More of the weekend

To finish my post from yesterday...bungy jumping was incredible, but the rest of the weekend was just as amazing. Saturday afternoon we spent eating waffles drenched in ice cream, still glowing from our morning jump. That is when Glenorchy was brought up. The previous weekend my friend Jessie and I were traveling together and we came across this small cafe. Inside it had a GORGEOUS watercolor painting of mountains and it was titled "Road to Glenorchy." We asked our waitress where this gorgeous mountainous "Glenorchy" was and she replied it was a short distance north of Queenstown. Jessie was traveling with me on this trip as well and we told our friends about this beautiful park hidden in the mountains. They were all excited to go. We gathered our things and drove along a lake as the sun was setting over the mountains. Amazing sunset - one of the best I have seen since I have been here. Bright pinks and oranges exploding over jagged peaks covered in snow. Magical. Oh readers! New Zealand is so magical!
We arrived in Glenorchy, pitched our tents next to a river, started a bonfire, and danced as the stars started to appear. We had a great dinner of pasta and tuna mixed together. One by one people retreated inside the tents, but Jessie and I stayed up all night talking. She is one of my new favorite people - born and raised in Michigan! And she loves ice cream as much as you do mom - it must be a Michigan thing! We watched a lonely bright star rise up over the montains and talked about the past, the present, and the future. Finally, when the star was directly above us, we fell asleep.
The next morning we woe up bright and early, had some breakfast, and started off on our hike for the day. We climbed a mountain with an amazing view at the top - straight up Lord of the Rings. I know it sounds silly to say that, but this view we had at the top was EXACTLY what Frodo and Sam were looking out on at the end of the first movie....except we were IN it. Ah!!
Sunday night we decided we were not ready to go back to Dunedin. None of us had class the next day, so we decided to keep heading north up to Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea. Traveled down a winding road through the mountains, again right at sunset.
Pitched our tents on Lake Hawae - ahhh the most beautiful lake I have ever seen in my life! A view like in Te Anau expect this place is more hidden and not touristy at all, so we had a gorgeous lake all to ourselves. We had a nice dinner of beans, cheese, and rice with some tuna and pita sandwiches on the side and layed on our backs in the sand watching the stars. What will I do when I return to Boston and can no longer see the stars? It will not be healthy for my soul. That night must have been a meteor shower because I saw five shooting stars, and the people I was sitting with saw more.
Woke up monday morning unable to leave. I really could not leave. I could have stayed on on that one rock on that lake for another few days, weeks even. But we had school to get back to. Driving home we stopped at our favorite ice cream shop in Lawrence. Mom, you would LOVE this place. They give you HUGE portions of ice cream - just as big as Deer Cap, no lie, and it is only $1.80! We are all addicted. Hokey Pokey ice cream - so amazing. It is vanilla ice cream with caramel swirls.
Arriving back home, I was sad to leave such an amazing weekend...but in two more days I leave for Tasmania and the GReat Barrier Reef! Eee!!
The weather here is getting chilly, which is both good and bad, we shall see how many more weekend camping adventures we have. I don't plan on stopping, hopefully my travel pals aren't either.
And yes, Molly, a few of my friends were talking about making a picture CD at the end of our semester, so we will have a New Zealand slideshow when I return - whenever that is. I am pushing my ticket back, I don't want to go home!
Much love, everyone. Kia ora.

More of the weekend

Dunedin, New Zealand