We always tagged Costa Rica as the "adventure hotspot" of our family journey. CR just got toppled. New Zealand, specifically South Island, proved to be quite the rush, even for Tom, the adrenaline addict of the bunch. Our dear dear friends, the Barkman Family, pulled their kids out of school and hopped a short flight from Philly to Auckland to tour NZ with the Zen crew. Jet lag? What's that? From the moment they landed, it was go go go! Hit the Auckland Museum for some Maori culture and history, shoot up to the top of the Sky Tower for dizzying heights, and then hike to Viaduct Marina to meet our cruising friends on s/v Dosia for dinner. Next stop, Christchurch and the 2 camper vans we rented for the week. By lunchtime, we were driving and the fun just kept on going, along with the beauty that flaunted itself at every curve in the road. As always, the photos really make the story come alive. They cover all the craziness of bungy jumping (only 3 nutcases in our group - Tom, Pete and Me - Darlene showed some restraint and acted like an intelligent parent figure), jet boating, gondolas, glaciers, mountain luge carts, swimming with dolphins and visiting Antarctica. That last item is a stretch, you'll see what I mean. I don't think we could have added anything else to our perfect vacation...well, maybe skydiving at 15,000 feet. Next time. Enjoy the photos and please share any stories you may have from South Island. What an amazing place.