We like our vehicles to have a bit of character.



The view along the way.



Right before reaching the top!



Natalie climbing the last part before reaching the lake. If you look closely, you can see the metal cable we had to use to get to the lake.



Here's the lake that we finally reached when we got to the "top".





These last two shots are from Queenstown. So pretty.





I have heard of several people making poor decisions while studying abroad, most often as a result of alcohol or some other form of drug that is unbeknownst to me. I, too, managed to make a poor decision this past weekend. Mine, however, was not due to some aforementioned drug, but a dose of a little too much confidence in my hiking abilities.

This past weekend, I went with four girlfriends to Milford Sound on Friday night and then to Queenstown for Saturday night. I must begin by saying that, as students studying abroad with minimal finances, we do our best to get as far as we can for as cheap as we can. For this trip, we were able to use my friend's boyfriend's car. What I didn't realize is that this 1980ish Toyota Corona (yes, Corona) has a bit of difficulty starting. As a result, it needed to be jumped every time we turned it off and wished to get it going again. You might be thinking that we had to fetch another car to help us every time to start the car. No need. BYOB - that stands for BRING YOUR OWN BATTERY. We got into quite a system, actually. I must say it was a bit of a scene in the grocery store parking lot. Nonetheless, rental car fee WAIVED.

Three of the girls that I went with (Sam, Nina, and Natalie) had planned to do a guided kayaking trip on Saturday. Since Natalie and I (yes, two Natalies) have done quite a bit of kayaking already, we opted for a nice day hike instead. We consulted with some of the workers at the hostel we were staying at and decided on Gertrude Saddle, supposedly the greatest hike on the South Island. We had been told that the hike was unmarked, with small piles of rocks along the way to help guide the hike. For this reason, Nat and I went in with the intention of turning back if we felt at all uncomfortable. At the start of the hike, we managed to meet up with two American guys and a girl from Germany (Chance, Adam, and Nadine), experienced hikers who seemed to be confident in their navigating abilities. We were happy to have company and hear about their fascinating lives and their current trip around the world, including Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam, Bali, Paris, Munich, etc. over a 3-year period. And so, the five of us began our journey.

The hike was fairly easy in the beginning before we started a steep ascent. It wasn't long before we realized that this hike wasn't for the faint-hearted. Eager to see the notorious view at the top, we plugged along. Mistake #1. Fortunately, Adam went quite a bit ahead of us to blaze the trail and guide the way. In between my huffs and puffs, I enjoyed an absolutely gorgeous view. The winter has officially arrived on the South Island, covering the already breathtaking mountains with a light snow covering. The panoramic view, however, was not enough to calm my nerves. We thought about turning around, but thought we were too close to the top to miss the supposedly gorgeous view. As we got closer, it got to be more like rock climbing than hiking. We used a metal cable to reach the "top", which turned out to be a lake, the source of all of the waterfalls that we had seen on the way up. A bit anti-climactic, shall we say. As it turns out, there was one last steep stretch to get to the view. Natalie and I had to pick up our friends and didn't think we had enough time to make it to the top, and so we decided to head back down, thus separating ourselves from Chance, Adam, and Nadine. Mistake #2. To make a long story short, we didn't nearly appreciate Adam's navigating skills as much as we should have. We repeatedly tried ways down, only to come to sharp cliffs, forcing us to climb our way back up and try a different way. Needless to say, our itch for adventure soon turned into frustration. In many parts, sliding down on our backsides was the only way to reach solid ground. I actually remember wondering how we could get in touch with the rescue squad if we were not able to find our way down by dark. Luckily, Chance, Adam, and Nadine found us on their way down and were able to guide us out. Saying that I was relieved to see them is an absolute understatement.

It was certainly an experience. When I got home, I googled Gertrude Saddle and came to find that guided day hikes are offered for NZ$250. In addition, the ascent is approximated at 800 meters, which converts to over 2,600 ft. On one hand, I got to know complete strangers, I saw a beautiful part of New Zealand, and was proud that I was able to make it as far as I did. With that said, don't bite off more than you can chew. Lesson learned.

We headed to Queenstown Saturday night for a comparatively mundane rest of our trip. We had a great time walking around the botannical gardens and town. I'd been to Queenstown earlier in the semester, but the snow has perfectly settled over the mountains now, making the views even more gorgeous than before.

I leave for Australia in just about 3 weeks and will arrive home in a little less than a month. Several people have asked me how I'm feeling about leaving. To answer succintly, I don't think I have ever wanted to be in two places at the same time so badly. I am so incredibly excited to come home, but also extremely sad to be leaving. I consider myself very fortunate for this - how lucky am I to be so happy in both places.

All my love. XOXO.