We will see everyone soon! Our last post because we fly out tomorrow!!! Merry Christmas!!!

Last Saturday Blaine and I decided to join a group of resident doctors that I work at the hospital with to go on a hike in Arthur's Pass. I read up about the hike, Avalanche Peak, and discovered the night before embarking that it would include a 1000 meter climb (to me this classifies it as a mountain climb not a "hike") but the book labelled it as 'moderate' so we decided to go ahead.

note: 1000 meters=3,300 feet

Well, lets just say that our group left us within 15 minutes of starting the hike. Blaine and I spent the next hour discussing what could be making it extra hard for us: is it the altitude? did we not eat the right breakfast? maybe we need new insoles for our boots? if we only had a walking stick...

Finally we came to the inevitable answer: we are out of shape for this type climb.

Both of us wondered at different points if we were going to make it. But persevere we did.

I think what did it for Blaine was seeing a 70 year old man on his way down, telling us it wasn't much farther.

I will say it was worth it, once we got above the tree line you could see forever...waterfalls, the valley and river below, snow-capped peaks 360 degrees around us and even a glacier tucked in behind. At the top we encountered Keas (one of the few recorded alpine parrots, known for their curiousity and intellect to survive the harsh climate--only found on the S.Island of NZ). They proved their reputation by stealing a banana out of one of the hiker's backpacks and flying away with it in their beak.

To give you a hint as to how long the 'climb' was...it took us a little over 4 hours to get up and 3 hours to get down. When we got home, Jonny asked us if we would go back and do the hike another time with him at some point and Blaine and I answered simultaneously "NO".

We come home in 8 days!!!!!!!!!!!!! Is anyone excited???!!!!!

I know we are.

Petra and Tim's wedding

I flew up alone to attend the beautiful wedding of Petra and Tim, two dear friends of ours in Christchurch. Several of us CCU girls stayed together and got to see some of Gisbourne, where Tim's parents live on the North Island. The weather was warm and we got to go to the beach...I swam in the ocean for the first time since we've lived in NZ (without a wetsuit on). We had a girls dinner Friday night at Fettuccine Brothers; then on Saturday got to help Petra get ready and dressed--she looked stunningl! The wedding was at the EcoLodge, a gorgeous Bed and Breakfast surrounded by hills, overlooking a lake and pastures. The ceremony was held underneath a canopy of trees by the lake. At the end we all released the white balloons that were tied to our chairs and toasted the new couple! They are now on their way to Germany (where Petra is from) to have their church wedding with all of her family! Then a honeymoon in Mexico!

Congratulations Tim and Petra!