Everyone else is doing it

That's me yesterday, 2518 meters up, on top of the most climbed mountain (volcano) in New Zealand. I'm not sure why it is the most climbed, although on a good day you can see the lovely Tongiraro in the distance as well as the beautiful coastline. I had the pleasure of seeing all of that and the countryside below. The hike up was grueling at times and included a rock scree, which involved taking two steps and slipping one so that it was an arduous climb at times.

There was a fellow, who lives in the area, that was climbing the mountain for the 71st time. Every good day, he goes for it. About 12 of us were making the treck this particular day.

The Maori legend of the volcano can be read here. It is interesting to learn about the legends of the Maori. Some are so descriptive to the lay of the land and were used for navigational purposes. Actually, Taranaki is sacred to them and they would prefer people not climb it. Given that it is the most climbed mountain in the country, the fact seems a bit unadvertised. There were no signs at the trailhead, although the lonely planet mentions it. Although it is not my intention to desicrate their holy sites, I did love the views from the top.

Deep Thoughts

What has my life become when I know the happy hour for the internet cafe and not the pubs?

Where is New Zealand anyway?

The country has made it onto the map, or I should say the globe. Universal Studios backed down and is making a plate of New Zealand to put on their globe at the California theme park.

New Zealand is commonly referred to as two islands but it really has three main islands. When I heard about NZ getting put on the globe, the newscaster actually said something to the effect of "No one knows whether Stewart Island will be included. You'll have to put together your own petition." I thought that was a bit harsh.

The Final Sweep

I'm on the final look through the south island and making attempts to see all those things that have been on my 'must see' list. Of course I keep talking to more people and there are more things on that list. Somethings will end up being missed. For such a small country, New Zealand has an unbelievable amount of things to see. I think it has to do with the crazy variations in landscape. You can roam from the Southern Alps, to the eastern plains and up to the Marlborough Sounds in a few short day trips.

This photo is from when Eri and I went over to Milford Sound. They were created by glaciers umpteen years ago (the true definition of a sound) and this is the famous Mitre Peak. We went on a beautiful cruise through the sound. Sometimes you get to see great wildlife, but we weren't that lucky. The wildlife that joined us was the annoying kind - the new zealand sandfly. Actually, Milford is supposed to be the quickest place to get bit by the most annoying insect ever - less than 1.0 second!