We are absolutely loving New Zealand!!!!!!!!!! It is the most beautiful country!
I'm not sure I ever want to leave, lol. We have been having a blast exploring the the South Island. We went to Cardrona for some skiing (my dad and brother went Heliskiing, but because of recently fracturing my leg, I wanted to spend considerably less money getting my legs back on snow).
We went to Milford Sound on the ferry where there are hundreds of waterfalls. We went to Glenorchy 2x for some hiking on a section of the Routeburn Track (hike), a well known 20 mile hike, as well as looking for some Lord of the Rings scenery. "The Routeburn Track achieved international recognition as one of the world's places of 'outstanding universal value' when UNESCO listed Te Wahipounamu - South West New Zealand World Heritage Area in 1990" (https://www.therouteburntrack.com/history-geology/).
We went to Arrowtown for more hiking and shopping and wineries. There is so much fabulous hiking here I had no idea about. We stayed at Nomad's Hostel in Queenstown for 1 week, which was a great base camp, but we were also happy to leave it behind as we continued our road trip north.
Moke Lake area hiking. Hungry ducks waddle towards Andrzej for his snacks. This was before they attacked Sybil while she ate her sandwich :(
While the animals here aren't that much different than back home in the Northeast, they do seem genuinely more friendly or less scared of us. There are thousands and thousands of sheep filled fields as we drive along roads tucked between mirror lakes, the Tasman Sea and the snow capped Southern Alps. They have an Alpine Parrot, who they claim is the smarted bird on the planet.
Moke Lake
Moke Lake Hike (Track)
Drive from Glenorchy to Queenstown along Lake Wakatipu
Andrzej enjoying the scenery.
One of the well established trails and bridges near Milford Sound. Doesn't seem like winter time at this lower altitude.
Milford Sound (Piopiotahi in Maori after the piopio bird) is part of the Fiordland National Park and also a Unesco World Heritage site and is spectacular along the 16km glacier formed inlet to the Tasman Sea. Rudyard Kipling even considered it as the "eighth wonder of the world". We learned on our cruise that it is not in fact a "Sound" by definition, but it is a "Fiord" - a water inlet surrounded by sheer-sided mountains.
One of the waterfalls our cruise boat came up to with water that was "guaranteed" to make us look and feel 20 years younger.
Just a taste of the color pallet and serenity of New Zealand in winter time.
It's nearly impossible to drive anywhere in quickly because of all the stops to take pictures (like this one) along the way. So little traffic, so many beautiful panoramic views.
Hiking a small portion of the Routeburn track with Alan Idelkope.
One of my all time favorite hikes. Winter on one side and green lush forests on the other. Bliss! Feeling grateful to be here and able to enjoy this place.
New Zealand is very thoughtful about protecting its environment by providing nice bathrooms along the trail such as this one.
Another waterfall...
Lake Wakatipu.
Haast Beach. This place reminded us of Scarborough Beach in Maine. They are different, of course, and each is very special and unique, but it reminded us of our home. It reminded us that we should enjoy this time in our lives and that there is tranquility and beauty in the world and to be still and appreciate the small moments we share.
We thought the rope bridges along the trail were pretty cool. Many trails, as it turns out, have extensive bridging.