Today I leave New Zealand. And while it breaks my heart to know that a part of me will always miss the home I've made in this humble, beautiful country, I cannot help but smile knowing I grew up into a true dreamer in those Southern Alps. The rivers taught me that courage, while not always easy to stomach, is rewarding. Today, I looked out the plane window and a wave of things I'd taken for granted came flooding over me. Each rain drop against the window stands out as an individual memory.
The ocean - living in a coastal city and being able to, at the drop of a dime, feel the seaspray lap your face. I picture myself driving through the winding west coast roads, kicking my heels back on George street, the cold walk from my flat, Sandfly bay and the rhythmic sounds of our paddles tapping the Tasman Sea, the Southern Cross on a crisp Dunedin night, that full moon over Abel Tasman, the normalcy of Kiwi money and Edmund Hillary's mug shot on the $5 bill. I smile knowing I spent an entire semester using my sleeping bag as a comforter. I remember falling asleep bloody freezing in Fox Glacier in our tent that became home away from home
It will be strange returning home to a place that, in many ways, will no doubt seem foreign. I will always owe a great deal to New Zealand for its people have inspired me to dream big and act bigger. All we really need is the drive and initiative - I used to want to do things, now I know I can. Over the past 5 months, I've become incredibly aware of all that life can be.
And life can be good - real good. And brilliant and fabulous. Life is not to be lived in a state of suspended joy, but embraced right here, right now. The ordinary can be extraordinary.

Autumn, if not winter, has officially welcomed itself in good ol' Dunners. Aside from coping with the cold student flatting system (they don't heat the flats here) and sleeping in a full armour of polypro, hats and gloves, the weather hasn't stopped us kiddos from having a grand ol' time in both adventurous and ordinary ways. Since I last wrote, we've resumed the road trips while also exploring Dunedin a bit more - including, among other things, a reggae show (Katchafire...awesome), a jaunt to Wanaka, guitar lessons, committing ourselves to a half marathon (are we crazy? - I believe so) and most recently, a trip to Christchurch to visit my buddy Will from Grand Lake.

This lodgling and I had quite the reunion, hitting up a day hike and a rugby match (Super 12 semi-finals...surprisingly heaps of fun as rugby doesn't normally get me going). And I finally was able to remember what his super fab thrift-store trucker hat says, "The mind is like a parachute. It only works when it's open." haha, That was driving me crazy all year. As for now, just hanging out in Dunners, with plans to head out this weekend before exams roll around (yuck.) Looking forward to sunny Colorado!

Heaps of time has gone by, but after an 11-day tour around the South Island it's official that NZ is still pulling out all the stops. Life on the road is a "box of birds" (as the Kiwis say - meaning I'm on top of the world) - and for many a good reason, including the fact that by some freak of nature, our car survived the trek.

Mt. Sefton...day 11.

Here's a quick run-down of the trip... (more pics to come later...)

Days 1 & 2: Head over to the West Coast to partake in some ice-climbing at Fox Glacier. Wicked good time was had sporting crampons and ice axes as we traversed up the azure blue walls and through the ice caves of this Glacier (which by the way is the third largest in NZ, is surrounded by a rainforest, and sits at an elevation of just 200 feet...impressive).

Day 3: Cruise up West Coast. rains heaps (to be expected in a place that measures its annual rain fall in meters). stop in random towns and tourist traps to stretch the legs. At this point, we're still enjoying our music selection for the long drives ahead. We've also found a new favorite pastime in honking at sheep. they run. Arrive in Nelson on the tip of the South Island that night, feeling like we're truly in Paradise...as it is warm, complete with palm trees and pools with fountains. (yes, even the backpackers we camped at had a pool...a rare sight for cheap travellers!)

Day 4: Day Hike in the Marlborough Sounds. Flying by the seat of our pants and taking advantage of the amazing weather, we cruised through mountain passes jamming out to Bob Marley and Yonder Mountain - windows down, sunnies on. The Marlborough Sounds are amazing as mountains rise out of the sea. It is here that we diverted from our typical PB&J lunch combo for a nice sidewalk cafe. ahh, the simple pleasures in life.

