The Pancake Rocks More Photos

Tad and Frank only had a few days left in New Zealand to see the South Island before they flew to Australia. They decided to rent a van so they could ride and bike around as much of the island as possible. Monique didn't want to miss out on any adventure and decided to come along with them.

On March 11, the trio took the ferry from Wellington on the North Island to Pictin on the South Island. Click here to see a video of their ferry ride.

The first place they visited was the Abel Tasman National Park. The park is named after the first European explorer to visit New Zealand. Tad and Monique spent an entire day hiking through the park, and Frank went kayaking with a tour guide.

The following day they drove to see the pancake rocks (near Greymouth on the West Coast). Water and erosion caused these rocks to form into amazing shapes. Tad said: "Some rocks are massive arches, others look like ribbed sea-monsters, and others, in fact, look like giant stacks of pancakes!" Click here to see a video of the pancake rocks.

Next, they headed to Franz Joseph Glacier National Park. Tad, Frank and Monique hiked through the park to see the glacier. They were all startled when large chunks of ice dropped from the glacier and crashed loudly in the river below. Click here to see a video of the glacier.

They briefly stopped in Queenstown, and then finished up the tour in Christchurch. Monique's friend Epe invited them to stay with her family in Christchurch. Tad's flight to Sydney left early the next morning, so he had a very busy evening packing his gear and his bike into a box.

Frank decided to stay in New Zealand for a few more days. Before he left for Sydney, Frank also packed his bike into a box. Unfortunately, he accidentally packed his passport in box too! He had to cut a hole into the box so he could get the passport out. He spent the rest of the day at a Kiwi Bone Carving shop where he learned how to carve a traditional Maori pole.

Good-bye New Zealand!