Tramping

Tramping.......quite a dodgy word the kiwis use for walking. Something we have been indulging in over the past week or so. Thought we better get some exercise in!
We went to Buller Gorge where they have New Zealand's longest swing bridge. Very, very bouncy on the way over. Especially with Stuart jumping up and down on it. And it was a looooong way down!!

 You then take a little half hour walk exploring the gorge. They point out a lot of earthquake ground shifts and cracks, and the river floods so much, that it was right under the swing bridge just back in June 2012. You wouldn't think it seeing where the water level was for us. The way back over was pretty cool. We took the tandem flying fox that runs alongside the bridge. Makes you feel like a big kid!

Harwoods Hole was our next tramp. A huge sink hole that cavers can descend and explore the network of caves below. We just stuck to walking in and having a nosey. The forests surrounding the hole are where they filmed a lot of scenes for Lord of the Rings. All forest scenes with the horses running through the trees and stuff like that. Not a huge fan, so not really sure what scenes they are lol. After tramping through forest and over fallen rock falls you literally just climb up onto the rocks at Harwood Hole. Not exactly big on the whole health and safety thing over here. Stuart went a lot closer than me and said that it literally just drops right down into the darkness.

We also took a wander over into the Marlbourough Sounds. Very similar to Fiordland, in that the steep valleys were cut out by glacial activity, but not on such a huge scale as Milford. Still really pretty to drive and walk around......sorry, tramp around. We stayed a few nights out here camping by the sea, it was so peaceful. And well deserved after our excercise!

And what do you think of Stuarts hair!!! lol pretty mental eh?!