Tomorrow is the start of the next adventure. I have my first training session for my job as Springer Mountain caretaker. At the moment, I'm not sure what my schedule will be for the upcoming months or the exact extent of my duties. Hopefully, some of the uncertainty will be cleared up tomorrow.
It has been a crazy couple of weeks since I was hired. There's been a lot of gear maintenance and repair and the requisite trips to REI. I've also been re-packaging the leftover foods from our thru-hike into single servings. Fortunately, I'll be able to supply my food for at least half of the period I'll spend on the mountain. There is some lingering anxiety regarding winter camping, which has never been a major interest of mine. Not entirely sure I have sufficient gear for the very cold and potentially snowy weather I'll encounter.
The weather will definitely be a challenge for me, since I really struggled with the cold in the later days of our hike. But it will be fun to experience something we missed--the insanity of Georgia at the start of thru-hiking season. The vast majority of thru-hikers travel northbound, departing from Springer Mountain between late February and mid-May. That means that on the weekends, especially on the popular start dates (March and April 1), there will be dozens of hikers on the trail. Honestly, the crowding was one of the reasons we did NOT want to start in Georgia. But now, I'll have the opportunity to observe the crazy in action. So, there should be some great stories coming....
Stay tuned, y'all!
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Monday, February 11, 2013
Into the woods again!
Greetings to anyone still out there paying attention!
The blog will be picking up again, to follow along on my new job.
The good news is that I'm heading back to the trail--AND getting paid to do it!!
The bad news is that I will be a Nachita without her Pancho.
Starting at the end of February, I will be the caretaker on Springer Mountain for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. I'll be living near the shelter on Springer in my tent, trying to herd the cats--I mean the thru-hikers heading out for Maine.
I am super excited about this opportunity to return to the trail community. (Do you ever really leave?)
So stay tuned, there is much more to come!
The blog will be picking up again, to follow along on my new job.
The good news is that I'm heading back to the trail--AND getting paid to do it!!
The bad news is that I will be a Nachita without her Pancho.
Starting at the end of February, I will be the caretaker on Springer Mountain for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. I'll be living near the shelter on Springer in my tent, trying to herd the cats--I mean the thru-hikers heading out for Maine.
I am super excited about this opportunity to return to the trail community. (Do you ever really leave?)
So stay tuned, there is much more to come!
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
A Bit of Backtracking...
I know it has been quite a while. I am a bad, bad blogger. I'm making an effort to get back on the horse and start posting again on a regular basis. But that does demand a look backwards to some previous events.
Long ago, in New Zealand, I promised glowworms and caving photos. Well, the moment you have longed for has arrived--here are some pics from our adventure with the Legendary Blackwater Rafting Company. The most famous of the glowworm caves are located at Waitomo on the North Island.
 |
| A little rappelling practice before dropping into the cave. |
 |
| Looking very perky on the way down.... |
 |
| We started out with a 105-ft. rappel into the cave. Here goes Pancho. |
After rappelling into the cave, we did a short zipline--IN THE DARK--to a ledge above the subterranean river. Wicked cool. On the ledge, we grabbed our innertubes, then launched ourselves off the edge into the water. Big splash, big noise, big fun!
 |
| Dignified and graceful as usual. |
 |
| Gazing at the glowworms. Those would be the larval flies stuck to the ceiling above us, waiting to burst forth, have non-stop sex for 48 hours, then die. Now that's living. |
 |
| T-Bone looking slightly manic. |
 |
| Pancho working through some claustrophobia issues. |
 |
| Emerging.... |
 |
| Our happy band at the end of the day. |
More soon from some recent adventures in NC and NH. Stay tuned!
Monday, July 16, 2012
Stay tuned, folks!
New posts are on the way! This summer the adventures are mostly local, but they're still fun!
Monday, March 26, 2012
Volcanoes, glowworms, and gales—oh my!
I am a bad, bad blogger and I apologize for the lengthy gap between posts. I figured I should get caught up on all of our adventures in New Zealand since we’re about to head off to Ireland.
After the EO event in Queenstown, Pancho and I flew up to the North Island with our buddy TBone. The three of us hit the road and toured some of the central North Island. We started out in Rotorua, south of Auckland, and a major center of Maori culture and activities.
