Postcards from New Zealand
After awhile, exploring New Zealand made us terribly homesick.
The South Island is as stunning as everyone says, and the fact that a single day’s drive through mountain ranges took us from one craggy coast to another of dense rainforest is quite unique and astounding. But overall, and please trust us when we say we mean this with no disrespect whatsoever, we have seen much of it before. Maybe not in such a tiny little exciting package, but for us, the quote in the sidebar of this post is bang on.
The upshot is that because we love and are proud of our own country’s beauty, that means we left New Zealand with a lot of admiration as well.
Because as you can tell through the postcards below, what’s not to love?
Road to Mount Cook
Queenstown
Gemstone Beach
Brighton Rocks
Kayaking Mapourika Lake with Glacier Country Kayaks
Still water kayak with Glacier Country Kayaks
Inside Franz Josef Glacier, heli-hiking with The Helicopter Line.
A view of Franz Josef Glacier, from The Helicopter Line.
how to do it
While some of our excursions were provided complimentary, as always, all opinions are our own.
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I had the exact same feeling traveling through NZ! I kept thinking how similar it was to so many different parts of Canada that I’d seen, particularly the Rockies and BC. Not just in scenery, but in spirit as well. I felt that the adventurous spirit, the laid back nature, it had a very Canadian feel to it. OR… we have a very New Zealand feel to us? Either/or, it’s a stunning country and felt very much like home. On the plus side, travel distances were phenomenally shorter!
Definitely shorter travel distances! Agreed that it is definitely stunning for scenery, just nothing really unfamiliar for us. Thanks Victoria!
I agree that the South Island looks very much like the Rockies and that NZ and Canada have a very similar vibe with similar people. For Canadians I would actually recommend the North Island over the South as it is quite different to Canada with the sub tropical north, white sand beaches and volcanic activity – I hope you guys make it there next time (I was just back in the South Island for 10 days after six years away and it made me feel very homesick for the Rockies after living there for six weeks this summer)
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We haven’t even been to the north island, but funny enough I would recommend the same (unless said Canadian had never been to Alberta or BC) 🙂
Hamner Springs and Pancake Rocks! Neither of these were on my radar at all before seeing these postcards. Staggeringly gorgeous. Can’t wait to see more from NZ!
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Excellent, there’s a track just before the pancake rocks (north) that is worth checking out. I forget the name of it, but if you make it there pop into the visitor center and they will tell you.
Amazing postcards 🙂 I haven’t been to Hanmer springs either, but just fyi.. you have it spelled wrong 😉
These photos are beyond incredible. Can we borrow Pete for our next journey to take pictures? We promise to feed him.
Cheers,
Larissa and Michael
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You should be careful, I can eat a lot 😉
Wow, it is very reminiscent of the Canadian Rockies (brought back memories from our trip). I can see why it made you homesick…what a beautiful destination!
Nikki recently posted..Our Gas RV – Reducing Squeaks, Rattles & Engine Noise
Simply AWESOME! I want to pack my bags and go to New Zealand right now!!
Arti (@artisdiary) recently posted..Top 7 highlights from BNLF 2015 | IndiBlogger, Mumbai.
Well, your photos certainly make a compelling argument for visiting! Stunning!
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Wow Pete, you’re a very talented photographer. I love your photograph of Hooker Valley, it’s a place I’ve yet to explore… Thank you for inspiring me 🙂
Annabella Dean recently posted..Driving Itinerary: New Zealand’s South Island In 14 Days – Part 1