In and Around Water
The job of sorting my 2,200+ New Zealand pictures will take me some time. But I can't wait that long. So I'm going to share some fun highlights now, beginning with scenes of activities in and around the water, appropriate, I think, since New Zealand is comprised of two islands.
IN THE WATER:
We went sledging, an NZ term for using a boogie board to navigate some river rapids. Buoyed by wet suits and fins, and protected by said wet suits and helmets, it's a fun adventure.
While snorkeling we'd occasionally leave the water to walk along the Abel Tasman Coast Trail. We were lucky with how much wildlife we saw, like this ray that was resting in shallow water on Onetahauti Beach.
ON THE WATER:
We love to sea kayak as a family. In this photo, we're in Milford Sound, an incredible spot that some Kiwis believe should be considered the eighth wonder of the natural world. It's hard to convey the sheer magnitude of the space, but consider this: the middle peak in the distance is a mile high.
We had a chance to kayak in Tonga Island Nature Reserve. The day before there had been orca about but on the day we were there, the fur seals were frolicking about. This is likely a male since the females were on shore giving birth or tending to their young.
Some of the world's best fly fishing is in New Zealand. Here I am with a lovely rainbow trout I caught and released.
EDGE OF THE WATER:
This is the bottom of Bowen Falls, the highest and most powerful waterfall in Milford Sound. The water in the pool truly is this color. We hiked here through "the bush" and it was a steep little trek that was worth the giant bruise and scrape I got on my backside when I slipped. This is probably one of my favorite pictures from the trip.
ABOVE THE WATER:
The NZ park engineers seemed to favor swinging suspension bridges to span rivers. This is a 154 foot long bridge across Falls River. There are warning signs indicating that the maximum load is five persons. It's a warning everyone seemed to heed.
IN THE WATER:
We went sledging, an NZ term for using a boogie board to navigate some river rapids. Buoyed by wet suits and fins, and protected by said wet suits and helmets, it's a fun adventure.
While snorkeling we'd occasionally leave the water to walk along the Abel Tasman Coast Trail. We were lucky with how much wildlife we saw, like this ray that was resting in shallow water on Onetahauti Beach.
ON THE WATER:
We love to sea kayak as a family. In this photo, we're in Milford Sound, an incredible spot that some Kiwis believe should be considered the eighth wonder of the natural world. It's hard to convey the sheer magnitude of the space, but consider this: the middle peak in the distance is a mile high.
We had a chance to kayak in Tonga Island Nature Reserve. The day before there had been orca about but on the day we were there, the fur seals were frolicking about. This is likely a male since the females were on shore giving birth or tending to their young.
Some of the world's best fly fishing is in New Zealand. Here I am with a lovely rainbow trout I caught and released.
EDGE OF THE WATER:
This is the bottom of Bowen Falls, the highest and most powerful waterfall in Milford Sound. The water in the pool truly is this color. We hiked here through "the bush" and it was a steep little trek that was worth the giant bruise and scrape I got on my backside when I slipped. This is probably one of my favorite pictures from the trip.
ABOVE THE WATER:
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| Abel Tasman Coast Trail |
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| Hello down there! |
And then there was just plain fun, starting above the water .... from a variety of heights, of course.
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| Boy on a ball swing over the water |
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| One of the daughters jumping from a ledge 23 feet high. Yeah, not my thing... |
More adventures to come...
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