Rotorua is notorious for its rather noxious aroma. The city sits atop one of the most active geothermal areas in the country—and that’s saying something in New Zealand. The smell of sulphur hangs over the whole town and steam vents from numerous sites, including the sewer drains. Though there are some extremely touristy areas in Rotorua, we stayed in a nice, low-key apartment near the center of town. There is a great pedestrian zone (“Eat Street”) with a number of good restaurants and bars and an outstanding little wine shop.
From Rotorua, we headed toward Tongariro National Park by way of a warm-up day hike up Mt. Maunganui. Tongariro is the oldest national park in New Zealand and a World Heritage Site. Much of the land within the park is sacred to the Maori, especially the peaks of the three active volcanoes: Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe, and Tongariro. We stayed in a tiny town at the edge of the park, imaginatively named National Park. The next day we found ourselves back on the trail, with TBone in tow, hiking the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. Billed as the most spectacular and challenging dayhike in the country, the crossing covers an alpine zone between Mts.Tongariro and Ngauruhoe. The landscape is truly eerie, almost lunar, with steam vents puffing out of the ground and hardened lavaflows descending from the peaks. One of the best parts is the signage—very detailed interpretive materials outlining proper behavior in case of volcanic activity. Helpful hints like “if you see the pyroclastic flow, move quickly downhill away from it.” Ummm…DUH. Actually, I’m fairly certain that if you can see the pyroclastic flow, you only have about three seconds to live. Another useful tidbit: “Do not approach or touch the flowing lava.” Well, only if you don’t value your extremities.
I have to say I’m glad we did the Crossing, though it was disappointing in some ways. First, I wasn’t expecting there to be a humanity bomb detonation. There were busloads of people, including some sizable school groups, most of whom were spectacularly unprepared. Second, it was not that challenging. The hardest part was dealing with the steepest section of trail, surrounded by children and tourists, after the snow started. No, that’s not a typo. It’s called “Alpine Crossing” for a reason, folks. And that does mean you should bring some raingear. And not wear Keds or flipflops. And not carry a purse. I’m still amazed no one got flown off that mountain. Disappointments aside, perhaps the coolest part of all (here I will out myself as a huge, honking LotR geek)—this is Mount Doom!! This is hiking through Mordor! Way. Too. Cool.
Of course, it’s New Zealand, so the next day is just as amazing. From Tongariro, we drove north to Waitomo, a town famous for its caves and their inhabitants, the glowworms. I’ve done a good bit of caving, but neither Pancho nor TBone had. And Pancho, at least, is more than a little claustrophobic. So they were both a little apprehensive about the caving experience. We started with a 150ft rappel into a hole in some sheep field outside of town. Then came the zipline. In the dark. Which totally rocks. You have no idea where you’re going or how far it is, then BAM—you literally hit the end of the line. Next, we hopped into innertubes and jumped off a small cliff into a subterranean river.
We paddled along the dark water with clusters of tiny glowing dots overhead. The glowworms are technically phosphorescent maggots (fly larvae) that live in the caves. They dangle threads below themselves to catch insects for food. Then they morph into flies, have sex for 48-hours straight, lay a bunch of eggs, and die. Good times. The exit from the cave is almost as dramatic as the entrance—climbing up a waterfall, out into a stream, in the middle of another field. It was a great day, and even the claustrophobes loved it.
[Sadly, we have no pictures of the glowworms at the moment. Cameras are not allowed for safety reasons and the photodisc we bought from the tour is not reading on our computer. Hopefully in the future…]
From Waitomo, it was back to Auckland, for the next part of the adventure. We hooked up with another ATL buddy, Junior, then picked up a charter boat for a couple of days sailing in the Auckland area. We planned to head to Waiheke Island, a major wine area, to do a bit of tasting with our resident oenophile, TBone. The wind was pretty lively on the way out and as we were pulling into the harbor, one of the lines snapped and our headsail was loose. We managed to get it lashed onto the deck with plans to do repairs the following morning. Not being too worried, we took off to Cable Bay Winery, a stunning contemporary complex overlooking the water and the Auckland skyline in the distance. Fabulous wines and food.
