I am getting really excited because in about a week, I am leaving for a 3+ week visit to New Zealand and Fiji. My wife, my son and daughter and I will spend two weeks in NZ (including a couple of days visiting close relatives I have there - they have a massive kiwi fruit operation on the North Island), and then one week at the Jean-Michael Cousteau resort in Fiji for scuba diving. It is winter time in NZ and will be nice and warm in Fiji... My daughter has been in Christchurch, NZ, since February on a study-abroad program (looks like party-abroad from the pics she has been sending back) through her college (DePauw Univ. in Indiana). She will be just finished with her last exam when we arrive, just in time to begin the adventure (fly-fishing, shoot-boating, bungie jumping, sky diving, whale watching, etc.) with some of the most awesome scenery in the world.

Now, I just need to get all my work done before departure...

Anyone have any suggestions about where to go, what to do in NZ?

Sounds like you have it covered. What's "shoot-boating"?

It is when you take these speedboats down really narrow, high-walled, winding, canyons on a river, faster than you have ever traveled on water before.

I think we have to wear helmets.

I've seen video of that, it looks really fun.

Oh yeah, I've seen that, sometimes they use jet boats 'cause props don't do so well. Big fun.

Yeah, from what I understand, the water we are going through sometimes is very shallow... no props... jet boats.... My wife, that beautiful woman, has set this whole thing up, after doing countless hours of online research. She has done this for us before for trips all over the world... I think she could make good money as a travel agent, but she is not interested.