Sunday - Auckland

Although Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest, it’s not always the most restful day of the week for Mormons because, in addition to simply attending church for three hours, most of us have Sunday assignments to fulfill: we speak in the worship service, we administer the sacrament, we lead the singing, we play the organ, we teach adult lessons, we teach youth lessons, we take care of the children in the nursery, we organize service projects for the coming week, and so on. And if, like Michael, you preside over a whole congregation, you also conduct administrative meetings and hold individual counseling sessions for several hours.

Saturday - Doubtful Sound

Nancy—uncharacteristically--was the first one to rise on the bunk-room deck this morning, and thus got into the shower room before anyone else had left puddles on the floor.

The breakfast buffet included all the usual choices, plus the flakiest and butteriest croissants we have had on our trip.

Friday - Manapouri and Doubtful Sound

Breakfast on our private patio

We had purchased today’s breakfast last night from a Starbucks we passed on the way back to the hotel—the default choice for people who were too tired to look for anything better—but eating on the pleasant patio outside our room made the day-old scones seem a little fresher.

Thursday - Fiordland National Park

Making lunch

Tomeo's super sandwich

The morning drill for our third day on the Routeburn Track was very similar to that of the previous day: make our lunches, eat breakfast, load our packs, and start hiking by 9:30 a.m.

Wednesday - Fiordland National Park

BACK ON TRACK

Making and packing our lunch

The generators were turned back on at 7 a.m., but by then the sun had already awakened most of us. It was like waking up in heaven: peaceful, fresh, and well-rested, even though we were still a little sore from hiking nine miles yesterday.

Tuesday - Fiordland National Park

The day we went kayaking, we had thought that having to meet a bus at 7 a.m. was brutal, but this morning we left our room at 6:00, deposited our luggage (containing everything that we would not need on the Routeburn Track) with the hotel porter, shouldered our backpacks, and headed down the hill into the dark.

Monday - Lake Tekapo and Queenstown

Mackenzie basin cloud cover

This morning the skies over the Mackenzie Basin were covered with clouds, proving that the weather in New Zealand can change just as drastically as that in Cincinnati.  Fortunately, today was a transit day for us: nothing on the schedule that might be hampered by a little wind and rain.