22 days...

The dream is finally becoming a reality!  After a lot of planning, researching and worrying, things are finally falling into place! 

I had a bit of a scare with my passport, (turns out it needs to be valid at least three months beyond the expiration of your working visa) but thankfully I was able to get a new one in good time.  Phew!  (...and the picture's not half bad either!)

With that out of the way, I was able to submit my visa and wait anxiously for it's approval.  Imagine my joy when I checked the status of it, only to see "APPROVED" in large letters. 

Well OBVIOUSLY now I needed to book my flight.  $750 including taxes and fees for airfare to Auckland?  Am I dreaming?  After pinching myself a few times I started to wonder why I was wasting my time making a black and blue collage of my arm instead of booking the deal.  Heart pounding, I furiously read through the itinerary and after checking the authenticity of the website, I finally hit "book flight."  There's no going back now.  I will depart from my lovely (and somewhat rainy) city on March 1st at 1:20pm.  After arriving in Los Angeles, I will endure a 6 hour layover there before departing on a flight that is roughly 15 hours to Fiji.  I have yet another layover there, but let's be serious.  It's Fiji.  Woe is me.  Finally I will arrive in Auckland at 2:00pm local time on March 3rd.  

Now that the worrisome parts are behind me, it's time to research the adventurous aspects of the trip!  I already have accommodation set for my arrival.  My buddy Angela has set me up a private twin room at her hostel for as long as I need.  (Below is the simple room I will be snoring in for several nights)

She has even offered to pick me up from the airport.  Looks like the Oaklands Lodge is my first destination.  I'll probably need a good few hours sleep to recover before my excitement is able to fully surface.  

The hostel is located on the slopes of Mt. Eden in the city of Auckland, and I've been told that it's situated in a more quiet neighborhood.  It's only about 10 minutes from downtown, which is perfect since I will need to get my bank account set up within the first couple days.      

The hostel itself looks exactly like the image I conjure up in my head every time I picture one of these establishments.  I'm excited to meet new people and share stories with like-minded individuals.

After a few days at Oaklands Lodge, I will be heading down to the southern island of New Zealand.  I've decided that I had best get in some of the hikes before the rain starts to set in.  First up is the Kepler Track.  This trail is found in Fiordand National Park, and is classified as a "Great Walk."  (Which basically means it costs money) The entire track is a 60km loop and it is usually completed in 4 days.  Each year an event called the Kepler Challenge takes place, which is a race around this loop.  It takes contestants about 5 hours to complete this entire circuit.  I'm really not THAT ambitious. 

Apparently the trail passes through some spectacular scenery.  It winds through forests, and then treks along the shores of lakes and deep gorges.  Barren mountain ridges and towering rock giants are also prominent along the track.  Dark and eerie caves are found along the route, and it is possible to descend into them for further exploration.  I intend to drink in every sight, which essentially means taking about 500,000 pictures. As I mentioned earlier, the track costs money to hike, and on this particular hike you have the option of either staying in the huts or in the campsites.  The DOC (New Zealand Department of Conservation) maintains and operates these sites, and upon researching them, I've found that they are quite elaborate!  The huts look more like estates, and most of the campgrounds have flush toilets.  I opted for the campgrounds, as they as much cheaper to stay at than the huts.  (Huts are $51/night while campsites are $15/night)  It was really a no-brainer on my budget.  Unfortunately, not all of the Great Walks offer the option of camping, so one is forced to cough up the bucks and pay for the hut.  The Milford Track is among one of these, and I am determined to hike it, which means at some point I will have to bite the bullet.  As far as I'm convinced, it's worth it.

Below is a short video that showcases the beauty of the Kepler Track.  

 

This trip will be the adventure of a life time, and I've only barely begun touching on the amazing aspects of it.  I'm looking forward to the next time I update this blog, as I will either have more exciting details to share, or I will already be in the astounding country of New Zealand.

Until next time!  Hooray! (Goodbye in Kiwi)