I arrived in Auckland yesterday (Feb 4, 2004) after 2 quiet days in Sydney where I watched the Pats/Carolina Superbowl (started at 10am Monday), took a harbor cruise View image, checked out Manly Beach and went to an open mike session at a jazz club (but kept my hands off the piano). The time disappeared like a bowl of rice in front of a hungry Malian.

Thousands of (mostly) young backpackers from all over the world descend upon NZ every summer and take advantage of all that Kiwi-land has to offer. The Lord of the Rings probably hasn't discouraged tourism either.

New Zealand's tourist offerings are overwhelming. Every outdoor activity you can imagine is offered by numerous companies that are all 'recommended by the Lonely Planet', 'endorsed by such and such' or fall on some expert's top ten list. I could spend a month just figuring out how to spend a month. So, I sat down with Jessie, a delightful blonde Kiwi travel expert, and asked her to service me. She promptly told me where to go and what to do.

Now, pull out your map. Tomorrow I get on a bus to Raglan (NZ's best surfer destination). I spend two days there before going to Waitomo. I've already paid for a Waitomo abseiling adventure that Jessie assures me will be much more exciting than rafting through caves with glowworms. North to Hahei, a night in a village getting the lowdown on Maori culture, down to Rotorua and Taupo (too many activity options to list), on to Ohakune then to New Zealand's capital, Wellington. This should take about a week. I'm tempted to catch the Bowie concert in Wellington on the 14th.

I'll spend the next two or three weeks on the South Island. The route goes down the west coast (Barry Town, Franz Josef, Haast), through Queenstown, sidetrip to Milford Sound, down to Invercargill, through Dunedin and finishes at Christchurch. The whole program can be completed in 17 days. Allowing for some unplanned fun should bring it to 25. Fly from Christchurch to Auckland.

I'd like to get on a sailboat in Auckland if I haven't broken the bank and have time before flying back to Bangkok. Yes, I save a few bucks by flying back to Bangkok before going to LA. Estimated arrival date in LA...March 11?