Camp Champions Blog

Today we did a little eco-touring.  We went to Penguin Place, a private penguin habitat on the Otago Peninsula.  The Otago Peninsula is on the southwest coast of the South Island.  The South Island is really different from the North.  The North Island seems heavily influenced by Maori culture and multi-culturalism.  By contrast, the South Island feels like Great Britain turned upside down.

The English all settled in Christchurch, the most northerly of the three major South Island cities.  The Scots settled in Dunedin to the south and the Irish created Incavargill near the southernmost tip.

Since yesterday's blog was so quick and devoid of photos, I thought you might enjoy a few quick pics from the Ben Lomond hike.

We are starting the final week of our 22 weeks of travel.  I have not missed a day of blogging.  Admittedly, I did not post every day, but I write even when I had no internet connection.

As a rule, I have avoided writing blogs just to keep the record going.  Instead, I want to share something that will amuse or inform.

Susie has a fan beyond our family.

We have spent the last few days at the Franz Josef Glacier.

Fools come in many forms.

After our evening of cockles, we had another day of driving and beauty.  We started at the northern coast of the South Island, but we headed to the west coast.  Once again, I have little to report beyond a detail or two and some photos.

The west coast is thinly populated. Its beauty is stark and even lonely.  We drove slowly down the highway, stopping at different places that seemed interesting.

While in New Zealand, we have been struggling with a minor dilemma: do we try new things or return to our favorites from before?

In so many ways, New Zealand has been incredibly easy compared to the rest of our trip.  The natives share our tongue.  They are welcoming and fun.  The camper-van eliminates the need to unpack, carry and repack unwieldy luggage.  We do not have to navigate unfamiliar modes of travel like tuk-tuks, subways, busses, trains, etc.   Food is easy to order.

But this lovely country has proven harder on me in one unexpected area: this blog.

In the past few decades, much research has revealed the importance of sleep and the dangers of sleep-deprivation.