Feb 10
In addition to being dazzled by New Zealand's breathtakingly beautiful scenery, we were also hoping to find some endless summer waves and drink some good New Zealand wine. The ocean didn't really cooperate, but one can always count on drinking wine as an available recreational activity.
Feb 8
Hoping to escape the predatory sandflies of the West Coast, we chose to drive over Arthur's pass, a well known route connecting the Tasman Sea to the rugged coastline of the Pacific. After our time in Mt. Cook, Milford sound, Queenstown, and the Haast pass, we found this pass to be a little overrated, but perhaps we've simply been spoiled.
Feb 6
We lucked out. Unit 27b, ours for 4 nights, was a corner flat with floor to ceiling windows offering commanding views of the Auckland harbor. Set at a latitude of 37degrees South, the sun casts a low light across the water, creating an ethereal feel as thunder storms moved swiftly in and out, alternating with vibrant blue skies.
Feb 4
“Come out, come out, wherever you are”, she called in a singsong whisper. I turned around to see Eilir hunched over a fallen, rotting log, knocking on its undergrowth of mushrooms with a birch stick. “Tinkerbell? Rosetta? Anybody home? You're safe to come out: it's only me, Eilir.” In the land of hobbits, elves, and orcs, there's no better place for a fairy to call home.
All of us were a little surprised by the dirty appearance of the glaciers in the Mt. Cook region. It was only later that we learned that the extremely high rate of glacier melt and recession had exposed layers upon layers of rock that gave the glaciers their dark appearance. In fact, we learned that the lakes at the base of the glaciers appeared only 30 years ago, an effect of global warming.
New Zealand is a land of inescapable beauty, where nature reigns supreme and darwinian concepts are constantly at play. From the ancient glaciers and soaring rocky peaks of the South Island to the rugged coastline, geothermal lakes, and volcanos of the North Island, New Zealand is a fitting end to our around the world adventure.
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