This portion of the trip we transitioned from our homestays to the wintry region of Wanaka for three days of skiing and boarding. Treble Cone was our mountain destination and we got up bright and early to tackle our first day on the slopes. Linking up with a National Geographic student trip we all got fitted for boots and skis/boards and jumped on our first chairlift ride in New Zealand. Whether it was skiing the intermediate trails of the Home Basin or the powder-filled chutes of the Saddle Basin the group was strewn about the mountain having fun everywhere. Meeting up at noon every day for lunch, everyone exchanged their stories of finding their way down or blazing new trails all over the mountain as well as planning the afternoon’s conquest. On the second night we gathered with the National Geographic group at our lodge for a huge BBQ dinner. It was a great success with lots of delicious food thanks to help of the whole group. Special shout out to Cole, Jack, and Laila for being the grill masters!  All students helped cook like champions on our family dinners.

On our last night we went to a local theatre to grab some dinner and a movie. We saw The Hunt for Wilderpeople, which is a New Zealand-made film that was really funny and has won a bunch of international awards. We even got to eat our food in the theatre while relaxing on cozy reclining chairs. The skiing experience came to a conclusion when we hopped on a bus and headed off to Christchurch to continue our cultural journey.

Stay tuned!

– Sean & Heather