Our recent Rimu adventure allowed us to cross one off of our bucket list. We originally thought that we could visit New Zealand and Australia in the same trip. After looking at the tour itineraries on the Active NZ web site, it became obvious that there was too much to do in just New Zealand for one visit. Friends of ours in Nashville, Tennessee, were organizing a trip and had decided on the Rimu. It sounded perfect, and we immediately decided to join in. They were doing a stopover in Tahiti, which also happened to be on our bucket list... perfect! We got out of Michigan just before a snowstorm arrived, but our Nashville friends were not so lucky. Their plane was delayed by an ice storm (in Texas, of all places) and they arrived a day late in Tahiti, but were able to make the flight to NZ. Kate and Amanda met us at the Christchurch Airport, and we were off. We had many challenging activities, but our group was always up for it. The weather challenged us a bit too, but remarkably the trip was minimally affected. Our three-day kayak in the Malborough Sounds ended up a two day as severe winds came through the sound. We were able to substitute an amazing hike on Day 2 and that night capped it off with some play time with 'phosphorescence' in the bay, and Glowworms in the forest. Wow! On Day 5, torrential rains (60 cm or around 24 inches!) fell overnight to our south, washing out the Wanganui River bridge, blocking our route to Okarito. Active came up with a novel solution. They hired a pilot and Cessna to fly our group and luggage across to another airport south of the bridge. On the return flights a stranded Southbound Rimu group was ferried back, after which we swapped tour buses. This allowed both groups to continue on their way - thanks Jon! After a couple more great days of hiking and kayaking, it was time to head to the Franz Josef Glacier. Luckily the wind had dried the trail enough to hike all of the way to a glacier overlook. What a view! Next it was on our way to Queenstown with an epic mountain bike ride in between. The layover day in Queenstown provided some well needed rest, along with some fantastic meals. Can you say 'Fergburger'? The weather came into play again as we were preparing to drive to Milford Sound. A second major rainstorm came through and the road was closed out of concern for landslides. Kate and Amanda did everything possible to work around this obstacle, but it was not to be. It just means we'll need to return to see Milford Sound another time. The weather gods smiled on us for the last stop though. We stopped along Lake Pukaki on the way into Braemar Station. We were blessed with an unbelievable view of Mount Cook and the surrounding peaks, with the glacial blue waters of the lake in front. Amazing! The sheep farm was the icing on the cake. What a way to wrap up a fantastic two weeks of adventure. We couldn't have had a better time - the guidance of our trip leaders Kate and Amanda, including the preparation of most of our awesome, varied meals. The graciousness of our many hosts at our overnight stops. The friendliness of the local Kiwis, and who could forget the variety of tasty NZ beers. The list goes on. Highly recommended to anyone considering a true New Zealand adventure.

| October 4000