Wow. What a dream vacation this has been. I feel so lucky, so at ease, and so small. Everything in New Zealand has been so big and so dramatic. You can't help but recognize your insignificance at every turn when you come face to face with a giant mountain, a thousand-acre pasture filled with hundreds of cow and sheep, or a vast body of magically blue-green water. I am in such awe of God's work. His canvas in this portion of the world is absolutely remarkable.
Keller and I arrived in Queenstown, New Zealand Sunday and had a wonderful night to ourselves. We grabbed dinner, made friends with a local restaurant owner, and took a walk along Lake Wakatipu. My parents arrived Monday afternoon. We scooped them from the airport and immediately headed south to a small town called Manapouri, population 250, where our South Island adventures really began.
My dad rented a little cottage just off Lake Manapouri, which we used as a launching pad for a couple different adventures. The first of these started Tuesday morning, a day trip to Te Anu and up to the Milford Sound. This was a stunningly beautiful 140 km drive. I can't tell you how many times we would round a corner and all gasp "wow" in harmony. We must have stopped the car at least twenty different times just to take pictures.
We took the road as far north as you can take it, which lands you right in the heart of the Milford Sound. I'm not sure if there is even a recognized township there - it's in the middle of a magical no where. No gas stations... no restaurants (outside of the little cafe in the visitor center)... I don't even remember seeing a hotel or motel.
Since they don't encourage overnight treks with an infant, we decided to splurge on a helicopter ride above the sound and up to the Fox Glacier. This was a first for me (and Keller), and although I was excited I was also incredibly nervous. Fear of adventure... that's a strange feeling for me. I've bunjeed, no problem. I've never been afraid of heights. I've always wanted to go sky diving... but all of the sudden that fearlessness has changed. I look down at the precious little gift in my arms; it's amazing how children can change your being. So with that said, my parents deserve all the credit for the pics below. I was clinging so tightly to Keller snapping photos was out of the question.
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We drove back to Manapouri late Tuesday afternoon, stopping by the Te Anu grocery store on our way into town to pick up something for dinner. We grilled lamb burgers, made a giant, fresh salad, poured a couple glasses of wine, and turned on the first Lord of the Rings. It was the perfect way to relish in the magic of our day and to relive landmarks from the journey.
Wednesday morning, we packed a couple overnight bags and a picnic lunch and headed down to a small boat dock in Manapori where we set out for a two-day sail around the Doubtful Sound. The Doubtful Sound is the second largest fiord in Fiordland National Park. It earned the name "Doubtful" from its founder, Captain Cook, who had uncertainty about the area's accessibility. 243 years later it still requires a 30 minute boat ride across Lake Manapouri and 45 minute bus ride through the Wilmot Pass (population FOUR). (Interesting piece of trivia: this road through the rainforest-ed Wilmot Pass is the most expensive road ever built in New Zealand. It's a GRAVEL road that cost $5.00 an inch to lay!)
When you arrive at the Doubtful Sound, you unconsciously start to speak in a whisper. The pristine beauty makes you feel as if you are not supposed to be there. The dense green trees... the sharp, stoic gray cliffs... the glass-like water. It is magical! At one point they anchored the boat and let some of us go explore areas of the Sound by kayak. My words will never do the beauty of this experience justice. Even typing this now, I keep going back my absolute awe of God's work.
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In addition to kayaking, some of the more-crazy people on our boat (including my father) decided to plunge into the arctic cold waters of the Doubtful Sound. I was freezing after an hour on a kayak. I cannot imagine how cold this jump must have been!
If you ever come to New Zealand, do the Doubtful Sound. I cannot say enough about the boat, the crew, the landscape, or the people we met on board. It was an experience of a lifetime.
As if all of this was not enough, our South Island adventures continued. We headed back to Queenstown and met up with the big love of my life Friday morning. Part of me felt bad that Mike would not have the opportunity to experience anything close to what we had experienced over the past four days, but leave it to New Zealand to humble and surprise. One of the families we met along the way recommended a day trek through the Siberia Valley, which involves driving about 3 hours west, boarding a tiny, yellow plane, hiking 8-10 km, and meeting up with a speedboat which gets you back to the small town of Makarora.
