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Pictures of New Zealand NEW ZEALAND
Oh What A Difference A Day Makes
Fiordland is the largest national park in New Zealand, covering most of the southwest corner of the South Island. It is a vast and wet environment receiving up to 8,000 millimeters of rain per year in some parts of the region (a quick calculation reveals that this equates to over 24 feet of rain a year)! While the rain may drive you insane if you are trying to take pictures of a sunlit forest or lakeside scenery, the 200 hundred days of rain per year create a lush forest with spectacular views of pristine lakes and emerald green valleys.
One of the most famous and beautiful spots in Fiordland is the Milford Sound. It is renowned for the steep 7,000 foot mountains that fall sharply into the Sound. What is equally impressive and known as the most scenic road in New Zealand is the road leading to Milford Sound. The day we were to drive to the Sound, it just so happened that we woke up to grey skies. As we entered the immense glacier cut valleys along The Milford Road, it began to rain. Waterfalls quickly appeared, fearlessly pouring down the vertical dark rock mountains, cutting through the thick green vegetation, overflowing into the rivers that created the valleys thousands of feet below. Although this was an impressive site, the clouds shrouded many of the mountains on both sides of the road, preventing us from getting a full glimpse of the valleys in their grandeur. However, we were determined not to let the rain completely ruin our day.
Upon arriving at our destination, we boarded the Pride of Milford Red Boat to cruise the Milford Sound. A sound is a mass of water in which a river or lake’s void has been backfilled by seawater; yet, Milford Sound is actually a fiord. A fiord is a mass of water in which a receding glacier’s void has been backfilled by seawater. This makes for some dramatic views—a photographer’s delight! Chris was anxious to take photos, but it was raining quite hard when our half-empty 400-capacity catamaran pulled away from the dock.
At the onset of our tour, the captain explained that while the rain removes any hope of picture perfect sunlit peaks and glass-like water, at the same time, it provides an abundance of stunning waterfalls. The Milford Sound is approximately 17 kilometers long and because of the rain, it appeared that there was a 1000-foot waterfall every 10 meters. Water came tumbling down the mountains like it had been shot out of a cannon or a dam had just broke. In fact, so much rainwater drains into the Sound each year that several feet of fresh water create a layer atop the saltwater in the fiord. This unique phenomenon causes the clarity and light penetration to be less than a normal saltwater environment. As a result, sea life such as red and black coral, that would normally need to be very deep in order to survive, grow within meters of the surface in Milford Sound. In sum, we learned that the rain makes the Sound a very interesting place.
The beauty of not being part of a tour group is that we had the luxury and the flexibility to spend as much time as we wanted in Milford Sound. We decided to spend the night there and woke up to a pleasant surprise! While it was a freezing morning of 39°F inside our motor home, sunshine had appeared! We were so happy that we decided to stay one more day. Now we could see the tops of the mountains and the splendor of the deep valley around us. The thousands of waterfalls from the day before had faded away leaving only a few large ones and they did not crash with such force. However, the sun illuminated the South side of the valley just as we had imagined it would and the greenery on the vast mountains appeared as if it grew horizontally, like a wide blanket stretching as far as the eye could see. On a walk, we saw bright orange mistletoe flowers and could hear the loud chirp of the kea, a mountain parakeet indigenous to New Zealand’s South Island. We enjoyed the sight of other large birds too, drying their feathers in the sun and light breeze. The moss soaked up the sun, the mussels opened up at low tide, and all of nature seemed to be basking in the morning sunlight just as we were.
After taking more than twenty photos of the gleaming scenery surrounding us, we talked about how different the two experiences of the Sound were for us. While we were initially disappointed about the rain on our first day, once the sunshine came, we were able to appreciate how stunning the Sound was with all of the waterfalls. According to the local guides, the waterfalls disappear within only two hours after the rain has ended. Had we been on a tour, we would not have had the chance to wait around and see the Sound in all of its splendor--rain and shine. Oh, what a difference a day makes! Pictures of New Zealand
Destination New Zealand: Adventure Capital of the World!
New Zealand is known for many things such as its untouched landscape, thermal lakes, and abundance of sheep (35 sheep to every one person by the way). While the natural beauty of the country is certainly unquestionable, we dare say that its main attraction for 18-35 years olds is the never-ending choice of adventure activities. From bungy jumping to jet boating, abseiling to spelunking, scuba diving to alpine trekking, New Zealand offers an array of sports for the timid beginner to the all time thrill seeker.
Whether you find yourself in the North Island or South Island, you are sure to be greeted by many adventure companies, each trying to lure you into the newest and craziest attraction. Like driving a motorhome on the left side of the road was not an experience in itself, Chris and I had signed up for our first excursion only 24 hours into our road trip. In the North Island, in a town called Waitomo, we arranged for a three-hour spelunking trip with the famous Black Water Rafting Company (BWRC). BWRC is the pioneer in Waitomo for a sport called cave tubing, a type of spelunking or cave touring with an inner tube. This unique activity would afford us the chance to explore subterranean rivers that flow through ancient cave systems 50 to 60 meters (app. 150-180 feet) underground.
Outfitted in full wetsuits, rubber boots, a helmet, and lamps strapped to our heads, Chris and I plunged into chilly waters for a practice exercise before entering the caves. Our guide wanted us to get comfortable moving around in our gear and wading in our inner tubes. Thinking that the practice was rather easy, we confidently forged ahead to the cave’s entrance. Boy, were we in for a surprise! Our first task was to climb down a dark network of rocks and then to drift in a river for 15 feet laying flat on our backs. Balancing our bodies flat on top of our inner tubes, we used our hands to push ourselves while staring at an enormous slab of rock on top of us, coming literally within a few inches of our noses. Those were the longest 15 feet we had ever experienced! Chris said to himself, “This is crazy, but I like it!”
Finally, we reached an area in the cave that was high enough for us to stand up. Phew—we were beginning to wonder what we had gotten ourselves into. Just as Angele was breathing a sigh of relief, we began to navigate through rocks only to have to jump off a six foot waterfall, trusting our guide that a rock would not pierce our rears through our inner tubes! Luckily for Angele, the guide was very experienced leading pregnant women (a pre-requisite for us before agreeing to do the trip) and was able to take Angele down some rocks where she could slide down from only 2 feet high. After that, we formed an inner tube link with the rest of the group for the most stunning part of the trip: a view of glowworms in their natural environment.
Glowworms are the larvae stage of a fly. In this stage, their fluorescent green glow attracts food. Additionally, the larvae dangle an eight-inch thread of saliva to catch more food. At first glance, these threads appear invisible to the eye but with a bit of light from our guide’s flashlight, we instantly saw thousands of saliva strands hanging like delicate tinsel from the ceiling of the cave. Who would have known what splendor existed so far beneath the earth’s surface!
Continuing down the river, all that we could hear was the water lapping against the rocks. All we could smell was the damp scent of moisture. We felt isolated so far beneath the ground and yet so fortunate to be having this “other-world” experience. As we neared the end of our trip, we began to see light. The cave’s exit opened up into a beautiful valley with rays of sunshine penetrating the forest canopy. We had survived our first New Zealand adventure! While we felt cold and hungry, we were exhilarated!
After our spelunking trip, Chris and I were excited about all of the adventures we would encounter on our trip. Check out our photos below! You will be able to see just how much there is to do in New Zealand, including a 134 meter (app. 390 feet) bungy jump! By the way, no need to worry about mom-to-be. Angele opted not to do the bungy! Pictures of New Zealand
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