Before I Get Started...

I fly out of Seattle tomorrow and up to Vancouver before embarking on the fourteen hour flight to Auckland. After a four hour layover I will catch my final plane to Queenstown on the south island. Interestingly, when I finally reach Queenstown, it will be on December 27th. December 26th will simply have vanished. Kevin Clarke will not exist in the annals of history on December 26th, 2009. I know this involves the crossing of the International Dateline but I'm fuzzy on the details. I do know, that when returning to the States on January 23rd, even though the flight is still fourteen hours long, I'll be arriving on January 23rd. Weird stuff.

I'm going to back up just a bit and and fill in those who aren't aware why I'm headed to New Zealand: pure enjoyment. I've heard nothing but rave reviews about the place. The scenery, hiking trails and friendliness of the people are supposedly exquisite. For the past year I've been planning and saving money and vacation time for a month long visit.

Now the day is almost here. I'm packed and ready to go, and for those of you that are interested, here are photos and lists of all the gear and clothing I'm going to be lugging around with me:

Clothes
Warm hat, ratty baseball cap, bandana, sunglasses, 2 t-shirts, mid-layer pull-over, base-layer hoody pull-over, synthetic puffy jacket, rain shell, long pants, shorts, one pair of boxers, two pairs of socks, gloves, watch, hiking boots, Chacos and a pair of sock liners (not pictured).



Gear
One person tent, 20 degree down sleeping bag, waterproof stuff sack, thermarest sleeping pad, 1st aid kit, gaiters, field repair kit, headlamp, trekking poles, stove and fuel bottle, gaiters, leatherman, water filter, hydration system, water bottle, pot, spoon, zip lock bags, parachute cord, pack towel, 85 liter pack, stowable daypack, guidebook, notebook, pen, novel (I haven't decided which one yet), 1GB MP3 player, camera, toiletries, pack cover, rock shoes (not pictured) and a chalk bag (not pictured).



I'll be stuffing my backpack into a larger duffel to protect it and of course will be bringing a passport as well as a drivers license and two credit cards.

As for what I plan to do, this so far is my itinerary (WARNING: the following content is likely boring to everyone except me).

Dec 27th
Fly into Queenstown
- Take Connectabus to Copthorne Hotel stop ($6)
- Check into Black Sheep hostel
- Do whatever I can from list below

Dec 27th-30th
Errands
- Supplies from Alpine Supermarket for Kepler, Milford and Routeburn
- Buy maps @ DOC (38 Shotover St.)
- Set up accomodation in Te Anau, Glenorchy
- SIGHTS -
* Frisbee Golf (need disc though...)
* Walk through Queenstown Gardens
* Underwater Observatory ($5)
* Queenstown walks and Trails from the DOC
* ?Via Ferrata ($95)?

Dec 30th
Queenstown to Te Anau
- Take bus @ 1:30PM to Te Anau ($38 with Topline Tours)
- Check into campsite (Te Anau Lakeview Holiday Park)
- Can take shuttle but it is only 5 km to the start of the track

Dec 31th
Kepler Track
-Dec 31st at Luxmore Hut
-Jan 1st at Iris Burn Campsite
-Jan 2nd at Moturau Hut

Jan 3rd-4th
Back to Te Anau and ???
- Figure out where to catch bus for Milford Track

Jan 5th
Te Anau to Te Anau Downs
- Bus from T.A. to T.A.D. (Leaves @ 9:45AM)
- Boat from T.A.D. to Glade Wharf (Leaves @ 10:30AM)

Jan 5th - 8th
Milford Track
-Jan 5th at Clinton Hut
-Jan 6th Mintaro Hut
-Jan 7th Dumpling Hut

Jan 8th
To the Divide
- Catch boat from Sandfly Point to Milford Sound @ 2PM ($32)
- Bus from Milford Sound to The Divide @ 2:30PM ($30)
- Hike from The Divide up to Greenstone Saddle campsite

Jan 8th - 10th
Routeburn Track
Jan 8th Lake Howden Hut
Jan 9th Lake McKenzie Campsite
Jan 10th Routeburn Flats Campsite

Jan 11th
Routeburn Shelter to Glenorchy
- Gotta be there before 2PM (Takes a half hour)
- Collect supplies
- stay the night in Glenorchy

So I've got the first two weeks solidly booked. As for the next two weeks, here's what I got:

No ATMS at Fox Glacier

Fox Glacier Guiding $145 for a full day walk
$235 for ICE CLIMBING!
www.foxguides.co.nz

Matheson Cafe


Welcome Flat and possibly Muellers' Hut tramps in Mt. Cook NP
(Copland Track)

Q-TZOIwn

vudu cafe, patagonia, habebes

Penguins!
Oamaru? or Portobello? (Dunedin) Might only be possible w/ someone else...

Craigieburn Forest Park
Castle Hill bouldering. Most likely need a car...

As you can see it's all up in the air. I have a lot of ideas of what I want to see and surely won't be able to see it all. Hopefully I'll be able to meet people who are heading to the same area I'm going and if not I can always resort to busing it around like the first two weeks. Or I could break the bank and rent a car.

Well, that's enough speculation for now. I've still got to pay rent and the electricity bill and print out all my notes. Most importantly, I need to figure out what I want to read while I'm there!