i've made my booking for the milford track and subsequent overnight cruise afterwards, as well as the hump ridge track. these will be two incredible hikes. i'm really looking forward to them.

my top 6 must experience activities while in new zealand:
1. milford track
2. see penguins in the wild
3. swim with dolphins (preferably in the bay of islands just 'cos it's warmer)
4. kayak to the maori rock carvings in taupo
5. bungy jump at the first commercial spot, kawarau suspension bridge in cromwell
6. stiff nipple triple (heli-hike-kayak franz josef glacier)

i also want to try mountain biking with a spectacular backdrop such as the remarkables or maybe the old gold rush trails or rotorua area. so many trails sound incredible. heli-biking sounds cool too. oh, and i'm totally down for the whanganui journey. the full 5 days. i'm just trying to figure out how i can squeeze that in during the warmer months.

[update summer 2005 post-new zealand trip: reviewing the things i wanted to do, i wasn't able to 1. walk the milford track but i did visit milford sound and i'm happy with that; 2. i did see penguins in the wild but i would have liked to see some more up close, perhaps another time; 3. i attemped to swim with the dolphins but they didn't really swim with us--it just wasn't the magical experience i was hoping for; 4. i got to see the maori rock carvings and i'm glad i didn't kayak out to them; 5. mission accomplished! and it was exhilirating; 6. i heli-hiked franz josef glacier but didn't kayak afterwards and that's ok; i didn't try mountain biking at all but i plan on doing so within the next year; i didn't have time to do the whanganui journey and am relieved--kayaking for 5 days? what was i thinking! i kayaked for 1 day at abel tasman national park instead]