The Israeli Whirlwind

Help... I've been abducted by two crazy Israelis, and they won't let me get to the Internet. They're making me travel around NZ at super-human speed and see all sorts of things. HELP.

Just listing all the places we've been to in the last couple of weeks is almost impossible, but I'll give it a try.

After we met in Christchurch and got our car, we drove down to Oamaru, a good 3.5 hour ride south, where we stopped for the night. On the way, we of course stopped for some groceries at the New World. Some might think New World is just a supermarket chain, but in fact it has had a major influence on our trip in various places. I won't go into many details, suffice to say that I'm officially addicted to their muffins.

The next day I had my first taste of driving on the wrong side of the road. Who needs bungy jumps when you get just as much of an adrenaline rush just from driving? By the time we made our first stop, I'm not sure who looked paler - Eran, Ofer or me.

We continued south to Dunedin. It was Saturday, and the University of Otago in Dunedin was full of young students moving in after their summer break. Let me tell you - it was a hot, hot day.
Later that day we went on a nature tour - the most boring driver in the world ("Um, yes, of course, this building was built in bla-bla-bla, um, yes, and, um, of course the ship also has, um, a deck and doors and a skipper, um, yes, and of course...") drove us out of Dunedin into the Otago Peninsula. A ship then took us on a small cruise to see sea-lions, seals, and the famous Royal Albatross.
We returned to Dunedin to the hostel, where Ofer cooked the first of many magnificent dinners. We had a bit extra, so we had a Swiss girl join us for the meal. Random. Afterwards, we were joined by a slightly older British woman, who lives alternately in England and Australia "because I don't DO winter".
And finally - It was the Chinese New Year, so we went to see the fireworks in the city center. Happy Year of the Pig, everyone.

The next day, we headed south to the Catlins. It's a huge shoreline, so we could only stop in several places, but we did stop for a walk at Nugget's Point, which is a great little place - a lighthouse at the edge, overlooking the sea. We also saw seals and even a couple of Penguins hanging around on the beach. Of course, we also saw that elusive NZ animal - the Traveling Israeli. There are several kinds of the Traveling Israeli. This one was of the Cheapskate variety. She was very glad that she didn't have to pay money to see the seals (who were very far down the beach) and insisted that the seagulls she could see through her binoculars were a Royal Albatross ("Anaki!").
We stopped in a couple of other places along the way - a small beach, some waterfalls, and then headed straight to Invercargill, and through all the way to Te Anau. The hostel we stopped in was very nice as is the view over Lake Te Anau, which we saw both at twilight and the following morning.

In the morning we drove to Milford Sound, and took a cruise through the sound (which is actually a fjord). Very beautiful - including the marine life in the underwater observatory.
On the way back from the Sound, we realized we're out of gas. We did the rational thing - first I had a hysterical fit, and then we drove off the road to a camp where they had some emergency fuel. Turned out alright, though - the place was pretty nice, with a manual pump for the gas and a couple of really cool guys at the counter.
After that, Eran took the wheel and brought us safely to Queenstown. After dinner, Eran and Ofer went out to look around, but I was so tired I just stayed in to watch Desperate Housewives and Men in Trees (which is a pretty good line-up for an all-girls night).

Next day, on the way out from Queenstown, I bungied. God alone knows why or how I managed to do it, but I did. It was supposed to cure me of all fear of heights, but instead had the adverse effect of actually traumatizing me to the point that I am now afraid of going on bridges. Thank you, NZ.
We continued on to do some wine tasting in a few wineries on the way to Wanaka. Ofer did most of the tasting, ut we got in a couple of sips as well :)
The we drove to Puzzling World in Wanaka, where we experienced the illusions and tried solving some of the puzzles. We also ran the outdoor maze - just in time before it closed... Then ff to Wanaka, New World and the hostel.

we remained in Wanaka the next day - too tired for extra traveling. Ofer went Skydiving - it was a gorgeous clear day, hot and sunny, and - according to him - the views from up there were astounding. So that turned out well. In the afternoon we drove off to the Rob Roy track. It's a nice walk, and not too difficult. We did run into some mishaps: Eran twisted his ankle and Ofer strained his knee, so we went down limping. On top of it all, I had to cross a rope bridge to get to the beginning of the trail. I don't think I've ever been that afraid of rope bridges, but - like I said earlier - I am now. Hurray.

Next day turned out gray and rainy. We had planned on driving to the Galciers and doing a walk, but since neither Eran nor Ofer were in any condition to do the walk, we just called ahead and cancelled. We stopped briefly on the way at Fox Glacier, and did a small walk just over to a good viewing point, but nothing more than that. We just drove on past them to Hokitika. The hostel was very nice, just north of the town. After yet another gorgeous dinner, Ofer and Eran decided to try the hot tub outside. Apparently it was a little more than hot - they both returned after a couple of minutes. Instead, Ofer and I went to see glow-worms in a small dell just outside the hostel. Very nice - like a canopy of stars in the trees - and of course you can only see them at night.

In the morning, I FINALLY got to see a live Kiwi! We went to the Kiwi house in Hokitika. Apparently, they were supposed to get two male Kiwis, but it seems that one of the Kiwis is now gaurding an egg... So either someone mixed things up, or gay civil unions and adoption rights aer much more advanced among the Kiwis. In any case, it is the male that watches the egg.
The Kiwi house also hosts an aquarium of giant eels, which Eran and I took turns feeding.
We then continued north along the west coast, which is a very beautiful ride. We stopped at the pancake rocks near Panakiki for a brief stroll and lunch.
But the highlight of the day was New Zealand's longest hanging bridge, which Eran an dOfer eagerly walked while I sat back trying hard not to cry. I was forced to take pictures of them hurling themselves over the gorge (they did a tandem Omega thingie). The horror.
Then we continued our ride north to Abel Tasman - we drove the scenic route through remote farmyards, and eventually arrived in Motueka, at a very nice hostel (the Laughing Kiwi). Some food at (yes) New World, dinner, a hot pool, and we're good to go.
Eran and Ofer booked a full day of Kayaking in Abel Tasman National Park. I had already done some of that, and besides it started raining at night, so I wasn't sure I would go.

The next morning Eran and Ofer woke up pretty early to go Kayaking. By the time I got up and had breakfast, it had turned into a really beautiful, sunny day. So I gathered the stuff and headed out in the car to the same area. I stopped by one of the Kayak places which does an afternoon guided tour, and did just that - joined for a Kayak tour. It turned out great - beautiful day, great beaches, and - of course - a gorgeous guide. What else?
At the end of the day, I met Ofer and Eran just as they finished their day of kayaking - they arrived at the same beach. We had a short break, and then headed to Nelson, to the YHA. Too tired to cook, we decided on a Pizza. The receptionist did a complicated Japanese dance to describe where the pizza place actually was, but we got there alright. What they all neglected to tell us was that it takes a LONG time to get the f***ing pizza ready, so by the time we got it I was ready to bite the waitress (and the table).

That's almost all of it - I'll leave you with this to mull over. More coming soon - don't go away...