A trip three years in the making finally came to fruition this season. With more open spaces and sheep that I thought I would ever see, it's easy to understand why it's the land that unites New Zealand's tapestry of peoples. Incredible mountain ranges board sparkling beaches reminiscent of the most tropical environments. We went through rain forest so thick and lush, I could have sworn it would have been easier to walk on it then through it. We swam in freezing lakes and ocean. We cheered on the All Blacks with the most intense of fans. We drank delicious coffee and wine to our hearts content. We met the kindest of souls. And all this in our crappy camper van that was older than me.
I tried to keep it to one photo a day, which was incredibly difficult. You'll forgive me if I cheated once. They are not necessarily the most treasured photos, but definitely the best summaries of days packed with unique sightings.
My love and respect for this nation has done nothing but grow from this incredible experience. To all you kiwis out there: you have a beautiful home.
Day 1: Drive from Queenstown, through Haast Pass to Jackson's Bay, the West Coast's most southern point.
Day 2: Desolate & beautiful Jackson's Bay
Day 3: Fox Glacier
Day 4: Franz Josef Glacier
Day 5: Okarito beach and the lone seal. This one was injured. We were ambushed by another. Yes, that's right, ambushed.
Day 6: The strange, the sad and the tacky; The Bushman's museum
Day 7: Tahua Track near Hokitika. Stairmaster ain't got nothing on this bush hike.
Day 8: Barrytown Knifemaking Workshop. Hammered, ground and polished ourselves.
Day 9: Punakaiki and the mystery of the Pancake Rock formations
Day 10: The longest swing bridge in NZ at Buller's Gorge
Day 11: The blue waters and bright yellow sands of Abel Tasman. Breathtaking.
Day 12: A little bit of Rugby World Cup fever in Nelson
Day 13: Renwick; a bike tour of Marlborough's wine country. Delicious Sav's and Pinot Noirs.
Day 14: Kaikoura's rocky beaches and seal colonies.
Day 15: Amidst the Christchurch rubble was the intersection of Peterborough and Montreal street, our respective hometowns. I call that fate.
Still day 15 (oops): The incredibly adorable french settlement of Akaroa, just an hour outside of Christchurch.
Day 16: The drive back to Queenstown via the impossibly blue waters of Lake Tekapo.
