Centennial Hut - Living a Kiwi Life - Ep. 55

Centennial Hut is an alpine hut in New Zealand above Franz Josef glacier. We first became enchanted by this hut when we saw a picture of it at the Banff Film Festival hosted by the New Zealand Alpine Club. Having just finished a high alpine skills course ourselves where we climbed neighbouring 2,900m peak Mt Walter we decided to try and bag our first 3,000m peak, The Minarets, which is located a few kilometres from Centennial Hut. Unfortunately the recent run of incredibly hot weather had opened up a large number of crevasses on the face. We set a boot track the day before and headed off at 3:30am to make an attempt anyway. A pair of more experienced climbers had set off ahead of us and we watching them zig-zagging across the face to avoid the crevasses. We learned that the upper crevasses were impassible so the four of us retreated and climbed up Frechay Col instead for some views.
Centennial Hut requires a helicopter to get there and this video would not have been possible without the support of The Helicopter Line! To get to Centennial Hut yourself check them out at:
www.helicopter.co.nz/
To read about our experience at Centennial Hut check out the blog Jenna put together:
www.stokedforsaturday.com/2016...
About the Series:
Living a Kiwi Life is about a Canadian couple (me and Jenna) who have lived in Canada all our lives and made the decision to move to New Zealand having never gone there before. We quit our jobs, sold our houses and cars and left everything we knew to explore an unknown.
Stoked for Saturday Links:
Blog: www.stokedforsaturday.com
Instagram: / stokedforsaturday
Facebook: / stokedforsaturday
Twitter: / stoked4saturday
Snapchat: @stoked4saturday
Music:
KingLeo - An Adventure (audiojungle.net)
Shot with:
GoPro Hero 4 bit.ly/GoProHero4Camera
DJI Phantom 2 Drone bit.ly/DJIPhantom2Drone
Canon 5D Mark III bit.ly/Canon5DMarkIIICamera
Canon 16-35mm F/2.8L lens bit.ly/Canon16-35mm
Canon 70-200mm F/4L lens bit.ly/Canon70-200mmLens
Glidecam HD-2000 bit.ly/GlideCam2000
For business inquiries and licensing email [e-mail]

[@Andy_M986]

The Music matches the Grandeur of our little country,so uplifting,hope you are both well.

[@surfdetective]

right when we thought it couldnt get any better.......just amazing....

[@Stokedforsaturday]

haha yah, this one ranks pretty high on the epic scale.

[@wernerkalders5543]

Really enjoyed watching all 55 episodes with my wife. Your video's gave us much a better view on what to expect from New Zealand. A lot better than any travel guide!

[@Stokedforsaturday]

Thanks Werner, that's awesome you made it through all 55! We still have more to come but will be posting some other videos before I get to editing episode 56. Many of the guides repeat the same generic locations over and over (Milford Sound, Hobbiton, Fox Glacier etc.) and while those are all great there are so many more things that never get advertised. Our favorite guide is called NZ Frenzy. It has a lot of the free roadside stuff listed (waterfalls, caves etc.) which helps you get the most out of your time driving around the country.

[@wernerkalders5543]

We'll definitely check out the NZ Frenzy, thanks for the tip! We plan on doing quite some 1-day walks actually or multiple smaller ones in 1 day. The great walks sound nice as well but my wife has some problems with her knees at the moment so that won't work for now. I'll also have my gopro + gimbal with me so I hope I'll be able to make some nice holiday videos that look nearly half as good as yours when I'm back home :)

[@Stokedforsaturday]

Some shorter walks with not too much vertical (hard on knees) might be Rob Roy Glacier walk (highly recommended), Hokitika Gorge or Three Sister Beach (Elephant Rock video). Have a great trip!

[@TheeMrRasmus]

Honestly one of the most stunningly beautiful videos I've seen in a long time! First of all, what you're doing is amazing! Secondly, I was in New Zealand 14 years ago with my family and ever since I have wanted to go back to live there, these videos just make my urge even stronger! Thank you for keeping my dream lit!

[@Stokedforsaturday]

I hope you get to go move back someday. I have a feeling Jenna and I might face the same dilemma now that we're back in Canada.

[@felixlaupc]

New Zealand - land of dream.

[@ondersustik6639]

Great one guys! 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

[@nwmstudios]

I've been waiting for a new video from you guys for (what seems like) ages!!!! Well worth the wait, fabulous video!!

