What's cold, wet and nine years old?

It's our hero, Max, of course!  Here he is on Milford Sound, which gets over 200 inches of rain every year.

Max learned all about abseiling, which is essentially repelling off of rocks (like mountain climbing, only backwards).

Don't tell Max he isn't flying.
It would "rock" his world.

Local family reaches New Zealand
The Lewises get a change of scenery when they leave sunny Australia for its Pacific cousin, New Zealand

By JEAN BOLDUC chh@herald-sun.com; 933-8883
Chapel Hill Herald
Sunday, March 11, 2001
Final Edition
Front Section
Page 1

NEW ZEALAND - Relaxing in a bubble bath and jumping from an airplane were among the varied plans of the Lewis family as they left the heat of the Australian summer and ventured to chilly New Zealand.

Nine-year-old Max Lewis of Chapel Hill and his parents, Mark and Julie, are spending a year skipping over four continents and a dozen countries. They plan to return this summer.

Arriving in Christchurch, Julie Lewis noted the change in temperature first.

"It was cool and breezy, a welcome change, as the Australian temperature had steadily soared since our arrival in early December," she said.

They spent their first evening at a local pub watching the Super Bowl on the other side of the world.

"The pub was crammed with sports enthusiasts witnessing one of the worst games in history, or so we thought," Lewis said. "They cheered every tackle, every pass and enjoyed our popular American sport. We enjoyed their enthusiasm."

Their accommodations in Christchurch featured a whirlpool. So when the family went shopping just after their arrival, Lewis picked up some bottles of bathtub fizz for later on that evening when Max had retired.

But the best-laid plans for a relaxing, romantic evening turned into an adventure missing only Lucy and Ethel to complete its classic quality. Julie Lewis started the tub's water, and things got out of control.

"I started to fill the tub, poured in the small container of bubbles and turned on the Jacuzzi jets and left, sending the mixture into a spin," she said. "When I returned only a few minutes later, the tub looked like a giant frothed cappuccino."

In just a few minutes, she and her husband were scooping up bubbles from every corner of the bathroom, a situation made worse when Mark Lewis hopped into the tub, determined to enjoy his bubble bath. His arrival in the tub sent more bubbles and water flowing over the walls of the tub and onto the floor.

Hearing the commotion, Max awakened and came in to join the fun.

"Romance aside - our bellies ached with laughter!" his mother said.

The next day, the family learned a little about sheep. They drove to Akaroa, a small mountain town on a nearby lake. Their drive was interrupted by the crossing of an unruly flock of the woolly locals.

"Just as some crossed, the others went back, driving the sheepherder bonkers," Lewis said. "Finally, the driver behind us just drove right through the crowd of sheep sending them 'baaaing,' jumping, twisting and turning to get out of the way, and we followed."

South Island, New Zealand, has 3.5 million people and 63 million sheep. Lesson No. 1: Don't wait for the sheep if you want to see the country.

The next day brought a trip to the town of Twizzle, near Mt. Cook. At 3,200 meters, Mt. Cook is New Zealand's highest peak, and the Lewises said the scenery nearby is spectacular, featuring smoky, blue mountains and stunning silvery blue lakes, created by the high content of limestone.

Max's mom showed some signs of road-weariness in her description of the day trip.

"Perhaps we were just tired, or maybe, our collective travel experiences had dulled our senses," she said. "We were determined to focus, stay in 'the moment' and stop comparing countries. After all, Mt. Cook was a sore comparison for Mt. Everest!"

They next were on to Dunedin, which is to home to New Zealand's first university. It was here that Max got to meet some rare yellow-eyed penguins, which he enjoyed immensely.

"Some sea lions were up there chasing the penguins for fun," he said. "It was an awesome time."

The drive there featured inspiring scenery.

"Little white churches with cemeteries, farmhouses and clothes hanging out to dry in the gentle breeze, were a common site," Julie Lewis said. "We turned a corner, and there before us was the most amazing patch of lavender. The sudden onset of the purple hues caught our attention immediately! The stunning purple patch of lavender stretched for miles across the landscape, in amazing contrast to the surrounding country."

Dunedin was the largest city in the country during the gold rush days and features many hillside houses overlooking the Otago peninsula.

"The lively town center contains many spectacular Victorian and modern buildings," Julie Lewis said.

As Mark Lewis took the opportunity to go skydiving for the first time in his life, Max was a little apprehensive.

"I was really worried about him, and I don't know why!" he wrote in his journal.

But the 9-year-old was impressed to visit the town where bungee jumping was invented, and he watched as some of the locals took the plunge off the "historic" bungee bridge.

A visit to a museum in Otago also gave Max some more traditional views of local history, including that of the country's indigenous Maori people, who reminded Max of aborigines and Native Americans.

"When we were watching them dance, they had a big tattoo on their heads, and the ladies had one on their chins," he wrote in his journal. "They were stomping their feet, slapping their thighs, moving their eyes wildly, and when they are ready to scare the people they are battling, they stick out their tongues really far out."

No word from Max as to whether they said "wazzauuuuup" during that part of the dance.