It is an indescribable feeling when an opportunity that you were not expecting comes knocking on your door. My pretty little surprise came in the form of an email from the tour company I traveled around Europe with, Topdeck, who asked if I would go on a road trip around New Zealand’s North and South Island, in order to take photographs for their upcoming brochure. As you can imagine, I was rather elated, not only at the prospect of getting to explore arguably one of the most beautiful countries in the world, but at the chance to capture this beauty and showcase this to a wider audience than I had ever imagined.
Hence, the New Zealand road trip begun.
We began our journey on the coach, winding through the roads of the Canterbury Plains. Once the thick morning fog of Christchurch subsided and the sun began to shine, a mirage of rugged, snow-capped mountains began to a pop out from the horizon. It was truly a sight to behold.
It wasn’t long till we were met with even more unbelievable landscapes, from rolling hills to icy streams and expansive plains. And, uh, a giant donut.
After hours of journeying across the South Island through this beautifully diverse scenery, we hit the “Wild West Coast”, as the Kiwis call it. Exposed to the harsh conditions of the Tasman Straight, crashing waves, howling winds and endless wind characterize the place, and it’s easy to see why this section of the island is barely inhabited.
Onwards we sojourned to our first destination of our adventure, the magnificent Fox Glacier. Unfortunately, due to terrible weather conditions- grey skies, constant drizzle and powerless accommodation, our first impression of the place was rather grim. As a result, our hike on to the actual Glacier was cancelled.
The next day we were lucky enough to get a lick of sunshine through the clouds, so not all was lost. We begun the day by making our way to Lake Matheson. On a good day, the water of the lake forms a perfect mirror, reflecting the majestic Mount Cook, the highest mountain in New Zealand.
It wasn’t quite the perfect day, so we got some pretty reflections, but the ominous clouds and sprinkling of rain meant the postcard shot wasn’t quite obtained.
Our next stop was a hike to walk up and see the wondrous Fox Glacier. Greeted by and Rocky Mountains, icy streams, we braved our way through the winding paths and crowds of tourists to get a glimpse of the sparkling blue waterfall of ice that is Fox Glacier. An amazing sight from afar, although I longer to get closer and hike on top of this natural wonder.
A quick stop at Thunder Creek Falls replenished our drink bottles and a chance to splash our feet in the freshest pool of icy water before we hit the road to our next stop, Queenstown…
Road trips certainly never get boring in New Zealand. See you in Queenstown!