As we were lying down to go to bed Saturday night, I rolled over and told Mike that this has been such a dream. I cannot believe I've had the opportunity to experience all that we have over the past week. I feel so incredibly lucky. The magnitude and uniqueness of this experience is not lost on me. They are memories I will cherish forever.
Keller and I arrived in Queenstown, New Zealand Sunday and had a wonderful night to ourselves. We grabbed dinner, made friends with a local restaurant owner, and took a walk along Lake Wakatipu. My parents arrived Monday afternoon. We scooped them from the airport and immediately headed south to a small town called Manapouri, population 250, where our South Island adventures really began.
My dad rented a little cottage just off Lake Manapouri, which we used as a launching pad for a couple different adventures. The first of these started Tuesday morning, a day trip to Te Anu and up to the Milford Sound. This was a stunningly beautiful 140 km drive. I can't tell you how many times we would round a corner and all gasp "wow" in harmony. We must have stopped the car at least twenty different times just to take pictures.
Since they don't encourage overnight treks with an infant, we decided to splurge on a helicopter ride above the sound and up to the Fox Glacier. This was a first for me (and Keller), and although I was excited I was also incredibly nervous. Fear of adventure... that's a strange feeling for me. I've bunjeed, no problem. I've never been afraid of heights. I've always wanted to go sky diving... but all of the sudden that fearlessness has changed. I look down at the precious little gift in my arms; it's amazing how children can change your being. So with that said, my parents deserve all the credit for the pics below. I was clinging so tightly to Keller snapping photos was out of the question.
.JPG)
.JPG)
We drove back to Manapouri late Tuesday afternoon, stopping by the Te Anu grocery store on our way into town to pick up something for dinner. We grilled lamb burgers, made a giant, fresh salad, poured a couple glasses of wine, and turned on the first Lord of the Rings. It was the perfect way to relish in the magic of our day and to relive landmarks from the journey.
Wednesday morning, we packed a couple overnight bags and a picnic lunch and headed down to a small boat dock in Manapori where we set out for a two-day sail around the Doubtful Sound. The Doubtful Sound is the second largest fiord in Fiordland National Park. It earned the name "Doubtful" from its founder, Captain Cook, who had uncertainty about the area's accessibility. 243 years later it still requires a 30 minute boat ride across Lake Manapouri and 45 minute bus ride through the Wilmot Pass (population FOUR). (Interesting piece of trivia: this road through the rainforest-ed Wilmot Pass is the most expensive road ever built in New Zealand. It's a GRAVEL road that cost $5.00 an inch to lay!)
When you arrive at the Doubtful Sound, you unconsciously start to speak in a whisper. The pristine beauty makes you feel as if you are not supposed to be there. The dense green trees... the sharp, stoic gray cliffs... the glass-like water. It is magical! At one point they anchored the boat and let some of us go explore areas of the Sound by kayak. My words will never do the beauty of this experience justice. Even typing this now, I keep going back my absolute awe of God's work.
.JPG)
In addition to kayaking, some of the more-crazy people on our boat (including my father) decided to plunge into the arctic cold waters of the Doubtful Sound. I was freezing after an hour on a kayak. I cannot imagine how cold this jump must have been!
If you ever come to New Zealand, do the Doubtful Sound. I cannot say enough about the boat, the crew, the landscape, or the people we met on board. It was an experience of a lifetime.
As if all of this was not enough, our South Island adventures continued. We headed back to Queenstown and met up with the big love of my life Friday morning. Part of me felt bad that Mike would not have the opportunity to experience anything close to what we had experienced over the past four days, but leave it to New Zealand to humble and surprise. One of the families we met along the way recommended a day trek through the Siberia Valley, which involves driving about 3 hours west, boarding a tiny, yellow plane, hiking 8-10 km, and meeting up with a speedboat which gets you back to the small town of Makarora.
