NEW ZEALAND
The first few days we spent hunting. Beautiful country and lots of animals. On day one Dan got this awesome 12 x 13 trophy Red Stag.​ 
It is the beginning of winter in NZ. It was cold in the morning but warmed up to a very nice day. 
The deer on the horizon didn't seem to concerned with what we were doing.
After our hunt in Fairlie we drove south for our next hunt. We stopped at Lake Pukaki to admire the view.
The sun was peaking through onto the newly snow covered mountain tops.
This part of our journey  reminded me a lot of eastern Washington.
We stayed at a station (ranch) outside of Alexandra. The "Little Valley Station" is home to 6,800 Merino sheep.
The next day we ventured forth for a Fallow buck hunt.
This area is the driest part of NZ with just 12 inches of annual rainfall (including snow).
The rock formations were unique with dry grasses and bushes for the animals to feed on.
Dan and a beauty Fallow buck.
The next morning we headed west to Queenstown. A very touristy town full of people and little shops. I was scheduled for a tandem hang gliding adventure off of Coronet peak but it was canceled  due to wind conditions.
The following morning we took a shuttle to the Glenorchy airstrip. It was a 40 min scenic drive along lake Wakatipu. This area was used as a backdrop in the movies Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, and Wolverine.
At the airstrip I donned a flight suit and helmet. The microlight plane was used to tow the hang glider to an elevation of 3600 feet before releasing the tow line.
It was an incredible 25 min. flight back to the ground. My pilot included some small dives and bank roll maneuvers along with scenic soaring. 
The views of Lake Wakatipu and the surrounding mountains of Glenorchy were breathtaking.
Later that day we left Queenstown and headed for the east coast. We drove past the clay cliffs of Omarama. We regret not having more time to see more of NZ but our plane leaves Christchurch tomorrow so away we go.
Fiji
The hospitality at our resort in Fiji was first class.
We were very comfortable and relaxed​.
After being shown to our bungalow, we had a very good dinner, a colorful fruity drink, and listened to the music of the fijian singers.
The resort itself was very beautiful, with lots of tile work and pretty landscaping.
The path to our room.
The view from our porch.
The resort has an island in the shape of a foot. 
We enjoyed ourselves so much here at the resort we could find no reason to leave. Walks at low tide gathering shells and coral, reading and napping in a hammock, eating delicious foods, and trying interesting drinks.
And all too soon it was time to go home.
Back to 2014
We named these birds "Dan" & "Mike". They seemed to really enjoy hanging out at the Fiji bar, snacking, drinking, and BS'ing. 
(If your wondering how this ties in with our project, these two trophy mounts (Red Stag & Fallow Buck) will someday proudly adorn the walls of our dome home).