[@Stokedforsaturday]

haha thanks, the editing has taken a back seat recently with wedding planning, job changes and getting housing sorted. I hope to be back on a regular schedule after the wedding. Thanks for the patience ;)

[@chumiti]

I hope for new kiwi life vids. I made up a list of places where I'm going when I'm in nz just by watching these awesome vids 😍

[@Stokedforsaturday]

Glad the videos helped you plan your trip! Bust of luck with your adventure!

[@JohnVHaysProductions]

Beautifully shot! Well Done!

[@Stokedforsaturday]

Thanks John.

[@GoodLife-wt1kh]

well done!! you are very brave ☺ lovely shots thanks.

[@Stokedforsaturday]

:)

[@petrapohlidalova9201]

Wow. Well done!

[@alessandrorizzi2493]

Amazing adventure, great to see you there!

[@Stokedforsaturday]

glad you liked it!

[@rickgrims9057]

Great vid guys. Keep up the good work!!

[@Stokedforsaturday]

Thanks!

[@ttrengrove]

You are teaching kiwis about our own country! Thank you for that. Will you come back and include the Copeland Pass?

[@Stokedforsaturday]

We planned on doing the Copeland track a number of times, unfortunately every time we tried there were weather problems. I'm terms of going all the way past the Welcome Flat to Copeland pass it was something we considered but never got to do. We have a number of peaks that are high on our to-do list when we come back (e.g., Mitre Peak, Mt Green, McPhearson Talbot Traverse etc.)

[@thiswanderfuljourney2955]

Really cool videos, I'm glad I found your channel! :)

[@Stokedforsaturday]

I'm glad you found it too!

[@obitelj-juric]

great video....watching next one :-)

[@Stokedforsaturday]

cool, glad you like them. There are quite a few in our NZ series.

[@Leon_96]

Amazing! I've been in NZ for only 3 weeks but it was such a great time. And I really regret that I didn't stayed longer. I really admire what you guys are doing. I want to do the same as soon as I've finished to study. You surely want to help me to move to NZ :P No really I think it isn't an easy step to break out of every day life. But once you've done it, it's a great feeling I guess. And I hope I'll make this step too in a few years!

[@Stokedforsaturday]

It's a difficult decision to make that a not a lot of people are able to commit to because of the unknown factor. However it was one of the best leap's of faith we've ever taken to move to NZ. In fact our first blog post is about exactly that: www.stokedforsaturday.com/2013/08/taking-the-plunge/

[@DylanZanin]

Awesome filming in those conditions :)

[@Stokedforsaturday]

thanks, it was certainly a challenge. Most of our mountaineering adventures go un-filmed so I'm glad we got a chance to capture this one.

[@JesherandNilasha]

wow, nice videos and equipment's sir, hope I have those too. I really really love travel videos

[@Stokedforsaturday]

Thanks! most of this video was filmed with our little point and shoot camera and the GoPro on the wearable gimbal as using our big camera wasn't an option in many places.

[@shuculele]

WTF? So pro man... The climbing and the footage... Everything!! I remember when I had the wishes to go to new zealand,I found your videos and they help me to decide to, such a beauty.

[@Stokedforsaturday]

Awesome to hear the videos has such and influence in your decision! Are you in New Zealand now?

[@shuculele]

noop, I couldn't have a place in the working holiday visa... so I have to come back (im from mexico) but i spend the best four month driving around.

[@Stokedforsaturday]

4 months is perfect, many people come and don't stay long enough to see anything but 4 months is a good long period of time!

[@shuculele]

yes for sure... mmm i drove from Auckland to bluff, the get up to Christchurt from Queenstown coast and then went back home hahaha. My fav city from north island is Wellington and Napier, the south island dunedin was the greatest

[@Stokedforsaturday]

awesome, glad you got to see a lot of the country!

[@Harrisonjcole1]

I just want to applaud you on your ability in capturing the beauty that is New Zealand, I cant think of a better advertisement for tourism and instilling a desire for adventure then videos like yours. I can tell you have an incredible passion for what you do by the quality of your content. Thanks for inspiring me

[@Stokedforsaturday]

Thanks Harrison, I'm glad the videos have provided some inspiration. Watching them just makes us want to do more which is great motivation for us as well!

[@Mav4]

Gosh you two are soooo epic! haha thank you so much for sharing your adventures.

[@Stokedforsaturday]

glad you liked it. This one was challenging to film.

[@Curiouscalifornians]

So beautiful!!!!!!

[@Stokedforsaturday]

This was one of the most beautiful huts we have stayed at. Any aside from one other couple there was no one there!

