Day 1: heading to Christchurch from Melbourne, landing at midnight.

Our objectives for this trip to New Zealand was to walk the Milford Track and the Routeburn track. Perhaps these are two of the most significant "Great Walks" in the country. Close by, we did them back to back.

As a walker, how can you not be lured by the seductive words by the D.O.C

  • for the Milford track:
    "Experience 'the finest walk in the world' as you retrace the steps of early explorers on the world-renowed Milford Track. Take a journey along valleys carved by glaciers, wander through ancient rainforests and admire cascading waterfalls." 
  • and for  the Routeburn track:
    "This is the ultimate alpine adventure, weaving through meadows, reflective tarns and alpine gardens. You'll be rewarded with spectacular vistas over vast mountain ranges and valleys." 
Many visitors take a guided / catered trip, but we elected to go on a self managed trip. You need to book months in advance to ensure a spot in the summer as it is regulated and very popular. All the track details for booking and notes are well documented by the New Zealand department of conservation

Rather than bore you with the detail about flying to Christchurch, I doodled some cartoons of the start of our journey:
Stuart wonders if he can be identified readily by the other members of the party, who standing in the mind numbing eternal queue.
2 hours is a long to wait before the flight. Luckily Stuart has a Golden Wing membership with some unused guest vouchers.
Landing in New Zealand, fellow walkers this way. Nothing to declare ? - get ready for a body search.
Our locale in the city is interesting: a girl on every street corner for visitors to Christchurch. Sanctuary in this area was found in the youth hostel.
References to blog entries:
Location: Christchurch, New Zealand

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