Unfortunately, in the morning, we started getting calls and texts from various folks, suggesting we look at the forecast. As Pancho and I listened to the weather, we realized why. Gale warnings for the Hauraki gulf later that day. One guess as to our location and the gulf between us and Auckland. Worsening winds and seas. Yikes. Our plans were completely dashed when Pancho called the charter company and the guy said that in 20-some years, he had never encouraged anyone to come in early. But we did—motored back to Auckland with our crippled sail and parked in the marina that night. Where it was unbelievably rough and windy—I can’t imagine how it would have been at anchor off Waiheke.
It was par for the course on our New Zealand adventure, though. Things don’t always go according to plan and you just have to stay flexible and roll with the waves as they come.
After the EO event in Queenstown, Pancho and I flew up to the North Island with our buddy TBone. The three of us hit the road and toured some of the central North Island. We started out in Rotorua, south of Auckland, and a major center of Maori culture and activities.
Rotorua is notorious for its rather noxious aroma. The city sits atop one of the most active geothermal areas in the country—and that’s saying something in New Zealand. The smell of sulphur hangs over the whole town and steam vents from numerous sites, including the sewer drains. Though there are some extremely touristy areas in Rotorua, we stayed in a nice, low-key apartment near the center of town. There is a great pedestrian zone (“Eat Street”) with a number of good restaurants and bars and an outstanding little wine shop.
 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| View from our deck in Rotorua. |
 |
| View from Mt. Maunganui. |
From Rotorua, we headed toward Tongariro National Park by way of a warm-up day hike up Mt. Maunganui. Tongariro is the oldest national park in New Zealand and a World Heritage Site. Much of the land within the park is sacred to the Maori, especially the peaks of the three active volcanoes: Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe, and Tongariro. We stayed in a tiny town at the edge of the park, imaginatively named National Park. The next day we found ourselves back on the trail, with TBone in tow, hiking the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. Billed as the most spectacular and challenging dayhike in the country, the crossing covers an alpine zone between Mts.Tongariro and Ngauruhoe. The landscape is truly eerie, almost lunar, with steam vents puffing out of the ground and hardened lavaflows descending from the peaks. One of the best parts is the signage—very detailed interpretive materials outlining proper behavior in case of volcanic activity. Helpful hints like “if you see the pyroclastic flow, move quickly downhill away from it.” Ummm…DUH. Actually, I’m fairly certain that if you can see the pyroclastic flow, you only have about three seconds to live. Another useful tidbit: “Do not approach or touch the flowing lava.” Well, only if you don’t value your extremities.
 Rainbow side 1… |  Rainbow side 2…. National Park. |
 |
| Prepared for departure, Tongariro Alpine Crossing. |
 |
| Welcome to Mordor. |
 |
| Crater Lake, Tongariro. The color is due to the high mineral content. |
Of course, it’s New Zealand, so the next day is just as amazing. From Tongariro, we drove north to Waitomo, a town famous for its caves and their inhabitants, the glowworms. I’ve done a good bit of caving, but neither Pancho nor TBone had. And Pancho, at least, is more than a little claustrophobic. So they were both a little apprehensive about the caving experience. We started with a 150ft rappel into a hole in some sheep field outside of town. Then came the zipline. In the dark. Which totally rocks. You have no idea where you’re going or how far it is, then BAM—you literally hit the end of the line. Next, we hopped into innertubes and jumped off a small cliff into a subterranean river.
We paddled along the dark water with clusters of tiny glowing dots overhead. The glowworms are technically phosphorescent maggots (fly larvae) that live in the caves. They dangle threads below themselves to catch insects for food. Then they morph into flies, have sex for 48-hours straight, lay a bunch of eggs, and die. Good times. The exit from the cave is almost as dramatic as the entrance—climbing up a waterfall, out into a stream, in the middle of another field. It was a great day, and even the claustrophobes loved it.
[Sadly, we have no pictures of the glowworms at the moment. Cameras are not allowed for safety reasons and the photodisc we bought from the tour is not reading on our computer. Hopefully in the future…]
From Waitomo, it was back to Auckland, for the next part of the adventure. We hooked up with another ATL buddy, Junior, then picked up a charter boat for a couple of days sailing in the Auckland area. We planned to head to Waiheke Island, a major wine area, to do a bit of tasting with our resident oenophile, TBone. The wind was pretty lively on the way out and as we were pulling into the harbor, one of the lines snapped and our headsail was loose. We managed to get it lashed onto the deck with plans to do repairs the following morning. Not being too worried, we took off to Cable Bay Winery, a stunning contemporary complex overlooking the water and the Auckland skyline in the distance. Fabulous wines and food.
