New Zealand: South Island part 2

Although I couldn't get over how breathtaking Mt. Cook was, Sam had more of New Zealand to show me and so the South Island Adventures continued. We headed north west of Christchurch, towards Arthur's Pass. Being kids at heart we were excited to explore Castle Hill, a collection of GIANT rocks protruding from the hills and valleys just waiting to be climbed on; which is exactly what we did. Sam and I took to the rocks and went up and down and in between all the rocks. I asked myself multiple times why I kept photographing rocks but each one seemed unique and special so I kept shooting away.

We ate a snack and drove a quick bit away to the intriguing Cave Stream. It is exactly what it sounds like, a stream in a cave...that you can walk through if you dare. And by walk, it means wade/swim through the frigid waters from one end to the other. We sat in the parking lot debating whether or not to embark upon this chilly endeavor but with dry towels waiting for us and headlamps on we headed in. The sign warns of local flora and fauna, aka bugs and good thing since we almost put our hands on a few spiders and met a marsupial friend near the end who was clearly confused as to why he/she was in a cave and couldn't get out. Looking back, going through Cave Stream was the true highlight of my time in New Zealand, partially because it was so cool! and partly because I pushed myself out of my comfort zone to experience something completely new with one of my best friends.

The beauty of New Zealand continued to unfold and showcase itself as Sam and I explored more areas on day trips. One day we drove to Akaroa to taste some yummy cheese and delicious fudge and hike around more. Around Christchurch we did a few more hikes and also woke up at 4am one day to watch the All Blacks play in the Rugby World Cup semifinal game. I am now a bandwagon All Blacks fan since it was the only rugby I have seen and since they won it seems like I picked the best team! I tried fairy bread (buttered white bread with sprinkles (called 100s and 1000s)) which is apparently a staple treat at children's birthday parties in NZ and Australia.

During my stay I got to meet Sam's roommate from America, Taylor and we were lucky enough to hang out with her while we visited some wineries and the beach during my final days in NZ. New Zealand has famous wineries in the Waipara Valley which wasn't too far from us and it was great to have Matt as designated driver so us girls could taste at three (four?) different wineries that day. We treated ourselves to those yummy fermented grapes and then went home to finish the day by laughing uncontrollably while watching Miranda (only the greatest, funniest British TV show that ever was because Miranda Hart is a champion!). My very last day we drove to Sumner Beach and enjoyed a day of water, sand, sun, and ice cream. It was sad to leave but I was excited about the next part of my Southern Hemisphere Adventure, going to and living in (and fingers crossed working in) Australia!

Inspiration to continue on with excitement.