Week 10. The end of my wonderful adventure to Australia and New Zealand. I left Kentucky naïve and inexperienced, having never traveled outside of the US. I returned with more great memories than I can even recall, a bunch of new friends from all over the globe, and an underlying confidence that everything is possible.
kentuckyfriedscott
current location : louisville, ky
Monthly Archives: April 2013
Wrap It Up!
Forgive me blog for I have sinned. It has been 11 days since my last submission.
A couple of posts ago I was in Wanaka, with plans to wrap up my NZ trip in Christchurch. The shuttle across the south island was fairly mundane, with the only real highlight being a view from afar of Mount Cook, the highest point in NZ at over 12,000 feet. When I planned my trip five weeks ago I was completely ignorant about a series of earthquakes that had rocked Christchurch in 2011, taking almost 200 lives. After learning about the earthquakes, and with an outbound flight already booked, I was curious to see how the rebuilding effort was going. I guess it takes a lot of money, manpower, and passion to rebuild from such a devastating event. I saw a large section of the city still fenced off but active work underway within its walls. I saw signs and banners that spoke to the passion of locals to reclaim their beloved city. I saw poignant memorials for those who were lost.
Week 9 Costs
Week 9 started with a HelpX stay in Queenstown and ended with a few days in a hostel in the city. I want to reiterate that these breakdowns are my best guesses. Everything charged to my credit card is accurately represented but I’m not anal enough to track cash down to the dollar so Dining and Groceries have some fudging going on (and chocolate, because I’m kind of in love with chocolate).
Milford Sound and Wanaka
Milford Sound, like Queenstown, was described to me as a must-visit when touring the south island of New Zealand. One local couple I met on a city bus described the Sound as the most beautiful place in all of the country. With so many incredible mountain views and landscapes I’m not sure how one could pick just a winner for that title but it certainly did not disappoint, even with less than perfect weather.
Week 8 Costs
Week 8 started in Wellington and continued with me heading down the west coast of the south island.
Week 7 Costs
Week 7 encompassed my trip around New Zealand’s north island on the Stray bus.
kentuckyfriedscott 