Weeks 10 & 11

I am a bit late in this post, seems to be the norm these days. Again in quick style so that I can bring you up to speed. These weeks I put in my two weeks notice at work (which is weird to say now that I am no longer working there), I learned a bit of Japanese, watched the exciting NCAA tourny, hiked Ben Lomond Peak, sampled some local brews from the Arrowtown Brewing Company, and began one of many bonding sessions with friends to say good bye and/or spend more time together before we left this crazy town. We have also been getting ready for the Routeburn track - a 4 day backpacking trip we have planned!

a brew with our flatmate at the ABC


hot sake with one of my co-workers

8 & 9 Week

Our big Milford Sound trip was last weekend and it was amazing! Every direction we looked was a breathtaking vista, hence all the pictures in this post. It is also a combined two week post as it was a very busy social week. Between our camping/hiking/cruising trip, a going away party, a birthday party and getting rid of my bike most of our free time was spent socializing.

As our Milford weekend came closer the weather was looking promising, warm and sunny. We left just after sunrise on Saturday morning and started our trip with a drive up the Remarkables since Andrea had not yet been up there. View was amazing. See for yourself below.
The excitement continued as we made our way towards Te Anau and Milford Sound. While driving I felt like we stopped quite a number of times to take pictures and soak in the scenery.
Drove and drove until we made it to our 1st choice of campground in hopes that it was not full. Success, we landed in the Cascade Creek campground and set up camp. We quickly ate some lunch and packed some snacks and water for our hike up to the Gertrude Saddle. Hopped in the car and drove a few more km's towards Milford Sound then stopped at our destination. When we pulled into the parking lot, our mouths were on the ground. A co-worker recommended the hike and described it to me, but seeing it with my own eyes was worth a million indescribable words.
The summit or saddle rather rewarded us with a view all the way to Milford Sound and the surrounding mountains. Just as we were about to the saddle, we met two other Americans from the NYC area. We started talking and before we knew it we hiked all the way down with them and exchanged contact info, because why not? Back to camp for an earned dinner, a struggling campfire and some rest. I woke up a few times during the night as the moon was nearly full and thus very bright, but it was a good thing as I could see the mountains in the moonlight. That does not happen all that often. Then I set my mental alarm clock for sunrise so I could get some good pictures, and sure enough I woke at dawn to watch the sunrise and show its rays on the mountains. After playing around a bit and waiting for Andrea to wake, I fixed some breaky (breakfast). We ate, packed up and then started the drive to Milford Sound, through the Homer Tunnel and on to the ocean! Day two was full of excitement. It was a beautiful day, despite a very cool night and morning. Again, with our jaws to the floor the entire drive we made it to the sound at about 9:30 am. Relaxed a bit, and then headed to our boat for a lunch time cruise of the sound. An hour and a half of being on the water and seeing the sound from a different perspective showed us how beautiful and unique this area truly was. The mountains rose directly out of the water.
After the cruise we took our time and enjoyed the scenery as we slowly prepared for our journey back towards Te Anau and Queenstown, stopping at many sites along the way. It was still midday as we made out way to the Chasm, a quick walk to a spot where the Cleddau River quickly falls several meters and shapes the unique rock formations. Swirling water over time has given the Chasm an array of circular and rounded indentations all while flowing through a canyon with very steep side walls. I had previously been told of an area where one could jump into the refreshingly cold and crystal clear water at a height of approximately 25 ft. We found the secret spot, and coincidentally our flatmate who happened to be in the area as well, watched as a few friends jumped in and then jumped in myself. Brrrrrrrr.
Whew... just thinking about that again and it was great fun!

From the Chasm to Te Anau, we stopped at a few other places to take some photos and attempt to capture our time in the Southern Alps of New Zealand. All during this time our poor little Rav4 rental was making its way towards an empty tank and our minds were becoming weary of running out of fuel. *Backflash* On our way towards Milford Sound the first day there was a very important sign stating that fuel was not available at Milford Sound. We had a half a tank at this point and I had no doubt in my mind we would have plenty of petrol. *End Backflash* As our needle hit the E we still had nearly 65 kms left, but the fuel light indicator had not come on yet, which was giving me much hope, ha. We kept eeking closer and closer to Te Anau and the needle keept dropping further and further. My foot on the accelerator became very faint and every slight change in pitch of the road made me feel like the car had finally run out of fuel. Somehow by some magical powers fuel fumes we managed to make it to Te Anau and filled 'er up. Sigh of relief... we both were expecting the Rav4 to quit, but not this day and this place.

Once in Te Anau we found a spot to grab a bite to eat just before we had planned on attending the Fiordland Cinema which was showcasing a movie about the Southland Region - Ata Whenua. A local helicopter pilot had spent 6 years taking footage on the area and the differing seasons, and with a little bit of help from the LOTR crew was able to put together a short 35 minute film. It was similar to an IMAX film with incredible footage. Afterwards we began our drive home and were feeling lucky to have seen such a beautiful landscape!
The sun setting our our way back to Queenstown.

Another great adventure I went on was a birthday celebration for one of my co-workers. We had organized a wine tasting through work at the Gibbston Valley Winery just outside of town. It was a perfect day to sit outside and enjoy a glass or two, especially when they were given for free. Since we sell their wine at work we were able to take the tour and have a few bottles to sample for free whilst we celebrated Aneta's birthday. This picture is where the actual tasting took place, in the cellars or caves amongst the barrels. After the tour we chatted outside at a picnic table under an umbrella while we enjoyed a few more glasses. There Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris was my favorite.
Last but not least is the selling of my NZ bike. This was a great thing as I sold it for more than I originally paid for it and put minimal work into cleaning it up. Nothing like a quick fix and some extra cash in the pocket. It was great to have for a quick ride to work or a ride up the road for some exercise, but I was happy to sell 'er off. Makes me want to buy the frame I want back at home and build the bike of my dreams. One that I can hop on to get around town, one that I can possibly race in a cyclocross race, or one that I could throw a rack and some panniers on and tour the world. This bike is the Surly Cross Check. Size 58 cm and light grey in color please.

Cheers, 2 more weeks + 4 days in Queenstown.