"I have always been a great lover of travel and of far off places. For me, New Zealand was a dream destination . a place that I told myself I would get to "someday." As my thirtieth birthday approached, I realized that "someday" was too far off in the future and that I needed to take the trip NOW. As I reasoned, what better way to celebrate a milestone like turning thirty than to treat yourself to a vacation you have been dreaming about for over a decade? I had spoken to a good friend who had taken the Rimu trip with Active New Zealand a few years ago and he strongly recommended that I entrust my New Zealand experience to them. No . he insisted that I use Active NZ. I could tell from the way his face lit up when he talked about the experience that I was in for something special. I just didn't know HOW special the experience was going to be! On the plane ride down I started to get nervous. I had never taken a group trip before - all my vacations had always been solo efforts. I worried about the group dynamic. I worried that I was going to be saddled with a bunch of crazy adrenaline junkies who wanted to run up and down the mountains and cycle 100 miles each morning. I worried that the guides would be a little too friendly . and that I would never get a moment to myself. I worried that a decade's worth of expectations couldn't possibly be met in just two weeks . I was afraid that I was in for something of a disappointment. Disappointment? This trip was far and away the best thing that I have ever done for myself. From the moment that I met the guides and the group, every apprehension that had been dancing around my mind instantly disappeared. The guides were incredibly competent with an almost preternatural sense of what each individual in the group needed at any given moment. There was not a single moment that I felt like a need wasn't being met - and yet at the same time I never felt interfered with or overly "mothered" . still not sure how they managed that. Callum and Pam are two of the most special individuals that it has ever been my good fortune to meet. This trip challenged me and for that I am grateful. I am very decent shape, and I was afforded the opportunity to push myself on almost every outing. At the same time, there were those in the group who were able to have a less physically demanding and still very rewarding experience. Our group ranged in age from 30 to 60 with many different levels of physical fitness. Our guides made sure that we all ended each day with a sense of accomplishment . and enough energy to tackle the next day's activities. Of course the real star of this trip was not the guides, or the members of our groups, or even the exercise that we all got. That honor definitely belongs to New Zealand herself. There was not a single day in the entire two weeks that I didn't marvel at the unbelievable beauty of this country. I am not embarrassed to admit that on several occasions I was actually moved to tears. From gazing at endless numbers of waterfalls cascading down cliffs from the vantage point of a sea kayak . to waking up in a mountain hut and greeting the early morning mist as it snakes its way through the surrounding mountains of valleys . the images of New Zealand will be permanently embedded in my memory for the rest of my life. I've been back home for a while now, but I still talk about the trip constantly. My advice to anyone who will listen: take this trip and take it now. I know of no other place that offers this kind of natural beauty, and I know of no other company that offers this level of service."
Adam Grey
(California, USA), November 2003 Rimu |
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