Home From a Great Adventure

On April 23, seven of our OM crew (and three friends of OM) embarked on a great journey to New Zealand. Our goal was to explore one of the outdoor capitals of the world, and NZ exceeded all of our expectations. We started the trip by flying into Christchurch and immediately getting out of town to Lake Tekapo and Braemar Station where we enjoyed the serenity of staying on a sheep farm (in the sheep shearer's quarters), taking in views of Mt. Cook, and going for an icy morning dip in the lake. It was the perfect way for us to start the trip with a clear head and then jump in our 10-passenger van that took us safely through the South Island for two weeks and on countless adventures.

Next we headed to Queenstown to gather supplies for our first NZ "tramp" on the famous Routeburn Track. Unfortunately, we were greeted in QT by rainy weather and news that the Routeburn was closed until further notice due to flooding. We weighed many options (including jumping a flight to Fiji!) and decided that we came all the way to NZ to experience a "Great Walk" and wanted to stick with that mission. The Department of Conservation informed us that our only option would be the Kepler Track, 3 hours southwest of Queenstown. The track would be twice as long (and arguably twice as difficult) as the Routeburn, but we were up for it!

Along the Kepler Track we encountered lots of rain (a sustained downpour for most), lots of wind, lots of laughs, and a few tears. However, I think we would all agree that the tramp was one of the most challenging and rewarding things many of us had ever accomplished. After each day on the track (about 10 miles and 4-5 hours), we were rewarded with magnificent views from our huts, delicious backpacking meals, woodburning fireplaces, and much-needed mulled wine. Even some of our most trying times on the track made for some of our favorite memories... Seems like I don't even need to point out the obvious metaphor for life here.

After the tramp, we headed back to Queenstown for showers, beds, massages, and BUNGY JUMPING! Queenstown is home to the Nevis Bungy, the world's highest jump, and an amazing canyon swing that is no less harrowing. Six of us opted for the bungy and four of us the swing. Luckily, we were allowed to watch one another take the plunge and vicariously experience the thrill over and over again.

The next day, we headed out on a 14-hour road trip through Wanaka and all the way up to Abel Tasman National Park. Surprising to most, we had a blast in the car with some good music and plenty of snacks. Our next stop was a campsite on the beach to which we were taken by water taxi. A boat dropped us off on our own private beach where we had some beers, green curry, a campfire, and tent sleeping under the stars. When we woke up, we enjoyed coffee and yoga on the beach before taking another great hike to our boat pick-up location. Along this path, we made a slight mistake when we took the low tide track during high tide and ended up wading in chest-deep water. Again - most trying time = favorite memory.

We ended our trip with three days in a luxurious home that overlooks the marina of Picton. We did a wine tour, some trout fishing, a boat trip around the sounds, and cooked some great family-style meals.

When it was time to catch our flight home, we were sad to leave NZ but knew that we had definitely made the most of our time there. The trip surely meant different things to different people, but it was a shared experience we will never forget. Read more about our trip at TrampingforTreatment.blogspot.com

Outdoor Mindset is Tramping for Treatment in New Zealand!

So a long, long time ago (ie November) when all of this brain stuff with Kyle was first going down, we got the travel bug. I say 'we', but Kyle was really the ‘mind’ behind this genius idea. After all, travel and adventure are sometimes the best medicine and that’s exactly what Kyle needed. In fact, that was what we all needed. We needed a two week, all out adventure to New Zealand and we wasted no time planning this excursion. Before we knew it, we had racked up 10 amazing friends and individuals (7 of who are on the Board of Directors for Outdoor Mindset!) who were ready to buy tickets for this trip. We booked our tickets in February and immediately started a countdown for our departure.

Along the way, we tried to figure out exactly what we wanted to do while in New Zealand, but the truth of the matter was we wanted to do it all! So we decided to dominate just the south island, and pack in the activities. We fly into Christchurch on April 25th and jump in our 11 person van with a gear trailer and take off to Braemar Station, where we’ll be staying in the sheep shearer’s quarters overlooking the lake. The next day we drive to Queenstown and hit the Routeburn Track for 3 days! The Routeburn track is one of the “Great Walks”, so we’re really excited to see what all the hype’s about. After 3 days on the trail, we’ll go to Milford Sound for the night after our hike and take in all the beauty it has to offer. Then it’s back to Queenstown to do some crazy adventure stuff for a couple of days and pick up David (the 10th member of the group!) The second week of the trip is our PIBE week (Play It By Ear- Kyle’s favorite saying). Here are the things we KNOW we are doing at some point or another: staying at a Schoolhouse hostel in Okarito, driving up north and hiking/exploring along the way, see some whales and dolphins, drink some wine, hike and play, etc. The last 3 days of the trip, we’ll be at this amazing beach house in Picton where we are right on the water, down the street from wineries, hiking, and relaxation!

This trip is so appropriate at this time because things have been so hectic lately for all of us: moving, bills, brains, work, car problems…. This list can always go on. But the one thing that’s truly amazing is that we can put ALL that stuff on the back burner for two weeks and experience a beautiful place we’ve never been before. We can laugh at the funny accents (no offense anyone), enjoy the amazing scenery, hike in the beautiful mountains, and get to our ‘zen place’… the outdoors. That’s the one bond that really pulls us all together and makes us all so passionate about Outdoor Mindset and the benefits it can bring to individuals facing challenges in their lives. Think of this trip to New Zealand as a ‘test kitchen’ for Outdoor Mindset. While living the active, adventurous lives we all love, we want to see how far removed we can get from the pain-in-the butt portions of our lives and evaluate the benefits we will undoubtedly receive from this trip. Wish us luck…. I think this research is going to give us positive results.

Bon Voyage!