Those That Dance: Running New Zealand

I've been a bad girl and haven't updated much on my trip to New Zealand yet. I've had a lot of fun adventures so far, but it has been hard to find time to stop and write about them. Rather than go back over a week and a half of fun sights and cities, I figure I should write about something a bit more mundane.

While it may seem a bit off topic, Alex, a friend of mine, signed up to run a half marathon in March, and I decided to train with him and run it as well. Back home, the weather started cooling and it was getting dark quite early, so it was a wonderful treat to be able to keep up running in New Zealand in the early summer weather.

Running is a great way to see a new place. While I can still only do just over a 3 mile run, I've come to realize that there are so many amazing things to see in just that short amount of area.

Here are some of the runs I've done so far.

Wellington: This was one of my favorite cities. It reminds me a lot of San Francisco, with a great waterfront, hills, culture and coffee shops. My run took me from the hip nightlife area near our hotel, out along the quiet (Yet Windy!) path along the bay and then back towards the downtown waterfront.

Queenstown: This lakeside resort/adventure town again was quiet windy. The cold weather was soon forgotten as I warmed up, and the trail along the lake took me past green trees and fancy wooded villas. On my return towards town the clouds and rain over the lake broke and the sun took a moment to shine through onto the turquoise waters and craggy snow peaked mountains.

Manapouri: We had driven 0ut towards the fiords, near Milford Sound, and stayed right on the water at Lake Manapouri. The weather was once again gusty, and the snow on the surrounding mountains were unseasonably snowy. I had spent a lazy afternoon in my room, reading and enjoying the warm sun shinning through the window, but I decided it was time to get moving. Again, I ran along the lake, trotting through forest and Lupin covered beaches. I was in Lord of the Rings land, and could just imagine Hobbits and Elves tramping through the forests. It truly was Middle Earth!