10 days into our adventures in New Zealand, we began our journey on the South Island. The larger, and less populous, part of the country is meant to have some of the most awe-inspiring landscapes on earth. Our route is essentially an extended fish hook: we planned to start at the top of the island, travel down the rocky and untamed West Coast to Fiordland, the southernmost section, and cut back up through the mountainous center, ultimately ending up on the Eastern shores in Christchurch.