Allan says that he's pretty sure New Zealand has been professionally landscaped. The roadsides are perfectly manicured, with just the right balance of green grass and wildflowers. The grassy pastures are dotted with white sheep and a diverse collection of cows, deer, and goats, rolling in gentle hills up to the beautiful and tidily-planted forests. The kilometers of fences range from picturesque ratty old wood to creative new fencing materials that, even in their newness, blend in and look perfect for the setting. Huge old trees are perfectly placed in the landscape, towering over lush fern forests. Even the dead trees that look like craggy old sticks seem intentional, sculptural. I'd like to say that I'm exaggerating a bit for literary effect, but I'm not.

Right now we're sitting on a grassy bluff over a wild beach, bundled in warm clothes under a cloudy sky, surrounded by little yellow flowers which hum with happy furry bumble bees. We took a walk on the beach this morning with Michael and Gloria, and it was a slice of heaven for me. I love the geology of this Earth, and I've always been fascinated with rocks. Anyone who knows me knows I decorate my house and yard with bowls of rocks collected from around the world, and when we fly back to the States in a few weeks, I won't be kidding when I say my bags are so heavy because I carry my rock collection with me. This beach has amazing rock formations full of bubbles and gorgeous geometric shapes, layered in rich, earthy colors, filled with little pools of water at low tide. We had a stunning walk along the low rocky cliffs, then clambered up the thick grassy slope to a cow pasture above the campground. Choosing to dodge the cow patties in the pasture rather than be marred and scratched by the thistles, we climbed the low barbed-wire fence and did a little polite trespassing on Farmer Somebody's land. The cows didn't seem to mind, and soon enough we found a way back down to the beach, although it entailed a few missteps into a muddy bog, and Gloria and I returned with pretty mucky hiking shoes.

Backing up some: We spent 2 nights in Te Anau, south of Milford Sound, and one night at the Milford Sound Lodge. Not actually IN the lodge, but in it's "camp ground" which is actually a parking lot with power poles to plug into for the inflated price of $44 per night, but it's all about Location etc., and that, it has. We made a few stops on the drive up from Te Anau to Milford, and took one especially memorable walk through a fairyland forest at the bottom of Gunn Lake, arriving at the lodge in the late afternoon. Milford Lodge is not a fancy place, rather, it's a big hostel, motel and sort-of camp. We spent the rainy afternoon in the lodge community room, where Michael, Gloria, and Allan played a German board game while I watched. Packed with couches, beanbag chairs, and tables around the edges, and largely populated (as is the entire lodge) by a crowd of hikers and campers in their mid-20's, the big room was a cheery place to while away the damp hours.

The next morning we met at 8:15 for our Milford Sound kayak trip with Roscoe's Kayaks, and overall, had a beautiful morning on the lake. It was unusually calm, according to our guide Whitey, a cool, cloudy morning with occasional light rain. We lolled about at a very leisurely pace for a few hours and enjoyed the stunning sheer walls and beautiful waterfalls of Milford Sound, which, by the way, is actually a fiord. Allan and I decided to cancel our second night in the Milford parking lot and head back to Te Anau, and Michael and Gloria stayed and opted for a boat tour of the Sound. The afternoon rains brought a ton of little waterfalls throughout the Sound, a stunning sight according to all who have seen it, and a brief one as well -- as soon as the rains abate, the falls do as well. So M & G were treated to a fantastic display and we enjoyed hearing about it the next day.

We left Te Anau the next day and had a nice drive around the bottom tip of the South Island, with a stop in Invercargill for supplies, gas, and a non-stick frying pan. Decided to pass on the day trip to Stewart Island in favor of some penguin and albatross-viewing opportunities to come on the east coast.
Yesterday we did some speed-tourism, packing in short walks and hikes to three local natural attractions: the McLean Falls, a nice hike up a well-tended path (they all are, around here) to a beautiful waterfall with a well-constructed and maintained lookout, also very common. Then, we moved up the road a bit to the Cathedral Caves on Waipati Beach, which were a lot of fun. The caves are only accessed at low tide, and only by crossing private land, which is owned by a small group of Maori. According to the ranger in the parking lot, the owners choose to keep access to the caves available rather than selling the land, which is apparently loaded with coveted trees that could bring them millions of dollars. The fee is $5 per person, and the money supports the 300 Maori, as well as going toward maintaining the road and the long, steep path down to the beach.

After having a great time on the beach and in the caves, we moved on to Purakaunui Falls, also lovely, but by then we were getting numb to all the staggering beauty and had to call it quits. So we bumped our way down a dirt road for 9 km to this rural DOC (Department of Conservation) campground, a measly $6 per site, where the sites (for once) aren't defined. We snagged a spot on the bluff as I mentioned, and here we are. We had a really chilly night, sleeping in thermals and under all the blankets we have, including our $5 sleeping bag that I got at an Op Shop. Gloria and Michael have moved on to some new adventure, and we have opted to stay for the day, writing, reading, waiting for low tide again so I can have another awe-inspiring walk on this rocky beach. We'll head for Nugget Point this afternoon, and hope to catch a glimpse of the rare yellow-eyed penguins and maybe some blue penguins as well.

We're not in phone or Internet contact here on this bluff, and it will be later today before I can post this and get any updates on the situation in Christchurch, but we are thinking it might be best to avoid that area on this trip, we'll see. First we have a jaunt into the mountains to visit Mt. Cook and the Sir Edmund Hillary Museum, and maybe a stop at the observatory at Lake Tekapo, which we hear has killer carrot cake.