 |
| Pancho in his element. |
 |
| Cable Bay Winery, Waiheke Island, with moving sculptures. |
Unfortunately, in the morning, we started getting calls and texts from various folks, suggesting we look at the forecast. As Pancho and I listened to the weather, we realized why. Gale warnings for the Hauraki gulf later that day. One guess as to our location and the gulf between us and Auckland. Worsening winds and seas. Yikes. Our plans were completely dashed when Pancho called the charter company and the guy said that in 20-some years, he had never encouraged anyone to come in early. But we did—motored back to Auckland with our crippled sail and parked in the marina that night. Where it was unbelievably rough and windy—I can’t imagine how it would have been at anchor off Waiheke.
It was par for the course on our New Zealand adventure, though. Things don’t always go according to plan and you just have to stay flexible and roll with the waves as they come.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
100% Kiwi Adventure
As expected, there were some terrific events at the University, kicking off with a ride up the Skyline Gondola in Queenstown and dinner at a restaurant overlooking the city and lake. Just to get our appetites going, there was also street luging—riding down a course on the mountain on little luge carts. Awesome! Totally worth it to see a bunch of super-type-A entrepreneurs wearing helmets, giggling like little kids, and trying to ram each other.
Our next outing was even better: boarding the TSS Earnslaw, crossing Lake Wakatipu to the Walter’s Peak sheep station, and enjoying a fabulous BBQ on the shore of the lake as the sun dropped behind the mountains. The Earnslaw, one of the last passenger steamships in operation in the world, was commissioned to deliver people and goods to the remote stations (ranches) around the lake, many of which remain inaccessible by road. The station is now open for tours, meals, agricultural demonstrations, and cycling tours. I highly recommend both the boat journey and the station, if you’re in the neighborhood.
We had another amazing experience on the Dart River, near the town of Glenorchy, where we rode in the jet boat upriver before “funyaking” back downriver. Jet boats are incredibly popular in New Zealand, where the jet boat engine was invented. They actually originated out of a practical need to transport supplies and sheep to inaccessible areas on extremely shallow rivers. Since the jet engine doesn’t use a propeller, it can function in around 4 inches of water. Now, of course, the boats serve a much less practical purpose, primarily whipping through canyons and river valleys filled with shrieking tourists, doing high-speed turns, and generally trying to scare the crap out of paying customers. Big fun. Though very cold the day we were out.
The jet boat dropped us up the Dart River valley where we hopped into our funyaks—inflatable, idiot-proof, and (almost) tip-proof kayaks. We paddled back down the river, through some very mild, maybe class 2 rapids. It was a glorious day, though. Sunny and warm, with a perfect view of absolutely stunning mountains, waterfalls, and creeks. During our lunch break, we paddled up a tiny gorge, almost completely closed off from above, something you would never find on your own.
We finished off the University at the home of bungy jumping: AJ Hackett Bungy at Kawarau River. The Kawarau bridge was the first place anyone ever jumped and a number of EO folks—including TBone, Junior, and Pancho—took the plunge. When asked about the experience, all Pancho could say was “The split second my feet left the platform, all I could think of was: WHAT HAVE I DONE! There are no take-backs.”
 |
| We were welcomed to the university in traditional Maori style, with a haka. |
 | |||||
| TBone and Pancho on board the Earnslaw, en route to Walter Peak. |
 |
| The TSS Earnslaw heading out of Queenstown harbor. |
 |
| Walter Peak Station on Lake Wakatipu. |
 |
| The area surrounding Walter Peak. |
We had another amazing experience on the Dart River, near the town of Glenorchy, where we rode in the jet boat upriver before “funyaking” back downriver. Jet boats are incredibly popular in New Zealand, where the jet boat engine was invented. They actually originated out of a practical need to transport supplies and sheep to inaccessible areas on extremely shallow rivers. Since the jet engine doesn’t use a propeller, it can function in around 4 inches of water. Now, of course, the boats serve a much less practical purpose, primarily whipping through canyons and river valleys filled with shrieking tourists, doing high-speed turns, and generally trying to scare the crap out of paying customers. Big fun. Though very cold the day we were out.
 |
| Jet boating on the Dart River. Notice how shallow the water is here. |
 |
| View along the Dart River. |
 |
| A side trip into a gorge along the Dart River. |
 |
| Paddling through the side gorge. |
The jet boat dropped us up the Dart River valley where we hopped into our funyaks—inflatable, idiot-proof, and (almost) tip-proof kayaks. We paddled back down the river, through some very mild, maybe class 2 rapids. It was a glorious day, though. Sunny and warm, with a perfect view of absolutely stunning mountains, waterfalls, and creeks. During our lunch break, we paddled up a tiny gorge, almost completely closed off from above, something you would never find on your own.
