For as long as I can remember, I have dreamed of exploring the landscape and hiking the amazing mountains in New Zealand. So for my last two weeks abroad you bet your booty I finally made it there. With two friends, we spent 12 days exploring both islands. We started in the South Island in Christchurch, winding our way through Lake Tekapo, Mount Cook, Oamaru, Dunedin, Queenstown, Milford Sound, Wanaka, Haast Pass and finally going to Franz Josef. We rented a car and had the freedom to stop and go as we pleased and to really take in our surroundings and enjoy each place. We hiked Roy's Peak and part of Mount Cook, kayaked in Milford Sound, climbed glaciers in Franz Josef and saw more sunsets and sunrises than my heart could handle. After 9 days in the South Island, we headed over to the North Island to explore Auckland, Rotura, Lake Taupo, Mount Ruapehu, hike the world famous Tongariro Alpine Crossing and of course got to Hobbiton and see the Shire. The landscape on the North Island was dominated by rolling greens hills that held the possibility of hidden hobbits and geothermal pools in every direction. Overall, the landscape of NZ is ever changing, a constant shift of mountains and rolling hills, of purple flowers and pine trees. Every turn reveals a new landscape with a constant 360 view of mountains as the roads dip and turn through beautiful wilderness. It was everything I had dreamed of and more.
Here is an abundance of photos, it was too hard to narrow them down any more (musings continued after):
3 incredible hikes, 4 sunrises, 1 star gazing session, 12 days, 2 islands, 1 helicopter, 2 Americans, 1 glacier, 1 Brit, 1000 mountains, 18 PB&Js, 2 small cars, 1 killer burger, 3 hostels with working wifi, 1 kayaking trip, 5 lakes, 1 geyser, 2 Taylor Swift jam sessions and so many laughs and adventures later my heart is bursting with love for NZ. This trip was the perfect end to my time abroad. Spending 12 days surrounded by beautiful landscapes, adventurous people and amazing vibes was enough to keep me going for the next 5 years. So here is not only to New Zealand but also Australia for a semester full of wonderful adventurers and a much needed life cleanse. I am heading home ready to tackle anything and work to achieve all my dreams and goals. This will be my last blog post for a while, so to every one that followed along or read random posts here and there, you rock!
Cheers - keleniak
#heckyanewzealand