New Zealand, Week 2 (ish)

We've been here in New Zealand now for almost two weeks but I wanted to write this blog post before we leave for our 4 day/3 night backpack of the Kepler Track. We're staying at a motel in Te Anau tonight, a little town that serves as a gateway for the amazing fjordlands of the southwest South Island.

In the last few days we completed our drive down the West Coast, complete with hikes to the Franz Joseph and Fox Glaciers on the central West Coast. We joked that we have glaciers in Alaska, so why bother to see these, but they were pretty good. It was raining and then pouring when we saw the glaciers and it felt like a summer day in Seward. The gray skies made the blue of the glaciers shine, though.

We drove a long time that day (Tuesday), about 6 hours to get to Queenstown. As I think I mentioned, roads aren't straight here and we joke about how the "freeways" look like small town roads. Everything is two-lane and the fields along the road are dotted with endless sheep and cows. I have yet to see any cross the road, though I keep hoping for such a farmland scene!

Queenstown is a bit like Lake Tahoe, a city around a beautiful alpine lake, ringed with mountains and full of outdoorsy shops. Queenstown is also the adrenaline capital of NZ, I've heard. You can throw yourself out of any number of airplanes or off tall buildings and pay good money for it. We declined; Erik patiently waited for me to do a couple hours of shopping in the town center before we drove on.

We spent Wednesday night through this morning (Friday) in Milford Sound. It's a 120km drive from Te Anau to the Sound, which is actually a glacial-carved fjord surrounded by mountains. We camped for two nights at a little park along the road and spent the days hiking and taking a cruise in Milford Sound.

I expected the fjordlands to remind me of Alaska but I didn't expect them to be so dramatic. As the road nears Milford Sound, the cliffs rise higher and higher. The Milford Sound boasts some of the highest mountains that rise out of a sea, thanks to the glacier's steady work. The views were amazing. As Erik drove, one or both of us kept saying, "wow," or "look" or "amazing." After awhile, it simply overwhelmed me and I couldn't say anything at all. I kept thinking of a T-shirt I saw someone wearing earlier in our trip: "I'd rather be here now."

We hiked like crazy: a 3-hour hike on part of the famous Routeburn Track up to a summit and then a 4.25-hour hike the next day (covering 10 miles; we cruised) on the Hollyford Track to the Hidden Falls. Even then there were still more hikes to do along the Milford Road, but we thought we'd done a good sampling.

We've spent today gearing up for the hike the next four days. Groceries, post office, internet, laundry and such. It was nice to take a leisurely stroll along Lake Te Anau earlier this morning and see the interpretive displays at the DOC (Department of Conservation) visitors' center.

Perhaps this is a common thing to say when visiting New Zealand but I am just so blown away by the scenery here and the kindness of the people we've met. I'm practicing gratitude on a daily basis and so overwhelmed with the beauty of the earth. My spiritual director encouraged me to think of a Bible verse or story that I could carry with me on this trip. I haven't come up with one yet, but maybe it's not to be forced. I just keep feeling awed by creation and thankful for the goodness of people. Many people have been so kind, patient and thoughful at our endless questions, requests and indecisions along the way. A shopkeeper in Queenstown yesterday spent a good 15 minutes helping me decide which woolen vest to buy and a hotel clerk on the West Coast was totally nonplussed when I asked her to ship my sandals to me here that I left under the bed. Gratitude and God-moments, all of it.