Standing before this breathtaking country, I could hear the calling of the wild and free. From formidable Southern Alps to mysterious Fiordlands, virgin rain forests to rugged glaciers, mirror-calm lakes to swelling open seas, there are far too many a wonderful place to unleash the wild spirit within.

My primary objective was to try out some major outdoor sports here, namely bungy jumping, skydiving, whitewater rafting etc. I did manage to experience all these, with commitment, at the point of jumping off from a bridge or plane, certainly a question would flash across the mind, "Am I going to make it?" and inevitably I couldn't help but comtemplating about death. I was actually well prepared mentally because I did not want to be hesitated at the edge of bridge or plane, Nike's advice kicked in and 'just do it' was the motto, I did not expect for the worst, but I was prepared for it.

One of the reasons many people get addicted to extreme sports is that, at the face of danger, all our sensories focus to one single present moment, we practically live totally in the present with no wandering to future or past, and at that split second, we smell 'life'. Ironically, we seem to feel the abundance of life at the edge of losing it. Isn't it the same that we have taken all too many things for granted? and wake to realize their importance when we are about to lose them.

It was great that every stop in South Island involved some sorts of outdoor activities, the most common would be tramping. The longest one was tramping on Milford Track, which is claimed as the Finest Walk in the World, the walk through Fiordlands took a total of 4 days, with designated stops controlled by DOC (Department of Conservation). I was not in good shape for this, especially with my heavy backpack, as the result a nail from my toe fell off months later after the walk, the third day of the walk took me nearly 9 hours to reach Dumpling Hut, with side track to Sutherland Falls, which is the 5th highest waterfall in the world. The airblast spray of the waterfall was simply amazing. In the early morning of Day 4, I spotted a wild kiwi on the track, it didn't notice me, proved that they really have lousy eyesight. Sometimes I would see Weka as well, but most often it was Kea which woke us up, sometimes when I heard them coming, I would rush out to see whether or not my rain coat was secured.

The stay in New Zealand was a pleasant one, I just loved every bit of it, from landscape to weather, from people to their culture; some have become part of me, and that, is the beauty of travelling.