I’m very sorry about the sheer lack of updates recently. I’ve been running around doing everything I can possibly do in Fiordland before I leave tomorrow, and it seems like the only spare minutes I’ve had I’ve been so exhausted that I didn’t feel like writing anything. Unfortunately I don’t have time to write at the moment (for reasons explained below), but I’ll give a quick recap that I’ll hopefully come back later and elaborate on, since the last week and a half has been by far the most amazing and jam-packed of my trip. I have done:

• The Milford Track: as I’ve mentioned before, awe-inspiring and just amazing, even if it was very tiring. 33.5 miles of walking along the first track ever found into Milford Sound.
• Overnight cruise in Milford Sound: What an experience. Milford Sound is the most spectacular of the 14 fiords in Fiordland, and I was lucky enough to spend an afternoon, night, and morning on a small cruiser out in the midst of it all. We went all the way through the fiord, past the mighty Mitre Peak, to the Tasman Sea and then got to kayak in a bay near the mouth before being fed amazing food and watching the sunset. Watched the sunrise the next morning too. Stunning.
• The Kepler Track: After the ride home from Milford, which is an experience in itself as you go through the various valleys and still more beautiful scenery, I sorted my backpack and went directly onto the Kepler Track, a loop track in the Kepler Mountains outside Te Anau. I feel like I’m a broken record, but once again, I’ll talk about scenery. once I left the treeline, it was amazing. Panoramic views full of lakes, valleys, mountains, and alpine tussock. We went caving at the Luxmore Caves next to the hut that night and then I climbed Mt. Luxmore the next morning before returning the way I came (didn’t have time for the whole track).
• Kayaking on Doubtful Sound: Today, I went for a kayak on the only other (relatively) accessible fiord, Doubtful Sound. To get there, we had to go in a bus to the wharf, on a 45 minute boat ride across Lake Manapouri, and on a 45 minute bus ride across Wilmot Pass–so it’s quite a commitment! Well worth it though–the sound was so much more isolated and quiet than Milford, which is apparently visited by 3000-6000 people per day. We could put down our paddles and literally just listen to the complete silence, broken only by the calls of birds. Even though the fiord doesn’t have massive mountains rising out of the sea like Milford, it’s still quite a sight to see. The walls of the fiord don’t look too high until you see a tiny boat anchored at their base! Just like everything else I’ve done in Fiordland in the last few weeks, I left feeling wowed. I loved it.

I wish I could write more, but I have to make some phone calls and take care of some other business, since my Australian visa has been approved. It was actually approved while I was on the Milford Track, but the first email from my company didn’t go through and I’ve just now gotten in touch with them. This explains the title of the entry; the end of my trip in New Zealand is looming because I have to go back to work and real life. Sad, but I’ve had such a fantastic time in New Zealand that I really can’t complain. All told, once I depart the country, I will have been here nearly 10 weeks and will have done as much as I humanly could in that time. Plus, this means that I can see James again on my way across Australia! Can’t complain about that one bit