Wednesday, January 14, 2015

New Zealand Part 2: The South Island

While the north island is known for it's thermal spas, Maori culture, and generally more people, the South Island is known for its majestic Southern Alps, adventure opportunities, and general lack of people. Both have verdant countrysides and very windy roads, but I think the spectacular views of the South Island speak mostly for themselves. 2,000 South Island kilometers later, I think I preferred the unpopulated wilderness of the western south. The contrasts of teal water, jagged coastlines, snow capped mountains and green temperate rainforests were breathtaking.

A river between Picton and Nelson

Murchison
 


The West Coast

Punakaiki (aka pancake rocks)


Franz Joseph Glacier

Waterfall along the Haast Pass through Mount Aspiring National Park

Driving through Haast Pass 
 

Queenstown and the Remarkables, where it was so crowded with holiday tourists we came and went.

 Fiorland National Park as the clouds cleared--more on this later!

The one bedroom motel in the farmlands of Tokanui

The Southern tip of New Zealand

Mclean Falls in the Catlins

The Catlin Coast
 For my dad!

The dry Central Otago with a selection of animal pelts

Omaru, a small town on the East Coast on the way to Christchurch...

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