"Climb every mountain . . ."

Note: This post is best read while humming, or listening to, Julie Andrews singing songs from the "Sound of Music."

We launched ourselves on the Routeburn Trek, which is a highlight of any trip to New Zealand. Leah rushed online last May to get one of the coveted spots in the huts along the trek. As is the case everywhere on the South Island, a lot of the beauty is just in the getting there. Much to the frustration of the family, I continue to swerve off the road to take random photos.

One attractive feature of the Routeburn Trek is that the terrain changes with each day of the hike. We began with forest and mountains, kind of like Vermont with more rugged terrain.

Day 2 crossed a snowy peak, rockier and covered with patches of snow. Although it is nearly summer here, the mountains got a fresh coat of snow the night before.

With snow in summer, we were able to see wildflowers AND make the world's smallest snowman, all in the same day and same place.

The lodges were comfortable and cozy. I mean really cozy. How often do you sleep this close to strangers?

On Day 3, the trek goes through a rain forest--more dense greenery than I've ever seen in one place, almost like a rain forest Land of Oz. 

 Of course, things get that green because it RAINS. And on Day 3, that was the forecast. Lots of rain.

Torrents of water poured off the mountain, turning large parts of the trail into a stream.

In the end, Team Wheelan persevered! (We checked into a motor lodge with a washer and dryer.)

Road trip!

We've been driving down the South Island, making our way to Queenstown. You may have seen the Facebook photo, our album cover.

The reward for the long drive (in addition to getting to Queenstown for our upcoming trek) is a series of memorable vistas, only some of which I was able to capture with photos. (The family eventually rebelled against my photo stops).

One of the most rewarding stops was by accident. Sophie was feeling motion sick, so we stopped and took a short walk into the woods, where we encountered all of this.

To get a sense of the scale, check out CJ walking on the rock beach.

Everyone was sick of driving as we neared Queenstown. One redeeming feature, which none of us had even read about, was the remarkable wildflowers along the way. These final photo stops were largely responsible for the rebellion in the car by those who just wanted to get to Queenstown.

We made it. No more driving for several days.

Shagging in Abel Tasman National Park

We were, of course, observing the white and grey shags, two kinds of birds indigenous to the South Island.

Kayaking is also a great way to take in a beautiful part of the island.

Unfortunately CJ woke up with a pulled neck muscle. He stayed home, so Katrina and Sophie shared a kayak.

Along the way, we saw this guy.

Who then caught, dismembered, and ate a squid.

While this fellow was eating a mussel.

Overall, a successful sea kayaking adventure.

From sauvignon blanc to "Office Christmas Party"

We've made it Nelson at the north end of the South Island. In addition to beautiful ocean views, this is home to some great wine country. (The more famous and commercial Marlborough region is a couple of hours away.) The vineyards here are small and charming. So we did some tasting.

Other than that, we've mostly been exploring somewhat randomly, taking in the ocean views.

Nelson is a fun city with great food and a nice movie theater. There was pent up demand to see a movie, so several of us opted for "Office Christmas Party." It was mediocre but fun (and not as bad as the critics allege). Also, it was filmed in Chicago, making us nostalgic for home at the holidays.

CJ and Sophie burnish their political credentials (with guns)

Given a choice of many activities in Rotorua--everything from horseback riding to nature walks--CJ and Sophie opted to "shoot clays." These photos will no doubt help them in any future New Hampshire political races.

They both got the hang of it. Sophie was actually scary good. She hit seven clays in a row and looked like a natural doing it. I was reassured by the strong emphasis on safety.

Hobbiton: We just made Peter Jackson even richer (no regrets)

Of late, New Zealand has become associated with the Hobbit films, all of which were filmed here. So we got out our credit card for a visit to Hobbiton, the film set south of Auckland.

To begin with, the location is striking because it is the essence of the North Island of New Zealand. It is still a working farm.

Once inside, the place was remarkable on several levels. First, it was just fun to be on a movie set.

There is also some fabulous gardening, Hobbit films aside.

Also, we got a free beer at the end of the walking tour.

Strange things about New Zealand

First, there are the sheep. Everywhere.

Even on this driving range.  Seriously, look at the sheep grazing near the yardage markers.  (I did not hit any of them.)

Second, everyone speaks English! So strange, because we are still speaking Spanish. We have been going around saying "hola" and "gracias", which prompts all kinds of strange looks.

Third, we can drink the water. How weird is that? Drinking fountains!

Last and coolest: Poste Restante. This is a nice blast from the past. We wrestled with how we should carry all the books that we would like to read, since none of us are enamored of e-readers. Before we left Hanover, I mailed myself books to the central post office in Auckland. That's how Poste Restante works, just like in the old days. The post office holds the books until I arrive. So yesterday, I just showed up in Auckland and presented my driver's license. There were the books that I had mailed from Hanover way back in late August. Even better, I have more books waiting in Tasmania and Mumbai!