Month: July 2014

Lake Pukaki, New Zealand

I’m going through the 3,500 photos I shot in New Zealand, and this is one of my favorites so far. It’s actually 2 photos stitched together. The views were astoundingly expansive. One photo would never capture what nature presented for wonder. And, as beautiful as the photo is, if I say so myself, it doesn’t begin to capture the scene!… Continue reading

NZ’s Southern Alps Helicopter Adventure

On day 13 of our New Zealand explorations, we took a 40 minute helicopter tour from the tiny town of Franz Josef Glacier, population 100 (out of season residents) – 300 (tourist season residents). We were in town during their off season—lots of locals who all knew each other, and a handful of young tourists, then: us. The little town… Continue reading

New Zealand: Day 15 – A Very, Very, Very Long Travel Day

The day started at 4:00am. Ug! Things went fairly close to script. My bag was lighter returning home than going. How the bag became lighter is beyond me. I added a stuffed, plush, Kiwi, who, having heard so much about him, wanted to meet The Pinkerton back in the states. Much to my disappointment, I was unable to sleep on… Continue reading

New Zealand: Day 14 – TranzAlpine Train Ride to Christchurch

The Drive This morning we drove from Franz Josef up to Greymouth to take the TranzAlpine train ride back to Christchurch. This trip was north, rather close to the Tasman Sea coast, and the last 50 kilometers or so were directly on the coast, though the road is never immediately next to the water. The coastline is mostly undeveloped, and… Continue reading

New Zealand: Day 13 – Franz Josef Glacier

“Log Cabin” As with every place we have stayed, this morning’s breakfast at the lodge featured unexpected views. These mountain views were not obstructed by any clouds. Today was a sunny day. I absolutely love the bar soap this lodge uses. It’s called Palmarosa, Patchouli & Poppy Seed Soap and is made by Jaymar Soap and Body.  The poppy seeds… Continue reading

New Zealand: Day 12 – Mount Aspiring National Park

Breakfast This morning we had a delicious breakfast with numerous treats all prepared by our breakfast chef, Sarah. She is in her early 20s and is from San Luis Obispo, CA. Talking with her was interesting. I asked her why she chose to work down here in New Zealand. She replied that when she realized she could live any where… Continue reading

New Zealand: Day 11 – Wanaka

Today we drove back along the front of The Remarkables along Lake Wakatipu, heading toward Queenstown. This is such a gorgeous drive. We stopped for a bathroom break at a little roadside shop in the middle of nothing. They had all kinds of artist’s wares in this quaint little café. We also stopped in Kingston again, but this time we… Continue reading

New Zealand: Day 10 – Milford Road and Milford Sound

Among the things that are very popular here in New Zealand that I truly love: Heated floors. The tiled floors in every bathroom have been heated. Oooooh! This is so nice! In Akaroa, even the carpeted floors were heated. I had never encountered that before! The shower heads in the bathrooms produce a generous amount of water, evenly spread out.… Continue reading

New Zealand: Day 9 – Te Anau

After breakfast, I returned to the room and downloaded and backed up my photos. This process took a good bit of time because I had at least a couple thousand time lapse shots in addition to my normal photography for the trip. Digital work completed, we left The Matakauri Lodge around 10:30. It was difficult to say good bye to… Continue reading

New Zealand: Day 8 – Exploring the Queenstown Area

The cloud bank over the mountain range to the right lifted in the night. The fresh snow is beautiful. This place is remarkably, no, shockingly beautiful. After breakfast we hiked down to the dock and walked along the lake’s coastline. The views of the sun-drenched mountain were definitely picture-worthy. I shot a time lapse of the shadows changing on the… Continue reading