PHOTO DIARY - NEW ZEALAND HIKING - FEB 6 TO FEB 22, 2004 |
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It's happened too often to be coincidence. People with disparate backgrounds but a love of the outdoors meet and bond forming a temporary family. Whether a small group of 16 on our Active New Zealand journey or as many as 50 on the Milford Track Guided Walk the outcome has been the same.
A combination of an overnight delay in Los Angeles and going west as the sun traveled east put me at the Heritage Hotel in Christchurch, NZ, around midnight Sunday. After breakfast Monday morning I joined a milling crowd of travelers in front of the hotel were I was assigned to the southbound Manuka. Three additional Active New Zealand trip formed as well, a second Manuka and two Rimu's, one of each pair going south, clockwise, around the South Island while the other headed North.
After collecting Tim and Karen at the Christchurch airport we left for Tekapo and our first hike and evening meal together.
I'm on the second leg here of the Milford Track at Margaret Falls on the Roaring Burn River. Combine a beautiful view and a resident Kea and you want to stay. Around the corner though is likely an even more stunning scene.
Tekapo - The Southern Alps | Mt. Cook - Hooker Trail | Ohau To Queenstown |
Milford Track Days 1 & 2 | Milford Track Day 3 | Milford Track Day 4 |
Courtesy Of Jamie & Judy | ||
Milford Sound | Makarora | The West Coast & Tasman Sea |
© J. Geary - 2004 | Courtesy Of Jamie & Judy |
Flora & Fauna | Companions |