sleep in Le Chateau Rees. To complete the South Island tour, Ian brought us on a sightseeing expedition to the areas destroyed by the 2011 earthquake, followed by the awesome botanic gardens. Finally, Ian dropped us off at the Christchurch Airport and we began the long, painful journey back to Boston. We had seen so much over the past week in New Zealand, but had just scratched the surface. We'd like to thank Ian for showing us such a good time in the land of the Kiwi. Below are some photos from the three of us. Ian's photos start with "IMG." |