Cheryl's Triumph

Cheryl returned to Thames triumphant.

      A torrent of tales of the towering 'Routeburn' and 'Greenstone' trails tumbled out as she reviewed the photos and replayed the experience.  She embarked 8 days prior  to the South Island with Liz Ulenburg, Liz' daughter Claire, and Liz' NZ friend Janette.  They tramped through country ink and paper do no justice.  She returned successfully with another trophy of personal endeavor and cache of memories.
      She was awarded some smoked snapper.


                         LIZ

                               CLAIRE

                                             CHERYL

                                                            JANETTE




     The night of her arrival back to Thames a victory supper at Nick and Kari Scaletta's appropriately celebrated the completion of an event long planned and effectively executed.
     Then, like a flash of social expertise, she was gone to the northern Coromandel Peninsula camping with Nick and Kari and new friends.  Only to return Sunday to plan the upcoming weekends.

     The photo-documentation of Cheryl's adventure begins with an Auckland to Queenstown flight.
Queenstown sits in the middle of the South Island and serves as the springboard to the great outdoors of Middle Earth.

 What is more magnificent?  Sky, Mountains, or Water?

  This view occurred along the route to the Greenstone.  The lake is 52 miles long.  No one complained about the ride.









At night the trampers found themselves at the Department of Conservation Huts.  The first night, because of weather concerns and some closures of trails, the 40 person hut had twice the intended population.  Earplugs would have been worth the extra weight.  The remainder of the trip, plenty of room was available in subsequent huts.

After the Greenstone Trail was conquered,  the trampers joined with two more and two professional backpackers to guide them through the higher grounds.

Friends on top of the world and the views that will last.





                                                                               

                                                                               
So, many additional phenomenal scenes were captured.  Cheryl will need to release these as she unveils her story.  The travelers spent two days in Queenstown after the Great Walk 'decompressing' and 'debriefing' their conquest.

Cheryl returned ready to take the next Great Walk when the time and place presents itself.  She chalks  up a merit badge for this one.  Did she suffer a little pain and inconvenience?  We learn

that the food in the huts was not only good, but plentiful.  She admits gaining a pound on the trip. The backpackers were young, conversant, knowledgable, and easy to follow.

Yes, there she is!  Queen of the Mountain.