Day 5: Awoke to a bitter cold morning on Kaiteriteri Beach near Abel Tasman National Park (yes, there was frost on our car...). Accordingly, the chill dudes from whom we rented sea kayaks from were quite surprised that we planned to head out on a 3 day sea-kayaking/camping adventure in the area. But seals called our names.

Days 5-7: Yes, our independent sea kayaking trip in Abel Tasman National Park was none other than spectacular. A real cruisy time it was just paddling in and out of crystal clear lagoons that rival the Cayman Islands. We camped on amazing beaches, had great weather, sat underneath stars and around campfires, all topped off with a full moon. What's more, the campsite warden spotted us an extra bottle of sparkling (yes, sparkling) white wine. Talk about hospitality from the Department of Conservation. A second favorite pastime was picked up in Abel Tasman - hunting for views of seals. And they were everywhere! By the third day, our hunting abilities were so fine-tuned that we found heaps of baby seals in a lagoon...they swam right along side, under and around our boat, taking time-outs to gnaw on our paddles. Sea World pales in comparison to this experience.

Day 8: Bicycle Tour of the Vineyards in Marlbourough. First off, biking through round-abouts in a foreign country is quite the task. After safely getting out of town and getting over the fact that we did in fact look quite stupid in our bubble-shaped helmets, we arrived in vineyard country - home of the Sauvignon Blanc. From tasting to tasting, Brittany and I learned a thing or two about wine (and how to make awkward conversation with middle-aged women who knew you weren't about to buy a bottle of wine...little did they know we were tourists well-prepared to make the purchase!) Other tasters were quite friendly (and generous). Highlights of this day included a trip to the Prenzel tasting room (schnapps and liqeurs), our amazing lunch at the winery, and Brittany taking a digger on her bike right in town. hilarious.

Day 9: Coastal drive through Kaikoura, onward to Lake Tekapo. By this point, we're grateful that the car is still running (though we have no idea how). Kaikoura is an amazing coastal town where snow-capped peaks rise out of the sea - a surfer's paradise. We cruised around a bend in the road, absolutely taken aback by the rise of these mountains out of nowhere. Spent most of the day driving, which wasn't half bad seeing as the highway followed the ocean's edge. Arrived in Lake Tekapo (a teal blue glacial lake with mountainous backdrop) and camped at the most high security motor camp I've ever seen. Seriously, you needed an electronic swipe card to pass the gates into the park (i guess there was no chance of our tent getting stolen. ha). rained cats and dogs that night.

Days 10 & 11: Aoraki/Mt. Cook National Park - Mueller Hut. AMAZING. Mount Cook (or Aoraki in Maori) is the highest peak in Australasia, the former stomping grounds for Sir Edmund Hillary in his pre-Everest days.

As for us, we took a slightly less challenging route (ok very less challenging) up Mt. Ollivier to the alpine accomodations of Mueller Hut. This alpine hut (built by the Department of Conservation) speaks to New Zealand's efforts to make the outdoors accessible (the hut even had electricity!). While the 3 hour stair-stepper of a climb wasn't exactly easy-going and the ice and snow were a bit dodgy at times, the climb was well worth it. At the top, one gazes at killer views of Mt. Cook as she sleeps quietly in the clouds, a pillow of snow brewing at its peak. From the hut, you could see about 6 different glaciers and equally breathtaking mountains. We even saw an avalanche across the way on Mt. Sefton. Not gonna lie, Brittany and I felt like we were in a North Face ad from time to time...especially when the winds got going at 90 km/hr later that night. After catching the sun set over Mt Cook, gazing at the southern cross amongst many other constellations and watching the sky color in as morning swept in, it became clear that this was one of the highlights of the NZ experience so far. The trek down wasn't quite as breezy seeing as one of the women staying in the hut rolled her ankle. Brittany played nurse while I tested butt-sliding paths for this UKer who did just that - slid down the mountain on her butt. It made for a slow-going afternoon, but the views kept us busy. All seven of us who stayed in the hut that night enjoyed some good food in the village before Brittany and I were once again on our way.
This time back to good ol' Dunners. Talk about a reality check coming back to the "studious" world.
All in all, the trip was amazing. I now feel like I really understand what NZ has to offer. If nothing more, the trip speaks to the diversity of the NZ landscape, the importance of the spontaneous travelling companion, and just how much one can see and do if they truly want it. word.

