This was a trip I had begun dreaming about over forty years ago. The two weeks went so fast and were so much more than I had imagined. The scenery was spectacular: rain forests, mountains, pristine lakes, clear rivers, waterfalls, range land, rolling hills, farmland, the Tasman Sea! Just as your brochure explains but in person the scenery is so much more. Active Adventures deserves credit for making our two weeks such an awesome experience. Each day we were given a variety of choices so we could ride or hike as little or as much as we wanted and most of us rode! Then our outstanding guides, Nick and Elder had a few surprises along the way like Glow Worm Caves, Hokitika jade, real made-in-front-of-you fruit ice cream (from the fruit you pick), the Espresso Bomb trailor (NZ knows how to make great coffee!) and endless waterfalls! Since this is more of a bicycling tour it is not surprising my husband and I spent the weeks in a group of eleven equally enthusiastic bicyclists (with a wide range of skill levels and needs) being guided by Nick and Elder, extraordinarily talented cyclists, hikers, coaches and guides. Nick and Elder seemed to work round the clock making sure everything was perfect for all of us and much of our joy from this trip come from their unending efforts to make it the best for each of us. Nick kept us briefed on what was next, what the weather might be like (always carry an extra layer in NZ as it is so unpredictable!), and he made us all feel safe and relaxed as he drove the narrow roads in NZ. Thanks, Nick! Elder, as “tail-end Charlie†encouraged those of us who lagged behind often just wanting to stop and take more photos. Sometimes he aided by taking photos, giving us riding tips and other times he simply let us know we were doing fine and it was okay to go at a slower pace. For me this was critical as I have been involved in three separate accidents (two involving vehicles and one caused by another cyclist) and can become inexplicably anxious. Nick and Elder were both non-judgmental when I chose to ride in the van a few times. Other times I surprised myself (as well as them I think) by taking off and zooming ahead absorbed in the scenery. Nick and Elder, aka “brothers from different mothers†are terrific cooks (breakfast, lunch and dinner), wonderful guides to the local places (I’m drooling just thinking of the Arrowtown Bakery’s delicious pies), and wonderful about keeping our van stocked with fruit and nutritious bars as well as NZ treats (hokey pokey, pineapple lumps). They kept our van windows clean (so critical for great photos) and even fixed the noise (someone stored rocks in the overhead?). Elder and Nick helped identify what we were seeing, told us Maori tales, fed us information on NZ and answered our questions. There were also numerous books for us on NZ in the van. Nick even took the time to consult his grandfather on one question. We shared riddles and answered their quizzes. Elder brought in his own perspective as a native of Peru (where my husband had lived as a child) and a guide in Ecuador and Nepal. Our group really bonded and cheered for each other. Near the end of the trip we called the office to see about getting the entire group their own Weka bike jerseys and we were successful much to the amazement of Nick and Elder (who totally deserve a percentage of the sales). It is really due to their love of NZ, bicycling and people as well as the support of the entire Active Adventures staff that we all had such a great time and wanted the Weka jersey as a way to keep the memories of our trip alive. Thanks to the entire team at Active Adventures!

| January 1970