Getting to the south perked me right up

I was dragging a lot today. I woke up in Christchurch and had several hours to wander around. It's a really cute little city, and I could see a few days there being fun. I enjoyed wandering around the rather European setting.



I also had breakfast (what's on top of the eggs is what they call "bacon" here):


And I stocked up on some gear for my big hike tomorrow. Mmmm, merino...

After that I was off to the airport, forgetting that in such a tiny place, you don't need much time. I didn't even have to go through security to get on my little plane to Queenstown! So I was feeling slow and tired, and then I started to see the view (even with all of the clouds) as we approached the Queenstown area:


And then we landed, and without even leaving the airport it was gorgeous:


I then caught the bus to Te Anau (where pretty much all trips to the Milford Track start), and that was over 2 hours of gorgeous scenery, even with the clouds and rain. I felt much more energized with that ride. Also, I got to see tons of farms with many many sheep (I think we're in merino country here), lots of cows, and tons of red deer!







I made it to my little lodge, and this is my view when I step out of my door. Again, crap weather, but still amazing.


So tomorrow is the big hike on the Milford Track, one of the most beautiful hiking trails in the world, apparently, though that's taking a 4-5 day trip and I'm just doing a "taster" day. I'm feeling a bit low on energy, and I think it will be chilly and raining all day tomorrow, but I'm still kind of excited. Especially since I have some new merino layers, and some new hiking pants! But in order to enjoy it, I better get some extra sleep. G'night!

Oh, and the bruise from kayaking? It's ugly!