[pct-l] nz tramping

[ckwrkornge at aol.com]

hello anne:
one of my favorite tramps in nz was the northwest circuit of stewart 
island, but it was also possibly the hardest hiking i've ever done 
(inclusive of 8 years as a wildland firefighter).
on the nw circuit i saw some of the most beautiful, isolated beaches 
that still exist on the planet; i was so overwhelmed by the stars i 
fell over; i saw 3 species of penguin and had a kiwi bird poke at my 
foot.
but the kiwi bird was so close because i was covered waist-deep in the 
mud i had been wading through for 10 days.  the beaches  brought tears 
to my eyes because my feet were so tender from being wet (i also threw 
my boots away after that because they woudnt dry).
overall, it was an amazing experience. just wear boots (seriously the 
mud will eat trail runners), bring trekking poles to test mud depth, 
and bring enough food to stay at each hut as they are all on awesome 
beaches.
cheers,
enviropyro