We finished off the University at the home of bungy jumping: AJ Hackett Bungy at Kawarau River. The Kawarau bridge was the first place anyone ever jumped and a number of EO folks—including TBone, Junior, and Pancho—took the plunge. When asked about the experience, all Pancho could say was “The split second my feet left the platform, all I could think of was: WHAT HAVE I DONE! There are no take-backs.”
 |
| Bungy jumping set-up, Kawarau Bridge. |
 |
| View of the Kawarau River. |
 |
| The ATL bungy boys ride the post-jump high: TBone, Junior, and Pancho. |
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Pining for the Fjords
We’re back in Queenstown for Entrepreneur’s Organization University, the “real” reason we’re in NZ, and we’ve seen some amazing things since our last post.
It was a tough trip to Queenstown from Wanaka. We went over the Crown Range, the highest paved road in NZ. Fortunately, we were going the easy direction. Though that still meant we had a 40 km climb, that got much steeper at the top. I had to get off and push for the last kilometer and Pancho for the last 500m. I was moving so slowly I was about to fall over, which on a super narrow road with no shoulder would surely mean getting run down by a campervan full of tourists. Of course, going up the easy side meant a screaming descent on the other side. You know it’s bad when you can smell your brakes burning out. We rewarded ourselves with lunch and cider in Arrowtown, an historic mining town on the outskirts of Queenstown.
We woke up in our tent in Queenstown to rain, cold, and unbelievably sore legs. This prompted a little conference regarding the cycling plan and led to the formulation of plan B.
We hopped on the bus to Te Anau, the gateway to Fiordland National Park, one of the most spectacular and remote areas in NZ. We had originally planned to cycle there, but then came plan B. It would have been two very long days on the bike, and our intel revealed that there would be a serious headwind for most of the way. Once we were on the bus, we were very pleased with plan B: the route was much hillier than we had thought and the even the bus struggled through the stiff winds. The only drawback for me was that we had planned to camp on an alpaca farm along the way, and I was weirdly excited about it. Fortunately, I made up for the wildlife viewing the next day.
Te Anau is a backpacker’s haven. It’s the starting point for several of the “Great Walks,” as they call some of the iconic hiking trails here, including the most famous of all, the Milford Track. (Trails are tracks; hiking is tramping) We felt right at home, with everyone walking around in boots, with packs and gear, either heading out or just coming in from the trail. There is also a big grocery store (not common in most of the smaller towns here) that is re-supply central.
Instead of hiking, on this trip we were on the water, going kayaking on Milford Sound, one of the most beautiful places in the country. The Fiordland NP has 16 sounds, with Milford being the only one accessible by road. There are a fair number of small cruise boats and tour boats there, but paddling is definitely the best way to see the sound. Technically, the sounds are all fjords, a sound being a river valley filled in by seawater and a fjord being a glacial valley. Apparently, the Kiwis compensated for the mistake by naming the Park properly, though they then misspelled it.
Nomenclature aside, the Sound is spectacular. We paddled through an area only accessible to kayaks at high tide that was like entering a primordial forest. There were branches hanging down across the water, covered with moss and orchids. Afterwards, we headed out into the Sound proper. The day started out rainy, which is a mixed blessing at Milford. The water was flat and perfect for paddling, But best of all, there were waterfalls everywhere. The Sound is surrounded by sheer mountains, and after rain, water pours down the rock faces, so there are streams of all sizes cascading down all around you.
I also got in my wildlife quota to make up for missing the alpacas. Lots of young male seals live in the Sound, before they’re able to compete for the females in the colonies out on the coast. In the kayaks, we were able to get really close and just sit watching them. Now, we also know that there are animals lazier than our cats.
