happy medium

Some sexy bastard lost in the undergrowth:

The infamous sandfly:

After Arrowtown we headed to the Glacier. The weather was not on our side, and by the time we got to Fox Glacier it was tipping it down. So much in fact the helicopter ride to the top of the glacier and the hike on it had to be canceled, but this meant we could spend the saved money on a breath taking flight to Milford Sound.

Seals!

Next few snaps are a good example of how the weather can change so dramatically in a short space of time and distance as you head through the Alps:

After our our first few days in Queenstown, we had booked in a trip out to the West Coast, passing though Wanaka and the Haast Past before reaching Fox Glacier about half a days drive away. First stop was Arrowtown, a former gold rush town thats kept it’s original charm:

The weather was mint the first few days in Queenstown, so on our second day there we decided to head up the Remarkables mountain range. Mum quickly regretted this idea as vertigo soon kicked in, but the views were spectacular. The Remarkables are really that by name and nature, being very distinctive with jagged peaks, and one of only two ranges which run directly north to south. They’re about 2340 metres tall (just shy of 8000 ft) and we managed to get a good two thirds of the way up on the ski-field unsealed road.

and some none-bird bonuses:

view from the hotel room:

taking the gondola up, that’s the bungee jump ledge on the right:

Jet boat on the right:

Enjoying a glass of wine while watching the helicopters:

First glimpse of the Southern Alps:

My designs for a music video I’m working on:

Our last day exploring the Northlands, and I ended up doing a fair bit of driving. We headed down the west coast, stopping off at the Kauri trees hidden in the bush.

This fella is Tāne Mahuta, or “Lord of the Forest”. He’s the largest Kauri in the world – standing at 51 metres (169 feet) in height, and is believed to be two and a half thousand years old. Māori believe all living creatures in the forest are his children. There were probably larger and older Kauri in New Zealand, until most were felled for timber. Kauri have one of the higest timber yields of all trees. They are now protected and slowly making a come back (takes a little time to grow….)

We then decided to cut across the Northlands, back to Langs Beach and Waipu Cove. Mum and Alex enjoyed a great seafood supper (everything caught locally of course), and we enjoyed the sunset before heading back to Auckland and then the flight to Queenstown!