Just back from 8 days in Mt Aspiring national park in NZ. We got very lucky with the weather (summiting last Wednesday - noone managed later in the week) and all in all it's a truly stunning place to climb.
The NW ridge was challenging for a novice like myself, but a great bit of mixed terrain (we climbed the kangaroo) with loads of exposure to keep the heart pulsing.
If anyone heads down that way and wants any advice or recommendations just drop me a message.