Today’s guest blog comes from a very dear friend who goes all the way back to the interning days at our dearly departed CosmoGIRL! magazine. Stephanie Young is an avid traveler who, as well as booking cruises across Europe in her spare time, has just returned from New Zealand, and has some interested travel ideas to share. When you think of New Zealand, you might think of Australia weekenders, but there’s an entire world to be discovered there. Thanks for sharing, Steph!

When I returned to my office, after a 24-hour flight and the best sleep I’ve ever had, my co-workers asked, “So what did you do in New Zealand?” My replies were something along the lines of taking a road trip of the South Island, eating delicious lamb burgers, and hiking a glacier. The last one surprised them the most. New Zealand is a small country with a wide variety of climates. There are mountains between the beaches and nestled in the mountains is Franz Josef Glacier, one of the most popular tourist attractions in the South Island besides Queenstown and Christchurch.

There are many ways to explore the glacier and my group chose the heli-hike (the most expensive tour) only because the cheaper ones were sold out. I’m glad I was able to explore the top of the glacier, as opposed to the bottom, because the views were breathtaking and some of the fondest memories I have of the country. Best of all, my tour guide wore shorts–it was warm, but it wasn’t that warm–and laughed when I accidentally dropped my walking stick down an ice cave.