New Zealand

 South Island New Zealand

 It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.  Actually in the most fantastic part of the world - nothing but pristine beauty. The only planned approach for this unique and pure country was to do as many 'Great Walks' as possible... and we did. Great Walks are a registry of the most incredible 1 - 5 day treks on this planet, and New Zealand holds 9 of these incredible expeditions. What further came out of the adventure was a journey through coastlines, possum covered forest areas, golum's many caves, glow worms, glaciers and a Fiordland. The whole South Island is your outdoor playground.

 Wild Experiences

West Coast Abel Tasmen, Heaphy, Keplar Tramps

 You know it's going to be good when the locals have a special name for it... Tramping - trek hard into the wilderness with some 'scroggin' all provisions, food and sleep inclusive and you push hard for 3-5 days at a time.

The Heaphy brought us up to 1500 meters the first day, then the following 3 days gently brought us further down gradually through the most incredible mountain top landscapes, finishing off at the Heaphy Hut where the Great Tasman Sea collides with the West Coast of New Zealand, carving out a giant mouth into the cliffs base.

The Abel Tasman also blew me away, at one time the tide rushed out at such a speed that all one foot crabs were left scurrying amongst our feet... 1000's of them, only to lead to an evening filled with glow worm caves and being corned by over 100 possums. There are also backcountry huts which are conveniently located, comfortable, well-equipped, and high capacity. Many of the Great Walks have booking systems to manage visitor pressure. 

Middle of South Island Fox and Franz Josef Glacier

Joining forces with 'Ze Germans' that were befriended during the Heaphy 5 Day Trek we set off for the Glaciers... they are some of the fastest receding (melting) glaciers in the world and what an incredible site - you must see them, and if possible fly yourself via helicopter ontop of them and with ice shows trek across for the day. You can actually hear and feel the ice shifting while you trod the other worldy terrain.

South of South Island Fiordland

Home to the majestic mountains made famous internationally through the Lord of the Rings, This southern most tip of New Zealand provides an incredible landscape - mountain cliffs carved out by glaciers creating a land of Fiords... stunning. Milford Sound is the gateway to this precious land, by plane or by boat is the best way to get right into the heart of this magical place. Cliffs jut straight out of the ocean water, creating 1000's of waterfalls flowing, with glacier water so clean and pure that you can drink it straight from the stream.                                                                  

Religion

The people here are growing more and more secular - particularly apatheist which means they don't regard religion as something that applies to our current lives, roughly a third of the population has evolved into this mindset. After the European colonization New Zealand was largely converted to Christianity which suppressed the established Maori religion predominant throughout the country. The Maori's were fought and divided into settlements similar to all other European take overs of countries, though with a strong Democracy including all people within New Zealand movement has been made to compensate and restore the land to the rightful first inhabitants, the Maori live strong and free here in New Zealand. 

Transportation

This isn't Southeast Asia!! Travel and lodging here is much more expensive than many places on the planet. Therefore strong budgeting and shopping will help you stretch the dollar as far as possible. One way bus tickets are the best option to explore the country side, allowing for plans to always change... another great option that many choose is to purchase or rent a campervan and jam it full of people you pick up along the way! Another great adventure in the making. In town resort to public transportation as it is efficient green and cheap.

Money

The cost of living on this incredible island far far away from ay other civilization and closest to Antarctic is much higher, and you can expect prices to be 1.5 - 2x higher than in Canada, The currency exchange of $1 CAD - $1.3 NZD helps the situation out though it can still get quite expensive, eg. $25 for a tent spot for a night!

ATM's are accessible everywhere and debit/credit machines as well, New Zealand is fully integrated into the Western insanity of interconnectedness and consumption :)