ex-Marine (husband, Steve) and I have gotten seriously lost in Siberia, side-tracked in France, Austria, Italy and had our own adventure on the Milford Track in New Zealand when the river went into spate and we almost drowned. But our exploits pale in comparison to the ones Thea, my Number One Gutsy Woman Who Travels, [...]
“Travel Tips & Advice on New Zealand”
Thea, A “Gutsy Woman Who Travels” Gets Lost Hiking in New Zealand
January 9th, 2010 
Sheila Simkin 
Posted in General, New Zealand 
Tags: adventure, culture, destination, event, events, food, hiking, hotels, important sights, log, nature, new, New Zealand, sightseeing, touring, transportation, travel 
No Comments »
Visit New Zealand
June 18th, 2007 Sheila Simkin It would have been impossible to have had a better experience than this one with Active New Zealand and recommend them wholeheartedly if you are looking for something a little different. The “Manuka” stayed strictly in the South Island and gave us a completely different New Zealand experience than the first time around. It was [...]
Posted in New Zealand Tags: adventure, destination, event, events, hiking, information, landmark, log, Milford Track, nature, New Zealand, sightseeing, travel, trek, trekking No Comments »
Mount Cook and Lake Tekapo, New Zealand
June 17th, 2007 Sheila Simkin Mount Cook or Aoraki (the Maori word for “cloud-piercer”) is New Zealand’s highest mountain 12, 316′. According to Maori legend, Aoraki was a young boy in the canoe Te Waka a Aoraki, which was stranded on a reef and tilted to one side. Aoraki and his brothers climbed to the high side and sat on [...]
Posted in New Zealand Tags: adventure, destination, event, events, hiking, information, Lake Tekapo, landmark, log, Milford Track, Mount Cook, nature, New Zealand, sightseeing, travel, trek, trekking No Comments »
The Milford Track – 33 Miles Later and Queenstown, New Zealand
June 16th, 2007 Sheila Simkin This was it. Some final glimpses of Sutherland Falls on the descent down Gentle Annie (a rocky hill). Through a flat area into the green rainforest and out into the open straight section known as the Race Course. (Early packhorses used to try and pass each other on this stretch) Back in the bush to [...]
Posted in New Zealand Tags: adventure, cruise, destination, event, events, hiking, information, landmark, log, Milford Sound, Milford Track, nature, New Zealand, Queenstown, sightseeing, Te Anau, travel, trek, trekking No Comments »
Milford Track Day 2 – Pompolona Lodge to Quintin Lodge, New Zealand
June 15th, 2007 Sheila Simkin An early start on the trail heading to the upper reaches. It was going to be uphill for close to six miles before heading downhill for the remaining three miles to Quintin Lodge. There were lots more suspension bridges, a small lake named the Mirror, and lots of zig-zags. Another perfect day filled with sunshine [...]
Posted in New Zealand Tags: adventure, destination, event, events, hiking, information, Kea birds, landmark, log, Milford Track, nature, New Zealand, Pompolona Lodge, Quintin Lodge, sightseeing, travel, trek, trekking No Comments »
Milford Track Day 1 – Glade House to Pompolona Lodge, New Zealand
June 14th, 2007 Sheila Simkin The daily routine was up early, repack your backpack with everything you brought in, eat breakfast, make the daily lunch with cold meats, cheese, fruit, candy bars and cookies laid out. A little FYI: The current High Season (December 1-March 31) entire Milford Track package ran about NZ$1750/per person for a shared Adult room (around [...]
Posted in New Zealand Tags: adventure, event, events, Glade House, hiking, information, landmark, log, Milford Track, nature, New Zealand destination, Pompolona Lodge, sightseeing, travel, trek, trekking No Comments »
Tramping The Milford Track, New Zealand in 2003
June 13th, 2007 Sheila Simkin Excited and apprehensive, after all ex-Marine and I were 19 years older, our entire group along with most of the 44 other trekkers boarded the bus to Te Anau Downs, stopping for lunch at the Lakeside village of Te Anau. We were Group #140 of this trekking year and met up with the rest of [...]
Posted in New Zealand Tags: adventure, event, events, hiking, information, landmark, log, Milford Track, nature, New Zealand destination, sightseeing, travel, trek, trekking No Comments »
Milford Track Facts and Preparation For New Zealand
June 12th, 2007 Sheila Simkin Some Milford Track facts courtesy of Tourism Milford Ltd: On October 16, 1888, Quintin Mackinnon and Ernest Mitchell crossed the pass that was later given Mackinnon’s name, in bleak and miserable conditiions, conditions that many walkers experience to this day. (They didn’t have to tell us about that…we lived it.) The Milford Track Guided Walk [...]
Posted in New Zealand Tags: adventure, event, events, hiking, information, landmark, log, Milford Track, nature, New Zealand destination, sightseeing, travel, trek, trekking No Comments »
Two Days in Queenstown, New Zealand
June 11th, 2007 Sheila Simkin What can I possibly tell you about Queenstown that’s new and different? Nothing but same-o-same-o. Queenstown is set on the edge of Lake Wakatipu and only has about 5,000 permanent inhabitants. We were going to spend two days here before the Milford Track with free time. Queenstown is the adventure capital of New Zealand and [...]
Posted in New Zealand Tags: adventure, Beech Cove, event, events, hiking, information, Lake Te Anau, Lake Wakatipu, landmark, log, Milford Track, nature, New Zealand destination, Queenstown, sightseeing, Te Anau, Te Anau Downs, travel, trek, trekking 1 Comment »
New Zealand’s “Siberia Experience”
June 10th, 2007 Sheila Simkin Extremely difficult to describe the exhilarating and fun Siberia Experience but I’ll try. The “Siberia Experience” would start with a scenic 25-minute flight over the Southern Alps landing in Siberia Valley, followed by a three-hour bushwalk though valleys and native beech forest linking the Siberia Valley with Wilkin Valley where our jetboats would be waiting [...]
Posted in New Zealand Tags: "Siberia Experience", adventure, event, events, hiking, information, jet boats, landmark, log, Milford Track, Mount Aspiring National Park, nature, New Zealand destination, sightseeing, travel, trek, trekking No Comments »
