New Brighton
January 21, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
Next up I took the bus to the coastal peninsula sunburb or New Brighton! With many uncanny resemblances such as its pier and streets named Marine Parade and Seaview Road!
Shirley
January 21, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
From New Brighton I took the bus to the suburb of Shirley. There was even a junction where New Brighton Road turned into Shirley Road! Lots of local amenities could be found named after ShirleyRead more
Final Evening in Christchuch
January 21, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C
This evening I took a walk along the river to the supermarket to pick something up for dinner. Then went out for a few drinks and games of pool with my Dutch roommate Tommy!
Arriving in Tekapo
January 22, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
The next stop on my New Zealand south island journey is Tekapo! Standing at 710m above sea level, Tekapo is a village of less than 600 inhabitants however around 1m toursits visit each year due to itsRead more
Lupins
January 22, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
Tekapo is famed for its stunning lupins that surround the lake. These are in full bloom for a short period in November/December so they're somewhat past their best now!
Maclaren Footbridge
January 22, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
This footbridge links the village to the church and surrounding areas across the bay and makes for a great view of the lake!
Church of the Good Shepherd
January 22, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
Across the footbridge is a small church looking over the lake. It's very well kept and looks great in the foreground of any pictures!
Mt John Walkway & Ascent
January 22, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
Next up was a steady hike along the side of the river and up the neighbouring Mt John, standing at 1,031m. The blueness of the lake is very evident in these pictures. The area also has extremely lowRead more
Mt John Summit
January 22, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C
After an hour or so I reached the summit of Mt John where the views were better than ever! Some strangers were happy to exchange photo shoots with me which is always nice!
Descending Mt John & Dinner
January 22, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C
Just in case you were longing for a few more lake pics well here you are!
On the way back to the hostel I stopped off at the shop to cook my infamous sausage and mushroom pasta! The first properRead more
Cowan's Hill
January 23, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C
The weather this morning (and all day!) was somewhat bleak so I was in no rush to venture out. However when I did I thought I'd explore some of the walking tracks to the south and east of the lake.Read more
Tekapo Regional Park
January 23, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C
Down the opposite side of Cowan's Hill is Tekapo Regional Park. A huge forested area with lots of tracks and trails to follow, I've also never seen so many pinecones in my life! I decided to stick toRead more
Lagoon Trail
January 23, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C
The lagoon trail is somewhat what I imagine it like to be on the moon! The plains were vast, dry and exposed so it made for a cold escapade! The lagoon was actually completely dried up by I stillRead more
Heading Back Into the Village
January 23, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C
As I headed back into Tekapo village I couldn't help but notice just how blue the lake water was even on a dull day!
Leaving Tekapo
January 24, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 8 °C
I woke up this morning to find blue skies all around and snow atop the mountains due to it being cooler overnight. I had some breakfast, packed up my bags and spent an hour or so by the lake enjoyingRead more
Lake Pukaki
January 24, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C
After waking goodbye to Tekapo the bus set off towards Mt Cook. The mountain is based on the other side of Lake Pukaki, but blocked off by the mountain range so a drive around the full perimeter ofRead more
Mt. Sefton
January 24, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C
After checking in at Aoraki / Mt. Cook I set off to walk the Hooker Valley Track. The start of the track was about a 35 minute walk down the road but thankfully there was a nice view at the Mt. SeftonRead more
Hooker Valley Track - Hooker River
January 24, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C
The first of a few bridges on the hooker valley track over the Hooker River!
Hooker Valley Track - Continued
January 24, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C
The track (10km round trip) continued weaving through the valley and across the river. Eventually peering round the corner with Mt. Cook coming into full view, although it's peak was covered in cloud.
Hooker Valley Track - Mt. Cook
January 24, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C
I reached the end of the track with beautiful views down the valley to Mt. Cook, the highest peak in New Zealand. I stayed in this spot for over an hour, watching the cloud cover disappear and theRead more
Heading Back to the Village
January 24, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C
I really didn't want to leave the spot in the valley overlooking the mountain, but I departed on the track back into the village. I couldn't help but turn around every couple of minutes to marvelRead more
Mueller Hut Track - Ascending
January 25, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 7 °C
Today I decided to take on the tough Mueller Hut track! It's only 5km to the hut but over 1,000m of elevation gain in this time. First of all is a gradual uphill walk before you have to conquer noRead more
Mueller Hut
January 25, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C
I made it to the hut in just under 2 hours of walking time! The breezy climate and nearby glaciers meant it was a constant decision of which layers to wear.
The hut actually contains accomodationRead more
Mueller Hut Track - Descending
January 25, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C
On the way down I was able to better appreciate the views over the mountains, glaciers, river and valley as I was actually facing it! This included a stip around halfway down at Searly TarnsRead more
Lookout Point
January 25, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C
A short descent from the hut was an unofficial viewpoint which offered the best views over to Mt Cook by far! I spent probably an hour here taking in the amazing scenery.
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