I feel lucky to have chosen Active Adventures for my trekking on the South Island. The trip was everything it was advertised to be. I can't say enough about the professionalism of our guides, Sally and Dan. They were faced with shepherding a diverse group of people of various ages, personalities, and levels of physical fitness through some challenging activities and they did so with competence and unfailing good natures. When the weather presented problems and forced some adjustments they responded with flexibility and creativity and saw to it that there was no wasted down time. I think my favorite day was the one when we kayaked in a white heron nature preserve in the morning, hiked to a mountain vista at mid-day, and then took a helicopter to the Franz Joseph glacier in the afternoon and marveled at the incredible color of the light in an ice cave, after which we enjoyed a very satisfying Kiwi dinner and I, for one, savored a local beer (or three) with a deep sense of satisfaction. What a day. A close second for a favorite was day two of the three day hike of the Angelus Circuit. Yes, the going was rough at times and the pack seemed to get heavier as we went along and my feet hurt-prompting the observation that it was the hardest work I've ever paid to do- but the reward of getting to the Hut and wading into the clear mountain lake to take in the views was worth it. After some intensely physical days, passive viewing was just what was called for. When the weather made a visit to Milford Sound impossible, Dan and Sally adjusted and lead to a boat trip through Doubtful Sound. Some locals had told me that they favored Doubtful over Milford, and I can see why. It was one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. After that peaceful interlude, the carnival of activities available at Queenstown was right on the mark to kick the adrenaline level back up again. Several in our group chose bungy jumping. I went canyoning. It was my first time and now I want to go back and go over even bigger waterfalls. I now know how a goldfish feels when its journey ends by being flushed away. It's a thrill- if you're not a fish.
Finally, spending two nights at the Braemar Sheep Station was special. The lakeside views of the mountain range surrounding majestic Aoraki/Mount Cook and treat of watching the dogs expertly work the sheep across the rolling fields underscored that I was not in Indiana anymore. There were several other activities and locations that would justify a longer review but I'll just repeat that there was no wasted time, which is saying a lot for a two week trip. Again, I credit Dan and Sally for that. No doubt they had a lot of help from the others at Active Adventures, all of whom I found to be unfailingly friendly and helpful. They all contributed to forming my impression of Kiwis as some of the best folks there are to be found. I'll post pictures.

| January 1970