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Wellington
I spent three days in Wellington. It is a pleasant city, but, beyond that, not much different from any other city. The Lonely Planet book states that the population is merely 200,000 people. However, like San Francisco, the “core” city is small, but it has many suburbs around it that expand the population. I saw…
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South Island Finished
I spent the last few days of my South Island time puttering around Nelson, the Marlborough Sounds, and Picton. Then I took the ferry from Picton to Wellington. Interestingly, the ferry from South Island to North Island travels mostly east, and a little south! Wellington is slightly south of Picton. The ferry is large, and…
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West Coast
I am finished with the West Coast of the South Island. I have a few more days to explore the North Coast, and then I take a ferry to the North Island. I have been in New Zealand for one month, and I have another month left. On the same day the idiots were injured…
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Franz Josef: the full Monty
Here is a photo of the entire Franz Josef Glacier. I made the gruelling hike up to Alex Knob to take this photo. The round trip is over seven hours, and you gain 1000 metres of elevation. I hauled the 4×5 camera up with me. Once again, the hike is classified as moderate. It would…
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Glaciers == Fun && Glaciers == Danger
Yesterday, I went on a full-day guided trek through the Franz Josef Glacier, and today I saw two people injured by the same glacier. One was injured quite severely. Luckily, no one was killed! On other notes, a good night’s rest staved off any hint of a cold. As a bonus, I have no allergy…
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Glaciers!
You know you are in some real mountains when they have glaciers. Yesterday evening I hiked up a valley to Rob Roy Mountain, which has a glacier. Nearby Mt Aspiring also hosts a glacier. I have learned that when the Dept of Conservation description of a trail says “moderate” difficulty, it actually means “difficult” (or…
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Middle Earth
The area around Queenstown should be renamed Middle Earth. Those locations were used heavily in the filming of The Lord of the Rings. The photo above shows the location used for Isengard (the tower of the wizard who turned evil). I have bought a book detailing the locations used in the films. I will be…
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Dart River Jet Boat
The jet boat ride up the Dart River was fun, although I have some bruised ribs which are still a little tender. We did six 360 degree spins. It was on the second that I was pressed into the metal bar at the side of my seat abruptly and forcefully, which was absorbed by a…
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Hayfever and Black Flies
Just so you don’t start to think that everything is rosy in New Zealand, I have encountered two serious problems: Hayfever, and Black Flies. From the moment I arrived in Christchurch, my allergies went berserk. I was constantly sneezing and stuffed up, and my throat and roof-of-mouth itched unbearably. I had brought a good supply…
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Glowworms
Unfortunately, photography is not allowed in the glowworm cave. This is understandable, though, since you’d either need a flash (and you would not see the “glow” anymore), or a long exposure on a tripod. I can highly recommend the Te Anau Glowworm tour! In the main glowworm chamber, it is almost like seeing constellations of…
Got any book recommendations?
Michael Chmilar's Travels 