Milford Sound

Day trip from Queenstown to Milford Sound, a long 13 hour day but I was glad I was travelling via bus than driving myself.

Wanaka, New Zealand

It was a delight to see the sun today and what a beautiful place.

 

Punakaiki, Franz & Fox

Punakaiki -the weather is still pretty rainy but good enough to continue with my journey, well that was until the last 40km. Before leaving Punakaiki went to look at the world famous pancake rocks and blowholes

 

 

So the drive started out fine, a little rain here and there but the rain really started to pick up about 40km before my destination. I could also see the destruction from the storm from a few days earlier, the trees even though they had been cleared from the roads where everywhere and as I got closer to Franz Josef you could see the power lines were down. I began to get a little paranoid about the power lines on a ground and the huge puddles and me in my little pink metal car.

 

Funny as it sounds I didn't care a bit when my accommodation told me that there was no power and it had been out for a couple of days already, all I wanted was a dry place to rest. (It was so wet that I had to leave my luggage in the car).

 

Good news power was restored later that evening, yeah heat and the drying all of my wet gear can begin.

 

It's funny the little things you forget, in the early evening the air raid siren went off, I got a little confused, after travelling to places like Thailand and other island nations my first instinct was tsunami but remembering from my childhood this is the call out sound for the fire volunteers. Phew I did notice that a few other guest popped their heads out the door to also see what was going on.

 

Sunday April 20, 2014

 

It was nice waking up to the sounds of the native birds, I manage to take a quick trip to the glacier between breaks in the rain.

 

In the afternoon I decided that I didn't want to be stuck inside all day so I covered myself and all of my camera gear with plastic and went for a walk alone on of the walking tracks. I got drenched but it was a nice walk.

 

 



Kaikoura to Nelson

So the plan for today was to go on a whale watching cruise in the morning and drive to Nelson in the afternoon. However the cruise was cancelled due to the weather. So I began my drive early.

 

couldn't resist stopping at Cloudy Bay for a taste test

Got stuck in a traffic jam for around 1 hour near Rai Valley on State Highway #6, couldn't get out of the car due to  a colony of wasps hovered around the car.

Kaikoura

Today I travel 135km from Hanmer Springs to the seaside town of Kaikoura

Beautiful countryside

more beautiful countryside

Once I had arrive at Kaikoura I had a few hours until night, so I went to find seals at the Kaikoura Peninsula. There is a few walking track which takes you down to where the seals can be found.

my pic of the day

Christchurch to Hanmer Springs

Teresa Parker Photography takes you to New Zealand in April 2014. A month long adventure with the highlight, a 2 week road trip around the South Island visiting Hanmer Springs, Kaikoura, Nelson, Punakaiki, Franz Joseph Glacier, Wanaka, Queenstown and Mount Cook.

The road-trip has begun, today I traveled in my little pink rental car from Christchurch to Hanmer Springs 135 km north west along highway 7.

Hanmer Springs

Autumn

I went for a walk and found some beautiful fungus

Beautiful colours of Autumn

As the clouds set in I will call it a night

Christchurch 2014

Teresa Parker Photography takes you to New Zealand in April 2014. A month long adventure with the highlight, a 2 week road trip around the South Island visiting Hanmer Springs, Kaikoura, Nelson, Punakaiki, Franz Joseph Glacier, Wanaka, Queenstown and Mount Cook.

After a couple of days catching up with family we venture into Christchurch city on Sunday 13th April.

After devouring a delicious Souvlaki from Dimitris Greek Food located at the Restart Mall, Cashel Street (if you get a chance to eat here I highly recommend it) We wondered through "The Square" I have been to Christchurch several time since the earthquakes and it is nice each time I revisit the changes and progress being made. 

 Tourist viewing what was once the Christchurch Cathedral, a somber moment to reflect on the destruction and devastation of February 22, 2011 and a chance to move forward and focus on the future.