South Island, New Zealand February 2005 Katherine Ihli and Glen Liston

We rented a campervan to travel and sleep in.

With a nice bed, stove, sink, toilet, and shower.

The landscapes were beautiful and varied.

Glen goes for a hike the day before Katherine arrives in New Zealand.

Kea birds (a kind of mountain parrot).

The South Island’s northern coast.

Forestry Operations

Salt-water baths in Motueka

The start of a 3-day sea-kayaking trip in Able Tasman National Park. Here we get our kayak and some general instructions from the kayak rental company.

Out to sea.

Nice, sandy beaches.

Our first camp site.

Complete with picnic table.

And flush “outhouses”!

Drying out after 3 inches of rain in 4 hours (note the cups full of water!).

Paddling up to the seals on Tonga Island.

Pied Shags.

An aqua-taxi pickup on the third day.

Tying on the kayak.

Heading back after a wonderful kayak trip!

Pretty nice taxi service!

Now we head for the western coast/ocean.

And the Pancake Rocks (Punakaiki).

Then we are off to the Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers.

And farther south towards the Fiordland National Park.

Where they get as much as 12 feet (4 meters) of rain per year.

A hike/climb to Gertrude Saddle.

New Zealand Falcon

More Fiordlands rain forest.

And then we head out for Mount Cook National Park.

Lake color due to suspended glacial sediments.

Mount Cook

Mount Sefton

Looking down on our camp.

Mueller Hut

It was kind of windy!

And to Christchurch before we fly home.

Christchurch, New Zealand (the leaning tower of …)

The Botanical Gardens

The End