The west coast of New Zealand’s south island is home to a very scenic coastline, as well as the Fox and Franz Josep glaciers. The interesting thing about seeing these glaciers today is the rate at which the have been receding in recent years. Over the past few decades New Zealand’s glaciers have been literally melting away in front of the gaze of onlooking tourists. Glaciers are a critical component of the earth’s system and their retreat could have severe impacts on the environment and human well-being (vegetation patterns, economic livelihoods, water and energy supply). Human-induced climate change is blamed and although it is commonly debated between scientists, politicians, and activists as to whether the Earth is warming or cooling and as to the real cause, it is clear that the glaciers are one of our best measurements for climate change, and here the glaciers are indeed… shrinking. Weather or not this will eventually have a devastating or catastrophic impact on the future of humankind can only be speculated, and for now still remains to be seen.

Further north, coastal road leads to Punakaiki – famous for its blowholes and layered limestone rock formations called the “Pancake Rocks”. If you are a fan of pancakes, you would also like the breakfast menu at the cafe directly across from the park entrance. This is also the part of the country where the climate and landscape start to change dramatically, giving one an appreciation of just how diverse things here are. The rainfall here is high due to the prevailing northwesterly wind pattern and the location of the Southern Alps, and the climate turns the landscape into a temperate rain forest. The coastal road then cuts inland from Westport and passes the steep canyon walls of Buller Gorge and continues through the forested mountains toward Nelson in the north.

On the northern end of the island lie the isolated pristine beaches of Abel Tasman National Park, only accessible by boat or on foot. It was named after Dutch explorer Abel Tasman who (working for the East India Company) showed up in 1642 looking for fresh water, and was surprised to find the Maori – descendants of Polynesians who arrived in New Zealand by canoe in the 12th and 13th century. Even more surprised were the Maori, who had never seen tall ships, fire arms, or white men before. The negotiation for refreshments soon went sour and a skirmish broke out in which four of Tasman’s shipmates were killed. At that point, Tasman (who never even actually set foot on New Zealand soil) decided it would be best to leave (quickly), so he pulled his anchor and sailed off into the sea that was eventually named after him (the Tasman Sea), where he obviously had better luck gaining favor with the locals of one island a little further southwest… now known as Tasmania. The Maori didn’t see another white man until James Cook arrived in 1769.

The road from Nelson to Picton winds through the tree covered mountains and along the northern coast’s Marlborough sounds, offering some stunning views of the bays and intricate waterways. From there, the Pacific Coast Highway passes a number of seal colonies and beautiful bays eventually leading all the way back to where our journey here began just one short week ago. Christchurch, which sits close to an active fault line, was devastated by a 6.5 earthquake in February 2011, which followed a 7.2 earthquake just 5 months earlier. It killed 185 people and the damage left from the 2 quakes and the 100+ aftershocks that have followed have caused most business owners to closed up shop or move to less ‘volatile’ areas, leaving the city at times seeming like abandoned ghost town yet still strangely appealing. Its central location makes it an good place to fly in and out of. On that note, it is now time to say goodbye to New Zealand and head back to Melbourne to re-join forces with Jason who arrives back from India, and set off on the next leg of our adventure – Southern Australia.

With Jason still traipsing through India, I thought it was a good time to fire up an update of my own from the Southern Hemisphere, where Dezi has joined me to spend a week exploring the south island of New Zealand. Its no secret that New Zealand is home to some of the most spectacular scenery in the world. It’s easy to get overwhelmed trying to explore all that it has to offer in such a short time, but we eagerly set off south from Christchurch in our rental car toward the jagged mountains and river valleys of the Southern Alps. Mt. Cook (the tallest mountain peak in NZ) is at the center of this mountain range and sets a majestic back drop for Lake Tekapo and Lake Pukake. Rivers and lakes here take on a distinctive turquoise color which is caused by glacial “flour” – the fine grained rock particles in the melt water from the glaciers make the water appear cloudy. Pristine panoramic views are literally around every corner so frequent stops are required for photographs and letting the surrounding beauty soak in. Its no wonder why its been the setting for popular movies like the Lord of the Ring’s and the Hobbit (both filmed entirely in New Zealand).

Adding to the captivating scenery everywhere is the amount of sheep that dot the pastures and mountainous countryside. New Zealand is known for having the highest ratio of sheep to people at 9:1 (45,000,000 sheep to roughly 5,000,000 people). The cattle and animal farming here is distinguished in that it is natural pasture based grazing – animals eat grass and are rarely housed. This is opposed to the US system of raising cattle in crowded feedlots where they are fed or ‘fattened’ on a diet of corn and other grains (more cost effective but wreak havok on a cows digestive system). Its easy to see that the sheep and cows here are happy, and it is no surprise that the Kiwis export some of the best quality wool, meat, and dairy products like milk, cheese, and butter in the world. Driving and hiking in the mountains surrounding Lake Wanaka where sheep graze in the grass before lofty snow capped mountains, we were able to take in the serene atmosphere before we headed to the more adventurous part of the country.

Queenstown has become a magnet for all types of adventurers and has established its reputation for being the ‘Adventure Capital of the World’. It is a popular alpine lake resort town all year round, and it was here that pioneers and entrepreneurs innovated and commercialized the first jetboat (jet propelled boat capable of navigating shallow and fast flowing rivers in less than 3 inches of water), as well as established the world’s first commercial bungee jump operation. While nature lovers of all kinds are enjoying hiking, mountain biking, or kayaking, the more adventurous adrenaline seekers are busy skydiving, bungee jumping, rock-climbing, or helicopter skiing. Whatever level of thrill seeking one is after, Queenstown is the worlds Mecca for adrenaline junkies and adventure enthusiasts. Its easy to get caught up the the latest and greatest of the extreme adventure tourism industry, so we will be trying hard to not jump out of any planes or abseil any canyons.

From here, our journey will take us up the West Coast to the Fox and Franz Joseph glacier valleys and then up to the northern Marlborough sounds. It’s peak season during the summer months of January and February and there is no time to waste. Its a far cry from the chaotic streets of India… here the campervans are on the move, the glaciers are melting and rivers flowing, and there are probably some hitchhiking backpackers on the outskirts of town waiting for a ride, so we are off.