Here is a shot of Natalie and I kayaking on the Abel Tasman.



Our kayaks up on the shore while we stopped for lunch on the beach!



Natalie and I striking a pose with our sweet "skirts"! The skirts attach to the kayak and cover your legs so you don't get wet and help with your posture during paddling.



The next several shots are from our visit to a beach near Farewell Spit. The picture of Natalie, Jessie, and Jeremy is the pathway that led us up to the beach - and we really were that close to the sheep!






This is just one of many pictures from our hike on the Abel Tasman.


To continue on our Easter break journey...

We spent Monday through Wednesday exploring the northern coast of the South Island. For those of you who aren't familiar with New Zealand, the northern coast has absolutely breathtaking views nearly everywhere you look. We spent Monday hiking in Abel Tasman National Park - a definite must-see if you ever get a chance to come to New Zealand. The hike feels a bit like you're in a rain forest, then you look through the trees to gorgeous green water - a bit surreal. It was a long day of hiking, but well worth it. Tuesday was a bit cloudy (our only cloudy day!) so we decided to make the 1+ hour trek to Farewell Spit, a small sliver of land that protrudes out on the northwestern coast (if you can find it on the map, the name will make sense!). We found (another) deserted beach and frolicked for several hours. In order to get there, however, we followed a path of endless fields with hundreds of sheep to our right and left, the closest being no more than 5 feet away. Upon my arrival to New Zealand, I heard there were some 4 million people and 50 million sheep - I'm finding that statistic to be more and more true each day. Once we reached the beach, it went on forever and had huge sand dunes that led up to it, leaving the sand up to your knees in some spots. We had a great time exploring, running, and wading - I don't know if I have ever felt that free.

On Wednesday, we rented kayaks and went sea kayaking on the Abel Tasman - an absolute highlight of the trip. Without a cloud in the sky, we got a brief intro to sea kayaking and the equipment from a charismatic kiwi and headed out on the water. It was amazing. In the United States, the area would be completely built up with million dollar plots for the view alone; in New Zealamd, we were three of the only boats out there and maybe saw a total of ten houses in our four hours on the water. Again, we ate our packed lunch on ANOTHER deserted beach and tried to take in all that we were experiencing - it was incredible!

That's all I will leave you with today. I hope all of you are doing well. I hear that spring is springing and I am so jealous - the fall temperatures are finally starting to hit Dunedin. To all of the students and teachers in the group, keep plugging along - you're almost finished!

XOXO.