Having family around for the holidays is great - especially if they come halfway around the world to visit! With both my sister and me here, Mom and Dad couldn't think of any excuse to stay at home. We gave them the grand tour of the South Island, starting at Mt. Cook, then heading to Doubtful Sound for an overnight kayak in the wilderness. Tramping on the Routeburn-Greenstone and a drive up the West Coast left us at Able Tasman for another kayaking-camping adventure before heading to Hopewell in Marlborough for a relaxing Kiwi Christmas, green-lipped mussels included!

The beautiful Routeburn

Rugged West Coast

As it happens, eventually everyone had to go home, and left to my own devices I joined some mates from S. Otago to tackle the 5 Passes route. It was quite the adventure. Rain with scattered sun showers was the general rule, with snow descending at one point to 500 meters. Not the best pass climbing weather, and we had 5 to get over! Each night we would huddle around out mountain radio listening to the latest weather update and to the other trampers tucked away in various corners of the wilderness. The radio came in particularly handy when one member of our party slipped down an tussock slope and broke her ankle! Poor Janna got her first helicopter ride on New Year's Eve to Queenstown hospital! She ended up drier than the rest of us and we camped in soggy meadows and huddled under rock bivvy's planning our mad dash for the next pass. But occasionally the clouds would part and we would be rewarded with amazing views of trackless Fiordland and Aspiring National Parks! 

Yes, I know the weather looks great, but this was the only day I dared to take out my camera for more than a few seconds!   

This is more like it! 

     The Rescue! 

A happy group on Firey Col