46 kilometers on the Abel Tasman Track

by | Apr 20, 2015 | New Zealand

Dustie and I did our first solo great walk a few weeks ago called the Abel Tasman track. This is a gorgeous trail in the Tasman region of the south island that to me was just a perfect hike; there were tidal crossings that we needed to wade through ankle-deep water (or rather, we were fording a formidable river), swing bridges over rivers, beach campsites perfect for watching sun and moon rise, golden bays, bright blue waters, and stunning coastal vistas around every bend. The trail was just challenging enough to feel like I had accomplished something, but not so much that I was cranky and exhausted. It was practically perfect, and I look forward to returning to New Zealand to do it again.

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Hobbiton

by | Apr 13, 2015 | Uncategorized

As we made our way south for our first great walk (Tongariro Northern Circuit) Katie and I went to Matamata to visit the Hobbiton Movie Set, which is at the Alexander family farm. As you’ll see in the photos, the set consists of 44 hobbit holes of various sizes to enable the filmmakers to capture the magic and bring J.R.R. Tolkien’s story to life.

The effort put forth by Peter Jackson and his team demonstrates how far filmmakers will go to ensure that no detail is overlooked; nothing was too small to be worthwhile in creating a realistic and believable Hobbiton.

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A Lemonade Day

by | Apr 12, 2015 | Uncategorized

We set off this morning with high hopes. Or rather I had very optimistic expectations, despite the drizzling rain; Dustin was slightly more realistic. The clouds looked much higher than they did yesterday, and I was nearly certain that our hike of the Franz Josef Glacier would go off without a hitch. It looked like there was plenty of visibility for the helicopters to safely take off and land on the glacier, depositing us in an exotic world of ice to explore for several hours.

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