New Zealand Highlights

- going to the Fijordlands and an overnight cruise in the Milford Sound

- kayaking in the pouring rain w/ a seal swimming alongside

- the hot pools at Hamner Springs and self-drying swimsuit machines!

- 180 million year old petrified forest- secret caves in the middle of the Shire

- sheep, sheep, and more sheep - some which had beachfront property!

- picking up hitchiking grandmas from Holland and apple pickers from Paris

- hiking through Abel Tasman National Park

- magnum ice cream!

- Glowworm caves - awesome! 'glow mr.glowworm shimmer, shimmer!'

- singing in the omararu caves- going on a cavern swing through a gorge

- getting saved in the middle of nowhere b/c the battery died in the car!

- playing crazy party games at a campsite w/ a theatre troupe from Christchurch

- the amazing rainbows!!!!

- NZ McDonalds - over the top! McCafe's and subs and hungerbusters and twilight treats etc.

- the picturesque scenery of the Catlins

- the blue-green waters of the Tasman Sea

- being at the southern-most tip of the South Island of New Zealand and almost being blown away!

- scerenading a man in Dutch while he changed a tire in the dark!

- waterfalls, rainforests, craggy cliffs and coastlines, green rolling hills, etc. (BEAUTIFUL!)

- the hilarious bumper stickers, signs, and billboards

- the fairy-tale possibilities of Punakaiki "Pancake Rocks"

- jetboating in Queenstowne

- the beautiful gardens at Larnach Castle - and the road getting there! Oh my holy cow!

- whale-watching in Kaikoura, two sperm whales and 200-300 dolphins!

- sunsets on the coast- driving on the other side of the car on the other side of the road!

- watching the stars at night - brilliant! (seeing 6 shooting stars in one night!)