Good things do Happen!!

24/01/08
Well, I’ve finally done it. I got on a ferry and made my way to the spectacular South Island of New Zealand! I’m not really ahead of schedule, but I’m also not behind schedule either. I’m pretty much right on time 😉 Isn’t that nice? You see, you can’t really worry about schedules when you haven’t created one to follow. Tee hee. I’ll have a good 8 weeks to explore down here, and from what I’ve seen so far, it looks like even that might not be enough, especially if the first 35km of biking over here is any indication. As per usual, I’ve put together a map of my days journey. Note that this map also includes the ferry crossing on the map, but the statistics I’ve put up reflect only the biking on either side of the crossing, so the numbers are accurate for the biking. Check it out, and read on for more about another great day in the saddle.

22/01/08
So, I just had my first full day in Wellington, and I must say, I’m quite cultured now! As this is the capital, there is definitely lots of cultural experiences to have here, so I took advantage of several of them. I’ve been getting late starts here, as it’s just so nice to be able to listen to some music, play on the computer, watch TV, use the Internet, do laundry, etc. Funny how you miss even the domestic things when you’re on the road. Well, the other reason I’ve been a little slow here is that the weather hasn’t been super. Have I mentioned the possibility of a cyclone in Wellington? No? Well, that was yesterday, with winds gusting up to 130 km/hr. Travis, the fellow who’s place I’m staying at, and is a lifelong Wellington resident, says he can’t remember Wellington ever being under a cyclone warning. Crazy isn’t it? This is my second one in 2 months though, so I guess I’m pretty used to them myself. Ha ha. Anyway, read on for a little more about what I did for the day in Wellington and don’t forget to check out the map.

10/01/08 to 12/01/08
Good day to you all! Well, it’s been several days since I wrote a blog post, primarily because there was no way I was going to lug a computer around with me on the highest peaks of the North Island. Not that I’m not loyal to you all, it’s just that there wasn’t going to be any power anyway, and I really wanted to focus on the hiking and the sights. Let me tell you right off the bat, I was not disappointed in any way with my decision to spend 3 days in Tongariro National Park doing the Tongariro Northern Circuit with Ralph. I’m not sure how I can actually write a blog post that does any justice to my experiences in the past couple days. They are just so numerous and awe inspiring that it’s really one of those experiences you’d have to be there for. The pictures are probably the closest thing, and those will have to wait until I send a CD of the full-resolution pictures for Jody to post for everyone. It was just that good. In any case, you can for now check out two maps for days one and part of day two before the GPS batteries died. What follows are a few more of my thoughts on the experience, and what lies ahead for me.