This land is your land, this land is my land

Here's a little travel snafu that ended up just fine. When searching train trip from Christchurch to Queenstown, perhaps read the full itinerary before booking. If you do you will see that there is 7 minutes by train and 7 hours by bus.

I would actually have zero complaints about this trip if it weren't for the fact that I boarded that bus already needing to use the toilet after a bottle of water and a coffee. Only to find this bus has no toilets and the next rest stop is 1:40 minutes away.

Let's just say I was making actual plans for how I could "sop up" the problem.

I mowed down a small Asian woman on my way off the bus and into the toilets when we stopped.

Once back on the bus I was able to concentrate on what was passing me by outside the windows and sit back and enjoy the ride.

The trip into Queenstown was just a primer for the gorgeous landscape of the town itself and the surrounding fjords of Milford.

I'm glad I made the trip to NZ. I'm glad I made the trip south after Christchurch.

New Zealand is a beautiful, friendly, clean country with 4.5 million people. Think about that- we have cities in America with more people than the entire country. If you come to New Zealand, do your part to keep it that way. Don't litter, recycle, pack in/pack out and don't touch the wildlife.

Last night I met up with a long time acquaintance who is more recently a friend. She has been traveling in Australia and NZ as well, with a local so she has had the real deal tour. Her friend's family invited me for dinner last night for a real home cooked meal and we sat around and bullshitted and laughed for hours. What a great way to end my kiwi experience.

I think I'd like to come back with a friend or two and maybe get off the main roads and see a little more of the back-country next time.