New Zealand 2008

South Island tour, west coast boating, Australian Open

Charlotte, Larue, and Summer in Christchurch Christchurch Botanical Gardens Charlotte with the right-hand drive The pancake rocks at Punakaiki New Year's Eve The beach at Punakaiki The Tasman Sea and the last sunset of 2007 Pancake rocks The Tasman Sea Rocks and ice from the recent glacial melt Franz-Josef glacier Apparently a dangerous place Seracs of the Fox glacier Aoraki (Mt. Cook) and Mt. Tasman reflecting off Murchison Lake An evening hike at Murchison Lake The wild and wet west coast and lush vegetation The gates of Haast Near Wanaka Near Mount Aspiring Charlotte on a swinging bridge Wind and water in the Rob Roy valley Near the Rob Roy glacier Below a mountain of ice Kea (mountain parrot), not very shy Ferns Beautiful valley near Wanaka New Zealand traffic jam Driving towards Milford Lupines near Milford Sound Charlotte's paradise Hollyford River Near the pass to Milford Sound Rainbow at the Chasm Mitre Peak Eric H, Charlotte, and Jack Charlotte imitates the mountains Hiking towards Key Summit Sun setting over the mountains A cold dinner at Key Summit In the tarns at Key Summit The clearest night A bus that didn't make it (the people survived) Milford Sound A birthday cruise at Milford and into the Tasman Sea A rare Kiwi bird, the only one we saw on the whole trip Wind-sculpted trees, the weather here is not always this good The south coast Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa The southern tip of the south island Petrified forest exposed by the waves A rare yellow penguin at nest The perfect campsite Eric H at camp in the Caitlins Porpoise Bay Hiking in the Caitlins Sometimes you should just stand back Nugget point, with sea lions below Sea cliff and kelp forest The Moaraki boulders near Dunedin on the Pacific coast Rock or egg? Justin V The Styx The Styx River, after a long hike up Vietnam flashbacks Eric tries to teach Bruce how to fly The Whitcombe River (it's bigger than it looks) Bruce's rig No turning back when the chopper leaves Whitcombe River Stuart C Stuart Caldwell on the Whitcombe Ben Ledewitz dealing with some juice Stuart Ben Collier's Gorge on the Whitcombe JV, must have done something good Scarecrows Taking the load up to the Arahura Arahura put-in The perfect river Eric H on the Arahura Arahura Stewart C Near the entrance to Cesspool gorge, much prettier than it's name Trying to scout an unscoutable rapid in the gorge Eric just below the blind drop in Cesspool gorge (luckily it's just class 4) Above the last drop in the gorge Last bit of the Arahura Justin Venable on a big drop at the beginning of an epic day (Kokatahi River) Justin V Stuart C finishing clean Cover shot, with a difficult bit just downstream, and a tight, tough portage A big drop (see Justin on the right for scale) Eric finishing the Carnage portage (it's better to stay in the water here) The secret instructions to the Kokatahi (don't run the 3rd and final gorge!) The 3rd gorge? No, but we counted 7, and finished under a crescent moon. Laying on the road eating chocolate after a hard day's work. A mellow gorge on the Whataroa Hanging out in Hokitika Castle Rocks near Arthur's Pass Self-portrait in Chinatown, Melbourne Australia Julie and me, the day before her match in the Australian Open Kangaroo at the Melbourne Zoo Julie, my parents, and me waiting for a train, and then back home