Discovery in Doubtful

Am back from another overnight cruise. This time was in Doubtful Sound. Another amazing trip. Of the two sounds (Milford-Doubtful) Doubtful is the one that kiwis go to. They say its better. I wanted to see for myself. So which one you ask did I like better? Well they're both amazing. In Milford the mountains tower over you more, but Doubtful is much more remote and tranquil. And doubtful is larger. So you get more cruise time on the boat. To get to Doubtful you take a ferry boat across Lake Manapouri, takes about hour, get on a bus and go over a mountain pass and down to the head of the sound where you board the big boat for the overnight cruise. The boats are the same on both sounds.
This time I was in a quad-share room. Me and three other guys. An you know what, it was great!!! Why so great you're wondering, sharing a very small room with three other guys. Well because I discovered something (more like realized). Traveling isn't about all the beautiful places that you see. It's about the people that you meet!! And that started the moment I got to NZ. First meeting my awesome kiwi family the Hendersons who took me in on the farm and showed me the kiwi-way. Truly great people and perfect examples of kiwis. To Brent MacDonald and his family who invite me along and do all kinds of outrageous stuff with. And now on the boat I get put in a room with two Australian fathers and one son. The wives and two daughters were just across the hall. What amazing family's they were. They have been here in NZ hiking for two weeks and the overnight cruise was their last big ho-rah before going back to Aussie. They've invited me over to spend a few nights with them where they live south of Sydney. I guess I'll have to go right?? Warm sunny Australia sounds nice for a few weeks with cold winter on the horizon here. In a month or so I think I'm going to go. But this whole trip so far has really been about the people. I had been told before leaving the States many times that the kiwis here treat you like a long lost friend. And it definitely is true!!
Yes that's me jumping off the back of the boat, and yes the water was really COLD!! But I did it!!! We saw lots of dolphins and I never get tired of watching their playful antics. And lastly after two great nights in real beds on the boats I'm back in the tent with my best friend Jim.