On to the South Island!

Well, that's it! I'm officially done with finals and all academic obligations in New Zealand! What a relief. And it's just early November, no less. Definitely a weird feeling considering I usually get done with school in late December.

Friends have been trickling out of the country over the past week, and soon enough I'll be saying my final round of goodbyes on Saturday night. It really is crazy to think I arrived in NZ and first met these people 4 months ago. I feel like I stepped off the plane just yesterday!

What's almost even harder to believe is that just two short days from now, on the morning of the 13th, Ben, Lily and I will be waking up bright and early to catch our 7:20am flight from Auckland to Christchurch to set off for the South Island!

Just to give you a taste of our itinerary, here is a MAP of where we will be going over the course of our two week trip, and here is a list of the AWESOME activities we have planned that I can't wait to do:

• A hike in Arthur's Pass National Park
  
• A half-day glacier walk on Fox Glacier, the fastest moving glacier in the world
• SKYDIVING in Wanaka, a town located in the heart of the Southern Alps, New Zealand's most dramatic mountain range
• Hiking the Kepler track, a 4-day tramp in the Fjordlands National Park (just west of Te Anau on the map)
  
• Taking a cruise through Milford Sound (one of NZ's most spectacular fjords)
• Launching myself off the biggest canyon-swing in the world, the Nevis Swing
  
• Hiking the Routeburn Track, a world-renowned tramp through Mt. Aspiring National Park
• Walking trails at the base of Mt. Cook, New Zealand's highest peak

Needless to say, it's going to be a hell of a two weeks. I am SO excited, and I can't believe the trip is beginning in just two days! To be honest, it's a little hard to feel sad about leaving New Zealand when I still have this amazing trip to look forward to. Of course after the trip, I'm sure I will feel VERY differently.

After South Island, I'll be back in Auckland for 2 nights, and then it's time to go HOME! As I write this post, I still I can't even begin to comprehend that I'll be back in New York in two short weeks. It seems like I have a lifetime of activities and adventures to experience before then.

I'm not expecting to have internet access while we're traveling around, so the next time you hear from me I'll probably be blogging from my room back home. Check back in a few weeks for a wrap up post and some absolutely incredible pics!