Roughing It!

If you know me at all, you know that I am very used to creature comforts.  In fact, a joke in my house is that a Holiday Inn is a camping experience for me!  So, when I booked this trip, I knew we would be staying in modest accommodations.  What I didn't know is that some of these modest accommodations meant we had shared bathrooms--and not just with another couple but with everyone on the trip, and even dozens of people we didn't know!

Let me explain....
The remote areas that we visited often had limited accommodations.  For example, in Milford Sound, there is only one lodge and it is very popular with backpackers.  It is beautifully situated in the woods just minutes from the Sound, but all the rooms are tiny and we had a guys bath/shower and a gals bath/shower.  Which we had to go outside to get to.  Not a problem!

Milford Sound Lodge

 

But the most amazing place we stayed in was up in the hills overlooking Mount Cook. I will write about Braemar Station and our wonderful final days in another post but I just have to rave about the views from our hut.  Our little hut was so cute and comfortable, but there was only one large bathroom for everyone (14 of us) and we had to walk outside in the middle of the night to get to it!  Ben, our guide was so funny when he said "I think you folks are mature enough to figure out who can use the bathroom when." Well, it was worth it.  Here are a few of our views.  I did not take a photo of our bathroom.

On a walk near our hut

Our little hut (on the left)

View from our porch