NZ Earth Porn
South Island, New Zealand (NZ)
I recently went on a local road trip around the south island of New Zealand and thought you guys might like some of the photos. The trip started in Christchurch and over the course of 10 days we drove to Lake Tekapo, Wanaka, Cromwell, Queenstown, Te Anau (said t-are-now), Milford Sound, the Catlins, Dunedin and back to Christchurch as a loop. If you come to NZ this is the most visited area and in my opinion the best views.
In Wanaka we did a 6 hour straight up hike to the top of Roys peak. The view is spectacular and I would recommend it to everyone who visits. If you make the trip don't stop at the viewing area. It is only an extra 30mins to the top and the 360 deg view is amazing. In New Zealand all national parks are free to visit but if you enjoy the walk/area we recommend adding a donation to the box as the Department of Conservation (DoC) who look after the area are often under funded.
Roys Peak, Wanaka, New Zealand
Pan view: Roys Peak, Wanaka, New Zealand
The drive to the Milford sound is beautiful to say the least. It was completely different terrain to where I live in Christchurch which is quite flat. Milford Sound is actually a fiord not a sound which means that it was formed when a glacier retreats.
Drive to Milford Sound, New Zealand
On the drive into the Milford sound there are lots of stops and rest points which are a must. The Mirror lakes are named that way because the lakes are so still and clean, the water creates a reflection of the hills behind them.
Mirror Lakes, Milford Sound, New Zealand
Another stop was Lake Marian which is a 3 hour hike. The track was a little muddy to get there but the water was cool, clean and fresh.
Lake Marian, Milford Sound, New Zealand
The weather was a mix of beautiful sunny days and rain. Milford Sound is known as the wettest inhabited place in New Zealand and one of the wettest in the world so as expected it rained there. We took an early morning cruise in Milford Sound which although it rained gave spectacular views. You feel so insignificant in size here.
On the boat cruise, Milford Sound, New Zealand
One of the most under rated attractions that we visited was the underwater observatory in the Milford sound. We were lucky to visit when it was very clear water and because the cruise was the first in the morning it wasn't packed. You descend 2-3 stories under water and view the deep water fish in their natural habitat. When I booked I couldn't decide whether on not to go on this but in the end it was extremely worth it.
Underwater Observatory, Milford Sound, New Zealand
In NZ we care about our land and looking after these natural attractions. If you ever visit make sure you take nothing but photographs and leave nothing behind but footprints.
It's difficult to believe those pics aren't the product of many hours of photo shopping :-)
I have the same reaction when I see time lapse sequences on tv programmes of locations at night that have crystal clear skies with breathtaking views of the the stars...I'm sure these views exist but they look other worldy.
Just saw your comment: I know right, I reckon the image On the boat cruise, Milford Sound, New Zealand looks the most Photoshoped but I promise its not. (I honestly don't have those skills). I did try to go star gazing at lake Tekapo (a light reserve) but it was 100% cloud cover so clear skys are defiantly not here either!
Thanks for sharing these beautiful photos! I cant wait to get back to the south island and do some adventuring of my own. Cheers
It's a nice place to live, Michelle!
Thanks! I think it is defiantly worth a visit some day!
I hope to go someday. I have a friend who lives in Queenstown! ({;^)
Hey @me-shell great photo collection. Sad to say that we missed out on Roy's peak when we were down there. We did make it to lake Marion though! https://steemit.com/photography/@larksongbird/new-zealand-my-fairy-tale-country
Did you get attacked by any Keas on your way to Milford?
Keep the cool pictures coming!
When we were stopped at the homer tunnel they were very interested in the cars!
For others: Keas are a native bird to NZ which love to collect shiny things
Haha same, I felt like it is a little gimmick they have going trying to beg food from the cars!
They are really friendly in this area and not the rest of New Zealand. If you manage to see one fly you can see they have almost rainbow colored wings. The will also dismantle the body of a car if given the time
This is the one I saw
Looks familiar!
Wow I am definitely going here some day! Great pictures! I will be posting some of South America soon be sure to check them ;)
Great photos i cant believe these are taken so good . NZ seems so good. Check out my post i think you'll like it Hey! Checkout blog post on Steem https://steemit.com/introduceyourself/@valdet/hi-everyone-i-just-joined-2017625t83732356z
Glad you're liking it down south. don't forget the West Coast. It too is quite spectacular in places. ;-)
I went backpacking through Australia 15 years ago, but sadly never got he chance to visit NZ. So thank you for showing me what I missed back then with you lovely pictures of the raw nature. This really gives me the incentive to visit your beautiful country some day in the future. Upvoted!
Thanks! the view is exactly like the pictures they weren't edited at all. Australia is a very different climate to New Zealand so I would recommend visiting here if you love nature.
wowww! Breathtaking view! nice shots! which camera did you use for this?
Nothing too fancy just a mid-upper range Samsung phone. Mother nature did all the work.
That's so awesome! It's nice how it's so calm and secluded. I'm from Australia but have travelled to NZ but I never got a chance to get out of Wellington, I was at a video game tournament haha. Have you ever travelled to Australia?
I have been to the gold coast when I was younger but not much else. Milford Sound was populated mostly with tourists but it never felt crowded like a city. The longer the walk the less people you saw.
I use to live on the Sunshine Coast two hours north of there. It was a really nice place to live. I followed you for more photos and informative posts, keep it up.
Look at this post to see my hometown filmed with a drone! My friend is a photographer/videographer, if you've ever thought of capturing scenery with airial photography you'll find this inspiring :)