I've had several fun-filled days since my last update. I can't believe I've been in New Zealand for seven days already. It seems like we've been here for ages. I can't believe that just a week ago I was still in Sydney and just a couple of weeks ago I was up at the Great Barrier Reef. Becca and I were looking through Australia pictures a few hours ago and looking at the really old ones, like from orientation, was so bizarre. In some ways, it seems like it was only yesterday that we were in Sorrento - I can still remember everything so vividly. But on the other hand, so much has happened since then, and it seems like it's been much longer than four and a half months. But back to New Zealand...

Driving to Fox Glacier the day before our tour turned out to be a good idea and we were able to go on the glacier hike the next day. When we arrived at the tour lodge, we were suited up with waterproof pants, rain jackets, hats, mittens, thick socks and what we thought were waterproof boots. We had a steamy uphill hike to the glacier itself before we strapped on our crampons and climbed onto the ice. The ice was surprisingly easy to walk on and the crampons were easy to get used to.

The guides lead us around the glacier for several hours pointing out interesting features and taking us through small crevasses. There was one moulin (tunnel carved by water) that we were able to slide through, which was fun. Most of the time we were up on the glacier it was raining, and we soon discovered that our boots were not waterproof.

For lunch we sat in a circle with a parachute pulled over and behind us to make a tent-like shelter from the rain. The tent got nice and toasty, and it was a struggle to get back out into the elements. Although incredibly wet and cold, the experience was fantastic!

The Fox Glacier is pretty unique because it is an advancing glacier and because it is advancing so rapidly. The only two advancing glaciers in New Zealand are the Fox Glacier and the Franz Josef Glacier and the Fox Glacier is advancing at a rate of one meter a day. The guides remarked that the quick pace makes it an interesting place to work because the features and walkable routes are constantly changing. My pictures couldn't quite capture it, but everywhere you could see the deep blue color that glaciers are famous for.

Naturally, the evening was spent warming up, relaxing and cooking ourselves a delightful meal. Becca and I have embraced the backpacker lifestyle and have thus adopted backpacker eating habits. Last night was our first non-pasta dinner. We've definitely improved each meal and have gotten slightly more adventurous in the kitchen. The first night we only had buttered noodles, but by the night of the glacier hike, we had a creamy chicken and noodle casserole thing plus green beans. So fancy.

Enough about our eating habits. The next day we made the long trek from Fox Glacier to Queenstown. By far the most scenic day that we had had thus far. We had a quick and easy drive up to Haast. From there, we would need to go through the Haast Pass, which was supposed to be the trickiest part of our drive in New Zealand. The night before at our hostel, we heard a guy on the phone who had been forced to spend the night at Fox Glacier because he couldn't get through the pass to Queenstown. We were more than a bit nervous.

I was behind the wheel because Becca is from Texas and that clearly makes me the winter driving expert ... right. The signs before the climb all say that carrying snow chains was essential, so we waited anxiously for the road conditions to deteriorate. Fortunately, they never did. Except for a whole lot of grit they put down and MAYBE a little slush, the road was fine.

The rest of the drive was absolutely gorgeous. Lakes surrounded by snow-topped mountains, rolling hills dotted with sheep, lush valleys ... gorgeous. After quite a few stops (including Puzzleing World and Arrowtown), we eventually rolled into Queenstown.

I don't want to be a downer, but I can't help but feel like Queenstown is a bit overrated. When talking to Australians about where to go in New Zealand, the first thing everyone always says is, "Ohh! Go to Queenstown!" Maybe that's because the only place in New Zealand they've ever gone is Queenstown? Queenstown is a big place for skiing in the winter and for "adventure activities" (like skydiving and bungee jumping) year-round. The area itself is gorgeous - the town is on a lake and is surrounded by mountains - but the town ... not so much. We were a little overwhelmed when we first got there because it is a legitimate town and in front of us were more people and more cars than we had encountered our entire time in the country.

We arrived at our hostel fairly late in the evening, but were still able to get fitted for equipment for our skiing adventure the next day. Bright and early we were up and on the slopes at Coronet Peak, the only of the area's ski resorts open. Earlier this winter the area had a decent amount of snow and the slopes were able to open early, but then it warmed up and they were closed until just a few days ago. When we were there, there wasn't a ton of snow, but enough.

The skiing was fantastic and the slopes provided constant views of the valley below, the lake and snow-topped mountains. It was an incredible day. Unfortunately, because of our little mishap with the snow at Franz Josef, we were a day behind our original itinerary and had to cancel the reservations for what was to be our first night in Queenstown. Because that day was the start of the winter festival in Queenstown, everywhere was booked and we decided to head a few hours further south to Te Anau. Our entire drive was in the dark in the middle of nowhere, so at one point we pulled off the road to enjoy the awesomeness of the star-filled night sky.

So that brings us to today. Today we were up and on the road to Milford Sound. Te Anau sits on the edge of Fiordland National Park, which makes up much of the southwest corner of the south island. The deep fiords that cut into the coast are glacial valleys that have filled with water. On the drive out to Milford Sound, we made stops and went on multiple little walks. Highlights include Mistletoe Lake, The Chasm, Mirror Lake, The Homer Tunnel and a marker for 45 degrees south latitude.

Shortly after coming out of the Homer Tunnel we saw a car pulled off the road in a pull-off bay near some crazy switchbacks. There was a guy standing there with the door open and he motioned at us to pull off. Becca started freaking out urging me to pull off so we could look at the bird. What bird? I wasn't looking at the man or for a bird; I was trying to navigate said crazy switchbacks.

I pull in and instantly see why she was freaking out. Sitting on the top of the man's car is a kea, an alpine parrot unique to the area (about the size of a Macaw). Becca lowers her window to take a picture and as soon as she does, the kea flies to our car and lands on the mirror right by Becca's window. He was certainly inquisitive and kept bending forward and peering into the window. I'm sure if we had let it, it would have hopped right in the car with us. He spent quite some time on our car, on our hood, at my window, chewing at the rubber around the windshield, but finally we had to say goodbye.

Milford Sound was gorgeous (have I used that word enough in this post?) and we had a delightful picnic lunch on the water. On the drive back we took a detour to Gunn's Hollyford Camp, which was a fun little stop.

We had a few hours at the hostel to warm up and make a quick meal before heading out again, this time for a tour of glowworm caves. A boat took us to the entrance of a cave system and from there we walked through the caves above rivers and around waterfalls. The part of the cave we were in was quite young and was still being formed by the rushing water. The cave is so young that there are no stalagmites and only one tiny stalactite about half the size of my pinky.

At the end of the walking path, we boarded a tiny skiff and moved through the darkness into glowworm grotto. The walls and ceiling of this part of the cave were covered in glowworms, each of which emits a tiny glowing blue light from its backside. The glowworms each hang dozens of sticky threads (like spider web thread) around a section of the cave wall and attract insects to them with their lights. It was an amazing sight.

So the next two days we'll be traveling around the southern coast and heading up the east coast to Dunedin. The weather away from the west coast should (hopefully) be a little less dramatic. We've been hearing a lot about the "westerlies" which have been causing a lot of the weather for us. We are quite far south and the wind (the roaring forties) is not obstructed by land for quite a ways around the globe, so a bunch of moisture builds up and is then dumped onto the south island.

But anyway, enough fun. I'm off to bed!