a bowen falls adventure.

A couple weeks ago, Lyn, Kat, Pi'ilani and I went on a last-minute adventure on one of the quintessential locals' tracks in Milford Sound (or perhaps the only one) to the top of Bowen Falls, a famous cascade not far from the little village and the cruise terminal.  With lots of helpful advice from Anja, we set out on a good scramble, complete with ropes, ladders, swimming holes and a water pipeline:

Taking photos of taking photos.  Mitre Peak lookin' pretty.

Wading our way through the bush.

UP.

Sweaty and psyched.  Lyn, Pi'i and Kat.

Walking on a pipeline that carries water to Milford.

Pi'ilani.

The Bowen River, heading towards the Falls.  That nice inviting pool served as our first swimming hole on the return journey.

View up the Bowen Valley.  Methinks this calls for another adventure.

Milford Sound from the top.

Team Awesome.

Now if only I could sprout wings...

So lucky to have these ladies.  Kat, yours truly, Lyn, Pi'ilani.

The teeny tiny top of Bowen Falls.

Looking into the Arthur River valley where the Milford Track ends.  The small reddish spot in the water is the boat carrying trampers from the end of the track into Milford.

The Chasm.  An awesome waterfall.

Water did that.

Nice new bridges on the Chasm track.

Second locals' secret of the day: gorgeous (and frigid) swimming hole at the base of the Chasm.  Yes, we all did.

New Zealand continues to amaze me, with its beauty and its challenges, its gems and its demands, its allure and its power.  I've always loved pretty much every place that I've visited for some reason or another, but New Zealand feels different.  Maybe it's because this is the longest I've actually lived in one place for years, so I've had time to delve into my surroundings and realize how much they have to offer.  It's made very apparent by my job - this country and this region are full of endless possibilities and I could happily spend ages exploring and still not be satisfied.  If this is the truth, if I've gotten sucked in to New Zealand, how am I going to fulfill my curiosity to see the world?  That would mean I'd have to keep moving...

In effort to put that off as long as possible, I've definitely decided to stay here for the winter.  Cory and I are applying for ski fields jobs and are hoping to find something in the same place (what a concept!).  It'll be my first winter in a couple years and although I'm already complaining about the cold, I'm definitely looking forward to the snow, fuzzy blankets, fireside cups of cocoa, the beauty of a frosted landscape.  All of you in the north must think I'm crazy, since you have just escaped winter's grip after all.  Part of me thinks I'm crazy too, but only a very small part.  New Zealand's got me hook line and sinker in the summer, so let's see what it can do in the winter.

All photography copyright Kendall DeLyser.