Rising Up To Paradise; I Know I'm Gonna Shine

This has been a very special week due to the visit of the Millers. They are the first of the actual family members to make it over. Lauren and Jeff have been great guests, although Jeff has quite a few odd habits; like a serious Diet Coke jones. Truth be told, he enjoys coke like Robin Williams in the 80's. Plus, he's gotta have ice, and plenty of it.

Also, both these guys are addicted to their iPods, iPhones, and whatever other small electronic devices that can fit into a purse. Jeff was actually googling the U of A basketball game when he should have been watching a waterfall. Then he called a friend in the states to discuss the halftime score. The guy was actually taping the game and Miller spoiled the entire experience from 7000 miles away.

Oh yeah, in case you didn't know, they are quite the consumers . Jeff loves hats and had purchased at least 3 by my count so far. But I promised not to mock. Well, actually, I said Jeff could write the post to save him from embarrassment. So here is the guest commentator, Jeff Miller.

From the moment we touched down in Nelson, I knew after 57 years of life, I had finally found Paradise. As we flew over the small, but functional airport, the surroundings were breath taking and wonderful. Michael and Kimberly were waiting for us and drove us on a scenic tour of Nelson before taking us to their retro and distinctive Terra Cotta abode.

To digress for a moment the long flight over from Los Angeles was GREAT. We expected the worst and it was really a breeze.

I have been fortune to see many spectacular wonders in the states, but nothing compares to NZ.

I was somewhat surprised to find out that we would be embarking on an 8 day road trip. I was thrilled because I really didn't want to spend my entire 2 week vacation in the adorable bungalow that everyone in Nelson knows from its distinctive appearance.

One thing I did notice that there is a total lack of ice cubes in this small island of courteous and lovely people. I will never take ice for granted again when I return to AZ, whether crushed or cubed. When you ask for ice here they look at you funny and place one lonely cube in the bottom of your glass.

There are too many adventures or sites to blog about starting at Abel Tasman Bay, Punakaki, and many more spectacular wonders. The two highlights to date have been hiking on the Fox Glacier, where I was able to satisfy my passion for ice, and milking a cow, Tinker Bell.

For those of you that have had the opportunity of visiting this wonderful country you know there are no words to describe its beauty. For those of you who have not had the chance to visit Michael and Kimberly, you must make it a priority. The country is loaded with 1,000,000 Kodak moments around every bend along the narrow two lane highway, which I did master after one 3 hour session.

New Zealand.......just aim and shoot, no need to focus.

Happy New Z!