We had another wildlife encounter on the ride back to Te Anau—with the notorious kea, the naughty parrot of the South Island. We stopped at The Chasm, a river channel with amazing rock formations, and found a kea patrolling the parking lot, looking for snacks or cars to eat. Apparently, rental car agreements here contain a clause denying responsibility for kea damage. Yikes!
Now we’re happily ensconced at the hotel in Queenstown—it’s been raining all night and day, so we’re very happy to not be in the tent. There are some great events planned, and we will be braving the rain this afternoon for a ride on the Shotover Jet Boat. Keep following along!
It was a tough trip to Queenstown from Wanaka. We went over the Crown Range, the highest paved road in NZ. Fortunately, we were going the easy direction. Though that still meant we had a 40 km climb, that got much steeper at the top. I had to get off and push for the last kilometer and Pancho for the last 500m. I was moving so slowly I was about to fall over, which on a super narrow road with no shoulder would surely mean getting run down by a campervan full of tourists. Of course, going up the easy side meant a screaming descent on the other side. You know it’s bad when you can smell your brakes burning out. We rewarded ourselves with lunch and cider in Arrowtown, an historic mining town on the outskirts of Queenstown.
 |
| The road we rode up... |
 |
| At the top of the Crown Range |
 |
| The road ahead. Check your brakes now! |
We woke up in our tent in Queenstown to rain, cold, and unbelievably sore legs. This prompted a little conference regarding the cycling plan and led to the formulation of plan B.
We hopped on the bus to Te Anau, the gateway to Fiordland National Park, one of the most spectacular and remote areas in NZ. We had originally planned to cycle there, but then came plan B. It would have been two very long days on the bike, and our intel revealed that there would be a serious headwind for most of the way. Once we were on the bus, we were very pleased with plan B: the route was much hillier than we had thought and the even the bus struggled through the stiff winds. The only drawback for me was that we had planned to camp on an alpaca farm along the way, and I was weirdly excited about it. Fortunately, I made up for the wildlife viewing the next day.
Te Anau is a backpacker’s haven. It’s the starting point for several of the “Great Walks,” as they call some of the iconic hiking trails here, including the most famous of all, the Milford Track. (Trails are tracks; hiking is tramping) We felt right at home, with everyone walking around in boots, with packs and gear, either heading out or just coming in from the trail. There is also a big grocery store (not common in most of the smaller towns here) that is re-supply central.
Instead of hiking, on this trip we were on the water, going kayaking on Milford Sound, one of the most beautiful places in the country. The Fiordland NP has 16 sounds, with Milford being the only one accessible by road. There are a fair number of small cruise boats and tour boats there, but paddling is definitely the best way to see the sound. Technically, the sounds are all fjords, a sound being a river valley filled in by seawater and a fjord being a glacial valley. Apparently, the Kiwis compensated for the mistake by naming the Park properly, though they then misspelled it.
 |
| The Homer Tunnel, en route to Milford Sound. |
 |
| The road down from the Homer Tunnel. |
Nomenclature aside, the Sound is spectacular. We paddled through an area only accessible to kayaks at high tide that was like entering a primordial forest. There were branches hanging down across the water, covered with moss and orchids. Afterwards, we headed out into the Sound proper. The day started out rainy, which is a mixed blessing at Milford. The water was flat and perfect for paddling, But best of all, there were waterfalls everywhere. The Sound is surrounded by sheer mountains, and after rain, water pours down the rock faces, so there are streams of all sizes cascading down all around you.
 |
| Milford Sound. |
 |
| Bowen Falls, the largest permanent waterfall at Milford Sound. |
 |
| Pancho and Nachita on the water. |
 |
| Milford seal. |
 |
| Lazy beasts. |
We had another wildlife encounter on the ride back to Te Anau—with the notorious kea, the naughty parrot of the South Island. We stopped at The Chasm, a river channel with amazing rock formations, and found a kea patrolling the parking lot, looking for snacks or cars to eat. Apparently, rental car agreements here contain a clause denying responsibility for kea damage. Yikes!
 |
| Looking down into the Chasm. Off the Milford Road. |
 |
| Naughty parrot. |
 |
| Don't feed the kea if you want to keep your finger. |
Now we’re happily ensconced at the hotel in Queenstown—it’s been raining all night and day, so we’re very happy to not be in the tent. There are some great events planned, and we will be braving the rain this afternoon for a ride on the Shotover Jet Boat. Keep following along!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)