I took this back over a year ago in New Zealand. It was pretty frosty before the sun came up and so when it did we all started peeling off the layers. Nevertheless, getting here early was epic and this moment as the sun rose over the Remarkable mountain range epitomized the natural beauty of the area. Now, I just have to figure out when I’m going back.
Queenstown River Dock
On a rainy day I walked around the Frankton Arm of Lake Wakatipu in Queenstown. This was in Autumn so the leaves were changing. At the higher elevation it was snowing and this location is at the foot of the Remarkables mountain range. So while it rained here, at higher elevations it snowed such that as the clouds cleared we were treated to pristine snow capped mountains. All in all it was a beautiful introduction to a beautiful country.
Bendemeer Sunset
This is from Bendemeer which is a residential community just outside Queenstown New Zealand. I was just thinking how this looks just like my backyard, …not! Well, in my dreams this is my backyard and so I go here from time to time in daydreams throughout the day when I should be doing something more productive. But what are we if not for our dreams. So here is a glimpse into my dreamscape, straight from the southern island of New Zealand. Good night and sweet dreams.
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Frankton Arm of Wakatipu
When I first arrived in New Zealand I was a little overwhelmed by the beauty and landscapes. But it didn’t take long for me to snap out of it and start taking pictures of my immediate surrounds, like this one from right in front of our hotel in Frankton. Frankton is a little village just outside of Queenstown proper where the airport is located at the foot of the Remarkables mountain range. It had just rained and if you look closely you can see the snow on the mountains over Queenstown. Anyway, this was taken in autumn just before winter in the southern hemisphere so the trees still had color, but now I imagine this scene looks very different as New Zealand enters summer.
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End of the Earth
This is another shot of New Zealand’s southern alps I captured earlier this year from a helicopter. There’s no question this was one of the more spectacular things I have experienced. Not sure I can adequately describe what it’s like but I do remember that the adrenalin had me pretty much wired for about two days after. Since I can’t describe it, just imagine yourself thousands of feet up with no doors and looking out at this scene. And if you can come up with the right words you’re way better than me.
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Lake Hayes
This is Lake Hayes in southern New Zealand. I was here about six months ago and I already miss it. I think the thing I miss the most is the amount of wide-open space with amazing landscapes. Certainly we have beauty in North America, it’s there, waiting, not going anywhere. My ambition is changing a little bit and I’m craving more and more landscapes. I guess it’s one of those things that once you get hooked on you keep looking for new vistas wherever you go. That’s probably not a bad thing.
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Cottage at Lake Hays
In between Queenstown and Arrowtown in New Zealand is Lake Hayes. This cottage sits right on the lake and can be rented. I was staying at a hotel but I have my eyes on this for the next time. When I go on vacation I like to wake up in places that are spectacular and take me far away from normal life. This is one of those places so it’s high on the list. The little hill reminds me of a cottage my grandmother used to have. When I was four or five I used to ride a red wagon down the hill full speed, quite often crashing at the bottom. It was so much fun that I’d get right up and do it again. Isn’t that a kick in the pants. 😉
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Skippers Canyon Ridgeline
While in New Zealand I was with a group that hiked down Skippers Canyon road not far from Queenstown. When we started in the morning it was chilly but by the time we hiked back the layers were peeled off as the sun rose above the mountains. This ridgeline was opposite the road we traveled and from this vantage I could begin to get a sense of the scale. Just behind this ridge was an extreme mountain bike trail and while I didn’t see anyone on it, I could tell that on a scale of one to ten it was an eleven. The only thing more exhilarating might be bungee jumping which by the way was available at the bottom of the trail. And if that wasn’t enough you could finish the day with a raft ride down some class three rapids. Lets just say Kiwis know how to have a good time.
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Sundown Across the Field
This was taken from Bendemeer which is a residential area just outside of Queenstown, New Zealand. I’ve posted several pictures from here, I was with a group that had a couple of hours to walk around before sundown. New Zealand has no snakes or predators to speak of so for all intents and purposes you could just lay down here in this grass and take a nap. That’s such a cool idea, one I’d not try here in Florida unless I was on the beach. But then, that’s just part of the magic of this land across the sea.
First Morning
On my first morning in New Zealand we were something like eight hours out of sync and so waking up early was pretty easy. I went outside before dawn and was rewarded with this. I’ve seen a lot of beautiful sunrises and sunsets in Florida and this rated way up there on the awesome scale. Maybe it was just a bit of luck but it felt supernatural. And supernatural magic seemed to follow us each day, it’s hard to explain but while we were there it seemed very real. That is one trip you should put on your bucket list. I’m putting on my redo list.
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