The ladies of the trip! Natalie, Jessie, and me on a swingbridge that we stopped by on our way home to Dunedin.



Here's a shot of Fox Glacier that we stopped at on our way home. Fox is just about ten minutes away from Franz Josef.



Here's a picture of the group after our Franz Josef climb. From left: Jessie, myself, Natalie, Matthias, and Jeremy.



A photo of me heading into the cave!



Jeremy, Matthias, Jessie, and I showing our Group #1 pride!



A shot of steps on the glacier - crazy!



Here's a shot of a sunset we pulled over to see at the end of our long drive to Hokitika - what a way to end the day.



These last few shots are from the pancake rocks and blowholes on our way to Hokitika. The last photo is of Jeremy and me. Quite cool!





Our group left on Thursday morning to make the long trek down the west coast to the town of Hokitika. On the way, we stopped in Punakaiki to look at the touristy Pancake Rocks and Blowholes. This was an unplanned stop of our trip, but a great break in the 7+ hour drive. The waves were huge and made giant splashes as they came under and up through the rocks - the perfect victim of too many photographs.

Our hostel in Hokitika was mainly used as a stopover for Thursday night to get to our next destination on Friday - Franz Josef Glacier. We did the half-day guided climb on Friday from about 12:30-5:30PM. I didn't know quite what to expect, but the glacier climb proved to be another highlight of our Easter trip. The group of about 50 people was divided into four groups based on the speed at which everyone wanted to go. We opted for the fastest group because we had heard that you get to see more of the glacier, which turned out to be a great decision. We were given overcoats, mammoth boots (I felt like I could've climbed Everest with those babies), and crampons to attach once we got to the steeper parts of the glacier (again, just call me Ed Hillary). They asked us before leaving if any of us had health concerns, particularly ACL or other knee injuries, and I quickly realized why. The steep gravel incline was plenty difficult for my out-of-shape pins (as our Kiwi guide described my legs). Once we arrived on the glacier, I understood why the jacket, boots, and crampons were so critical. We had to use a rope to help guide us one-by-one into and out of a cave. A little hard to describe, but hopefully you can get the gist from the pictures. Take my word for it, it was pretty sweet.

We went out for a nice dinner Friday night to celebrate an unforgettable week and headed back home to Dunedin on Saturday morning. We made a few stops on the way back and got home around 9PM.

Two of the most unexpected highlights that I found during the trip were the hostels and simply driving from one destination to the next. Each hostel has its own personality and gives you the chance to meet and talk with so many interesting people. Driving along the coastline and exploring the countryside is another huge factor that has contributed to my love for New Zealand. When my family went on vacation to San Francisco, we paid a few extra bucks to do the 17-mile drive and I remember just being in awe of the gorgeous views. Throughout this trip, I felt that I drove 30+ hours on the 17-mile drive. While flying is certainly easier and less time consuming, I feel that so much of the experience would be lost.

I can't take credit for these photos - most of them are Matthias'. Enjoy!