New Zealand chipped away at any ounce of hesitation that had previously kept me from having a go at whitewater kayaking, as I finally caved in, jumped in a boat and ran the rivers this weekend.

The underwater (yes, underwater) adventures commenced Friday morning with some quality water-up-the-nose time during a roll session at the pool in Dunedin. After some quality panicking and frustrating my instructor for an hour and a half, I walked away having rolled my boat twice...which was more than I had expected so I was quite satisfied. The battle wasn't nearly over, as unsettling fears lingered through the night until it was time to jump in the actual river...

Our tramp of the Rees-Dart Valleys over Easter break began like most - heaps of rain, some river crossings, beech forests. the usual. Four days and 70 km later and I've officially seen, as James Taylor put so well, fire and rain...that and the best views of my life so far.

March 18 - 20. The Routeburn Track links Te Anau (Fiordland National Park) with Queenstown (Mt. Aspiring National Park). Absolutely amazing.

With the Nissan packed to the brim and our packs equally full, five girls set off to see what this Kiwi 'tramping' was all about. Here's what I know - First, it's amazing how many different landscapes one encounters in this country. Around each corner awaits something entirely different yet equally breathtaking. One minute you'd think you were in Colorado, tramping alongside looming pine trees and snow capped peaks (minus the altitude). Soon after you might find yourself in a plush South American jungle, exotic green mosses and ferns abound. A quick jaunt soon becomes interrupted by your arrival in Peru with clouds looming among steep green mountains. A few cascading waterfalls later, its the French Alps or Middle Earth itself. And lets not forget Africa...at one point we awoke to what seemed to be the Kilimanjaro base camp, complete with sweeping golden prairies. And that my friends is the Routeburn track and NZ in general. 7 continents. 12 months. 4 seasons and 32 flavors all in one single day.

Sombreros and dancing. Two things Katie tends to stay away from. But once in a fortnight (ha...wrong use of the word but I laugh because Kiwis use it heaps), the moonlight shines in just the right way and before you know it, I've taught ten people how to merengue and I'm wearing not one, but two sombreros. The 21st arrived at last...it started good and was wonderful all night through. Woke up to sunny blue skies, a warm 70 degrees or so. After heading off to class (yes I do actually do that here), I arrived back at my flat to find my friends had taken all of my stuff and arranged it into the shape of a person. Next to this little critter (whom made me jump) was an Ipod and a sign that said, "Happy Birthday, Katie. Press Play." None other than "Celebrate" came on...needless to say, I felt loved. Spent the afternoon on a hike, and of course, indulged in the ice cream (Kiwis know how to make their ice cream by the way.) Big plans for a BBQ came through and what began as a few people turned into about 30 or 40 (sorry not good at counting when drunk!). The pic above is rather representative of my state...laughing hysterically much of the night (thanks to my pals who wrote the funniest poem about our adventures etc).

"There you are right in front of me - a brand new day, sunrise over sea."
Good morning NZ.

It's been awhile since I've posted an update from the Southern Hemisphere, but it's been a good ride in the meantime. This past weekend was spent at the southernmost point of the South Island in a region known as the Catlins. The task: a conservation project at a Yellow-eyed penguin colony.

I went with a few kids from my program...we stayed with an older couple (who by the way fed us very well). Between digging up foreign and unwelcomed vegetation and setting bait traps to catch Possums (the penguin's predator), it was definitely great to get my hands dirty and to be able to give something back to New Zealand. The highlight of the weekend was bush-whacking through forests...we were honestly on our hands and knees crawling through tiny openings in the bush (which by the way, gore-tex is my saving grace). That, and seeing a vibrant sunrise cast its glow on the sandy beach...a moment that reminded me of just how far south, isolated and perfect NZ really is.

After a few car problems (ha. already.), we got a late start out of Dunedin where I would soon get my mountain fix in Queentown. The drive to Qtwn makes it easy to see how they filmed Lord of the Rings in this country.