I have travelled the world and seen wild and beautiful things. I have gone with fine companies. However, I have never had such service from a company as active adventures. From the moment I requested information and got a quick personal telephone reply till the very end of my trip, I knew I had made the right decision. I remember when I talked to a young woman on the phone who answered all of my questions and before hanging up she told me he was off "to walk her small dog Pippy(?)" - I think that kind of realness sold me. So thank you whoever that was! Lynette was so friendly as well as very helpful and I hope she found some good snow in Mammoth as well as had a good time at Disneyland. Now on to my guides; Sarah and Huw. You could not have asked for better. I am vegan although I told Sarah vegetarian would do. And how well she did that! she was so attentive to the small things such as giving me only dark chocolate in my treat bag instead of milk chocolate. She is incredibly bright and efficient. After carrying a monster pack in the rain up 3000 feet, she and huw cooked us a fabulous dinner. Sarah will go far and will be able to do anything she wants when she puts her mind to it. Huw was the perfect counterpart for Sarah. You always felt safe on the road with him and knew he would do his best to show you the wonderful sights. But... the best was his storytelling! He could weave a wonderful tale and make you feel like a kid again waiting for the ending. They maintained a total air of professionalism even though they are young and in a relationship. They complimented each other so well and worked perfectly together. Both of them went out of their way to make our trip a true lifetime experience. I had my birthday there and they created a party I will not forget with champagne, dark chocolate and cake. Again, attention to detail! By the way, I loved my party hat and wore it on our Routeburn hike. So you may have noticed I have not spoken too much of New Zealand itself. I think you all know what a beautiful country you live and work in. It fulfilled all of my expectations for its beauty and excitement. However, it is the people that really make a difference. Everyone we met wanted to make sure we had a good time. You all sure are a friendly bunch! So thank you for a never to be forgotten trip, from the backpacking in rain and snow up 3000 ft to kayaking in the fabulous Milford Sound to my first helicopter ride and an adventure-filled glacier hike. Thank you for all the wonderful places we stayed, for "Jean" our super bus, for delicious food, incredible guides and your beautiful kiwi attitude. The world could take a lesson from you. Blessings on all of you. Linda Glazier

| January 1970