[@Curiouscalifornians]

wow!!!

[@bryantfarmandforest]

This was amazing!

[@Stokedforsaturday]

glad you liked it!

[@oceans-hope]

amazing aerial shots!

[@Stokedforsaturday]

thanks, we had one drone crash here. Shortly after the scene where it was looking straight down at it us it went crazy and dropped form the sky. Luckily it wasn't damaged and obviously there was no one anywhere near us ;)

[@oceans-hope]

Yeah I know this feeling after a crash! At the first moment you think "oh no, my drone is completely destroyed" but at the end it still works fine :)

[@Stokedforsaturday]

Yep, I'm 2 for 3 on those situations. One time it bent the gimbal beyond repair.

[@mari.johnson]

This is so awesome! I'm adding it to my NZ bucket list for when I go back in a month!

[@Stokedforsaturday]

Hey Mari, I've seen a bunch of your videos! I hope you make it to Centennial Hut, it's a pretty special place, it will be cold up there this time of year!

[@Stokedforsaturday]

We finally have a mountaineering video! Turns out trying to make a video when your main concern is not dying usually means we don't film these types of things. But this time we managed it!

[@oldestpartofheaven]

great video! i did a helicopter trip around fox & franz-joseph glacier when i was in nz :) just one thing, as a headphone user, could you maybe start the video-sound with a fade in? almost blew my ears :/

[@Stokedforsaturday]

haha noted, fading in helicopter noise from now on ;)

[@Moock91]

Amazing!

[@Stokedforsaturday]

That is was!

[@TheVacationCouple]

This is amazing! Loved all the shots, editing & story. Cheers!

[@Stokedforsaturday]

thanks, it was an amazing trip and we're stoked we finally have a mountaineering video.

[@briantucker4255]

Absolutely amazing journey guys! SO Epic! Why on earth have you guys moved back to Canada??? Myself and my girlfriend are moving to New Zealand in September and have followed pretty much the exact same process as you guys! So stoked!

[@Stokedforsaturday]

Good question Brian. It would take a little while to explain on here but Jenna did write a blog about our reasons for going back to Canada: www.stokedforsaturday.com/2016/02/why-were-leaving-new-zealand-for-now/ We haven't ruled out going to back NZ. Although the important thing we learned about living in NZ is "how to live" which can be applied to any country you live in not just NZ. We intend to carry that lesson into our life in Canada so the stoke will continue! Have an awesome time with your move!

[@debasishdutta2542]

great

[@Stokedforsaturday]

:)

[@ScottAshmead]

So how many bets are on the table for when you guys go back? LoL. You guys leaving, almost made me question my plans to move there... great vid

[@Stokedforsaturday]

Well it wasn't easy to leave and we haven't ruled out going back. But I doubt it will be in the next couple of years.

[@dhrumilparekh8856]

I am planning my honeymoon in new Zealand and am seeing your videos to make a list of what to do in New Zealand. Love your videos guys. Love the music in the beginning. Any clue which it is?

[@Stokedforsaturday]

Glad our videos are helping you plan! The music is call: KingLeo - An Adventure. I try and list the must in the description of most of our videos if you're curious. Have a good honeymoon!

[@videoworks7731]

nice job not easy to achieve

[@Stokedforsaturday]

thanks!

[@BumbleBeeBeeRock]

God's Country :)))

[@BullshitTeam]

Great scenery! Maybe too epic music :D

[@Stokedforsaturday]

yah, I wasn't that keen on the song either but gave up looking for something more suitable after a several hours of searching.

[@BullshitTeam]

Yeah, I also hate finding good song for videos. It's hard. Sometimes when you find something what should be copyright free and after upload video you will see advertisment over your video anyway :( anyway I love your videos!

[@WhiteDragonflyMedia]

I just gotta ask...how did you do the heli taking off shot, did you leave the camera with someone, or did you go on a separate heli?

[@Stokedforsaturday]

We went on a separate heli that took off a few minutes later ;)

[@WhiteDragonflyMedia]

+Stoked for Saturday Ahhh....thanks for the answer! Keep up the great work, your channel is amazing.

[@AmyProctor]

What time of year is this? Looks warm at ground level and snowy in the peaks...

[@Stokedforsaturday]

This was at Christmas and it was very hot out. There is snow at this elevation year round though. It's rarely snowy at ground level in New Zealand, in the winter is might snow at ground level in the south island from time to time but it won't stick around.