Days 3 and 4: After having breakfast and packing up the bus and trailer, we hit the road and drove to Makarora on the eastern side of Mt. Aspiring National Park, where a small single-prop plane shuttled us to a remote valley. Valerie and I got extra flight time when the wing flaps failed to extend while on approach and were forced to abort the landing.

Additional highlights include doin' the Tim Tam slam (envision slurping hot chocolate through chocolate-covered cookies), witnessing a rock avalanche on the mountain side next to the cabin, and a thrill ride in a river jet.

Trivia: Tim Tam biscuits first hit supermarket shelves in 1964 and were named after a horse that won the Kentucky Derby in 1958.