New Zealand Adventures

I had a dream the other night that I was flying over these perfect blue lakes, majestic snow capped mountains and chilly little towns with smoke coming from fireplaces. The crisp, cool mountain air clashes with the salty sea air to make the only mix of perfect air that my lungs ever want to breathe. This is my fourth time in New Zealand and I've seen unbelievable vast amounts of this beautiful country, yet it still takes my breath away. I still can't seem to understand that all of this is real. The fact that so much of this country is still virtually untouched is beyond me. You can go to so many beaches and lakes and not see another single soul; no high rise condos, no water front million dollar houses, no hoards of people and cigarette butts everywhere, just land and water and untampered with beauty. 

Henry David Thoreau once said "Thank God men cannot fly, and lay waste the sky as well as the earth." I don't think there is anything I could say more than that. All I know is that I am getting on a plane in a week to go back to cities of hundreds of thousands of people and actual traffic and I could not be dreading it more. I'm happy to be going back to my family, friends and the Florida heat but even Naples Beach could never compare to the beauty of Hokitika, Greymouth, Westport, Sumner, Brighton or even Caroline Bay. I've gotten used to everything here and I'm not ready to leave, but I never really am. As you look at these photos, I'm sure you'll be able to see why I cannot wait to live here someday very soon. Enjoy.

Alexandra

The clock that looks over the entire town of Alexandra

Arrowtown

Old Cromwell

Clyde Dam, the largest dam in NZ

These next few photos are of the side of the road heading into Lindis Pass

Lindis Pass

Mt. Cook

Mt. Cook

Mt. Cook

These next two photos are on the road heading into Cromwell from Alexandra

The view from Mt. John, aka planet Hoth

Mt. John Observatory

Mt. John Observatory

The road up to Mt. John

Lake Pukaki

Lake Pukaki

These next photos are of one of my favourite cities in the entire world, Queenstown. If you ever go there, make sure you do the Big Night Out Pub Crawl and go bungy jumping off the Kawarau Bridge.

These next few photos are of A.J. Hackett Bungy Jumping on the Kawarau Bridge outside of Queenstown. When I was 9 years old my family and I came here and my big brother and Dad bungy jumped, but I was one year too young to do it. I promised myself I'd come back and do it someday, only I didn't know I'd be jumping with my cute, kiwi fiancé. Promise fulfilled.

These next photos are of Lake Tekapo, one of my favourite places in NZ

Lake Tekapo

These last three photos are from the most beautiful moment in my life. Josh and I were on the road in the frozen Lindis Pass and all the bushes and trees were covered hoar frost, so I made Josh stop the camper van on the side of the road so I could get some photos. We jumped a fence in this winter wonderland with snow covering the ground and mountains beside us and hoar frost on the branches of this little huddle of trees. As we stood under them, the wind blew and as we looked up into the trees and blue sky peeking through, the frost fell gently from the trees like snow falling. It is the most beautiful moment of my life so far. No matter where you are, always stop on the side of the road to catch beautiful moments.