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Hi everyone,
Rich updated you until Dunedin and we have been pretty busy since then so i shall try to fill you in on everything without rambling (although I'm a big rambler so it will be very difficult!) We left Dunedin and headed to Queenstown which is quite a small little town which is set in such fabulous surroundings (there's a beautiful lake and lots of lovely mountains)We went on the sky rail into the mountains and up into the clouds which was pretty cool and provided some great views of Queenstown and around. We then headed to the DOC Department of Conservation) office to look into booking a 3 day trek (or tramp as the kiwis would call it). We ruled out both the The Milford Track because it was really expensive and The Routeburn because there were avalanches on the route so we didn't fancy that and booked The Kepler which was actually a blessing in disguise because of all the famous tramps this one has the most Alpine walking which was what we wanted.
Having kitted ourselves out with some hats, gloves, sleeping bags etc we packed our big rucksacks and headed off into the woods. The first day was really challenging and involved a good 3 and a half hr SLOG up hill (and i mean UP hill!) which was exhausting with our heavy bags, but worth it when we emerged out into the open and found ourselves in the mountains overlooking some beautiful mountains and lakes. We continued on to our hut where we were to spend the night. The second day of the tramp was definitely the best and one of my favourite days on our whole trip. We walked all day in snow capped mountains and the views were really spectacular. We spent the night in another hut and then finished the trek on the third day feeling very achy and exhausted but it was well worth it and good preparation for the Inca Trail in Peru.
We arrived back in Te Anau, treated ourselves to a homemade pie (yummy) and then drove down to Milford Sound. The drive down was incredible as you are literally driving in the mountains and the scenery is fab. We then went on a cruise into the Milford Sound however, unfortunately the rain and cloud didn't do the area the justice it deserved. There were some great waterfalls though and it was a good trip.
We then had a very long drive to Fox Glacier so we stopped in a couple of places and then spent the night on the road before we arrived. Three hours after we had arrived and we were in helicopter flying over Fox Glacier. It was really fantastic. The helicopter landed on the glacier and then we spent 2 and a half hours hiking round the glaciers with a guide climbing into ice caves - what an experience.
The next day we drove up to Abel Tasman National Park and we spent a couple of hours kayaking around the coast line. At first it was good fun but then my lack of upper body strength got the better of me and Rich and i both found it quite tough as we were paddling against the waves and in the rain.
We are now in a place called Motueka and are on our way to Nelson. We have about 6 more days in the South island and then we shall began our travels around the North.
Hope everyone is well back home
Lots of love
Beth and Rich
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