Hello from your adrenaline junkie!

It barely feels like I've been gone a week and yet I have done so much!!  We arrived at Franz Josef and climbed a glacier and went on a road trip from there to Queenstown with Ben where we then jumped off a cliff!  Our day at Franz Josef turned out to be a beautiful day, not too cold or windy.  After a hike through rainforest and across rocks, we finally made it to the base of the glacier.  We were only able to climb up a few hundred meters, but it was the coolest experience being able to walk past walls of ice!  The drive the next day took 6 hours but it actualy went by too fast because the scenery was just incredible.  Ben rented a car to come up from Dunedin so we got to cancel our bus and do a mini-road trip instead!  As soon as you got bored with one scene, it completely changed on you as we started among snow capped glaciers, transferred into mountain country, then autumn colors started showing up and finally lake country.  We were driving past huge blue lakes for almost an hour straight! We stopped by lake Wanaka for lunch and I was happy laying by the side of the shore for the rest of my life!  It's funny becasue the best parts of our trip have been the random things that happen.  Such as taking a walk down a path at night with a flashlight and discovering glow worms, or stopping to take a picture of the beautiful scenery and ending up getting attacked by sandfleas and having to vaccuum them out of the car.  We arrived in Queenstown late afternoon and walked around the town adn ate at this famous restaurant called Fergburgers!  Elizabeth and I split a Bacon and pineapple burger, and I was full for almost two days!  Now, let's get to the point: I jumped off 109 meter cliff and freefell for 60 meters, TWICE!  The first time, Elizabeth and I jumped tandem, and then we each got to do it by ourselves.  Only this time, we went backwards!!!!  There's video proof :)  Anyways, I am out of internet credit, but on facebook I just uploaded about 30 pictures! Go check them out :)  I will get back on later tongiht to upload the pics, love you all!! and I'm buying souveniors ;)

the adventure has begun!

Kia Ora from the Auckland Airport :) We spent yesterday and today walking around Auckland and had our first experience at a hostel!  Today we found an almost all day harbour tour for only $30!  We got to see Auckland from the water and then hike around one of the many gorgous isalnds along the bay.  When we returned, it was just in time to miss the rain and see the most incredible rainbow!  It's hard to believe that in two days I will be hiking a glacier and that only a week later I will be on the beaches of Australia!  Thanks to Elizabeth's and mine great planning everything is coming off without a hitch!  We are racking up the souveniers and postcards, so stay on my good side if you want the good stuff!  Hopefully the next few hostels will have skype abilities becasue I am looking forward to seeing everybody's faces and telling you all about my crazy experiences!  Well I am off to pass through security, wish me luck :) love and hugs, megan

http://rainforestbackpackers.co.nz/

http://www.calypsobackpackers.com.au/

planning is almost finished!

It's hard to believe that in less than a week I will be traveling throughout New Zealand and Australia.  We have officially booked our flights, bus trips and hostels and I cannot wait for what is about to come!  With everything from glaciers and rain forests to barrier reefs and cliff swings, I'm going to do more in two weeks than I could have ever expected to do in a lifetime!  I went to the doctor yesterday for this killer sinus infection so hopefully it will all be cleared up before we hit the road.  Everything is coming together so easily and hopefully nothing goes wrong, but that would just keep things interesting. ;) I only have one essay to write before Friday and then on Saturday morning we are off to Auckland to catch a flight!  I promise to stay in touch.  Most of the hostels have free internet but I don't think I am going to bring my computer.  I promise to update this often and call through skype, sorry if I call at odd hours on accident, but just remember that I love you and you love me ;)

videos and pics from the second half of the balloon festival!

The following is a link to the video from that night too!!

http://tinypic.com/r/al6zy0/7

Itinerary!

Here is the official itinerary for my two week break :)

Franz Joseph Glacier:  http://www.franzjosefglacier.com/

Queenstown:  http://www.queenstown-nz.co.nz/
but more importantly, the largest canyon swing in the world :) http://www.canyonswing.co.nz/

bus to Christchurch, mount cook tour: http://www.intercity.co.nz/timetable/lookup/9662

Christchurch and the University of Canterbury, staying with Elizabeth's friends

a week in Cairns:
http://www.skyrail.com.au/
http://www.cairnsgreatbarrierreef.org.au/