February 8th, 2012

SEE MOUNTAIN - check and double check

Acquire a tan - check

Get Aussie mates - check

Learn the language - check

Climb a mountain - check

Get sprayed by a waterfall - check

Bathe in a lake, pee on the forest ground, sleep five in a van, name said van (Boss, because it climbs hills like one and because it makes most of our decisions) - check

Get stopped by cattle crossing the road - check

Purchase aloe vera - check

HIt 100 on speedometer - check

Get passed by a tour bus - check

Get close enough to a waterfall to be sprayed by it - check

Meet a fellow Minnesotan (Duluthian, actually) - check

Learn what a "sound" is (as in Milford Sound)…still working on it

The adventures continue. The memorable moments that have happened since we've arrived in New Zealand have increased as we've progressed through the country (thanks to the Jucy van for part of that). The sceneries have gotten immensely better as we drive and increasingly harder to find words with which to describe them. 

Today we drove to Milford Sound (like an inlet from the ocean, only surrounded by mountains), which was about a 2 hour drive, but one of the least boring drives a person can take. The scenery can change in an instant, and often does. We went from rolling golden plains to deep green forests to rivers that are so blue they look like the water in a toilet bowl (you know, like when you attach those blue cleaners to the inside?) but sssoooooo deathly cold. There were numerous stops along the way, and we managed to run into our Aussie friends, unplanned, at more than a few of these stops. By the third or fourth I think both of us started to suspect we were being followed by the other. 

As we approached the Sound, we came upon a tunnel that went, downhill mind you, underneath a mountain. Oh and three quarters of their bridges and tunnels are one-ways, so you have to make sure no one is coming on the other side before you cross. With this bridge, in which the other end was so far away you couldn't see it, there were stoplights at either side to monitor traffic. We dove headfirst into the tunnel and found out it was all downhill, which worried all of us because, even though Boss has been there for us so far, it made sounds like an impending explosion each time we tried to chug up the hill. 

Being a poor traveler - all food tastes incredible. Extremely satisfying was our lunch of crunchy, lukewarm ramen with frozen vegetables mixed in. Supper - macaroni and leftover veggies. Pretzels, hot chocolate, potato chips (or should I say crisps? Such an awkward word to say)