Hey everyone, well this might be a bit shorter than what I was going to originally write to you because I got kicked off the computer earlier and lost the four paragraphs that I had just finished. Oh, well. So, I was in Nelson during my last journal entry. I loved the town, but I didn't get to do much in it because I spent my day there catching up on things like email, mail, laundry, etc. David and I did get some fresh fish and mussels to cook for dinner though. After a great meal we played some cards (not uncommon) and I got to watch my favorite show, Boston Legal. The only bad thing about the day was that my skin began to react to the sand fly bites that I got while kayaking. I now look and feel like I have the chicken pox all over again. So, the next day David dropped me off at this great hostel in Picton and he went on to Christchurch for a few days. We separated because we both wanted to do different things for a while. I spent most of the day exploring around the beautiful coastal town of Picton. Then my Scottish friend, John met me that evening to do the Queen Charlotte Track the next day. We found this great wee Irish pub down by the harbor. The locals were so much fun to hang out with and they had my favorite beer on tap, Kilkenny! The next morning we began the Queen Charlotte Track. The boat took us out to the starting point. The boat also transported our large packs to the places that we were going to stay at along the way. I called this luxury hiking. Anyway, the first day of hiking was wonderful. We had a clear sky, beautiful views, and no bugs (good, since I already was poke-a-dotted). Our picnic spot was a great little area by the waterfront. Then we casually hiked on to where the boat picked us up to take us over to Mahana Lodge. Anne, the lady of the house, was at the jetty to greet us. She got us checked into our rooms and then we went out on the bay to fish. No fish, just a few bites. Afterwards, we met all of the people staying in the lodge (there was only ten of us). Then Anne cooked us a wonderful meal with some of the best chocolate cake I have ever had. A few of us walked up after dark to see the glow-worms on the back of the property. Then I spent the rest of the evening lying with a glass of wine in a hammock by the waterfront. I just swayed and watched the stars, the moon, and listened to the waves crash on the shoreline. I couldn't help but think, "life doesn't get much better than this." I had such a wonderful day. The next day of hiking was a bit tougher. We still had incredible views and great weather. Plus, we met up with friends from the lodge along the way. We got to Portage Bay late in the afternoon. After a long relaxation time, I went out to the docks to watch the sun set over the bay. I captured a good photo (at Melissa's special request). Then John and I headed to the local restaurant at the resort for a good meal. We watched rugby, played some pool, and then called it a night. The final day on the Queen Charlotte was just as good as the others. We couldn't get over how fortunate we were on the great weather. The initial climb was a bit steep but it was a walk in the park (literally) after that. My toes began to hurt near the end because of them pressing up against my hiking boots on the down hill climbs (yes, all of you who make fun of my big toes can have a small laugh at this moment). So, by the end of the track I had taken my boots off and was walking in my socks. We did witness a horrific fall by one of the bikers on the track. He of course got out of the ditch and pretended that he was fine. Figures, guys are always trying to be so tough. We got the boat back to Picton and the first thing I did was climb into the spa at the hostel. I just had a relaxing night of watching TV and eating pizza to end the long journey. The next day was a relaxing one for me. It began with a good run and a light lunch. Then John and I played each other in mini golf down by the waterfront. I won, of course. J When we were walking around town, we ran into David. Evidently, he had been trying to get a hold of me via email, but I didn't know. He wanted to leave that day instead of the next to take the ferry over to the north island. This suited me just fine, so we took the 6:00 to Wellington. The boat was massive, but the waters were so turbulent. We felt every movement; it was good that neither of us get seasick. We picked up a new rental car at the ferry terminal, nicknamed her Doris (Agnes was our other one, who died in Christchurch David told me). We just went out in Wellington for a few pool games then straight to sleep. Today, we spent the morning exploring the city. It reminded me so much of San Francisco. We went to a free museum where we got to see a bunch of things on the Maori people, the native bush of NZ, and other historical things. It was great! Also, we lucked out and were there for the Lord of the Rings exhibit. The exhibit was well done. They had information on how different parts of the movie were made and had the costumes displayed. I really enjoyed it. Then we made a quick stop by Mac's Brewery for a tasting. Also, we had some great inexpensive sushi on Cuba Street. A little bit more exploring and then we left town to drive here, Tongariro. I am going to do a great day hike tomorrow and I think David is going skydiving. I will report on those events next time I write. Until then, take care. - Meghan