Away from Home

Fiordland National Park, New Zealand - Click for larger

It’s a funny feeling to be so far from home. No matter how often we travel there are times when you long for your own bed. The New Zealand experience has been interesting. It certainly is a very different culture. I find some of the locals very charming and welcoming. Others are short with us and make me feel very unwelcome, like we are in the way or somehow invading their space. For a country that depends on tourism, it puzzles me when I see someone in the service industry that clearly does not like people. That can’t be good for business. Of course we run into this kind of thing travelling in our country too. Especially when we say where we are from. You can see our fellow Canadians’ backs go up the moment we mention Toronto.

Curio Bay, New Zealand - Click for larger

One thing for sure, New Zealand is a beautiful place.

Sandfly Bay, New Zealand - Click for larger

Haast Beach Sunrise, New Zealand - Click for larger

Blessed Be The Light

No, I didn’t find religion in case you were wondering. It’s all about light for me. For a few glorious moments this morning standing at the head of Milford Sound, I felt blessed, happy to be alive and full of wonder. Milford Sound on New Zealand’s South Island is like that. I did shoot last night. But I won’t show those images. It just didn’t happen. We went to bed early and got up in the darkness. It was clear and the tide was out. As the light came up it was perfect for reflections. I have struggled to get images most of this week. This morning it felt great to shoot, especially here!

Milford Sound, New Zealand - Click for larger

Falls Creek Waterfalls, New Zealand - Click for larger

We are booked on the latest afternoon cruise. Think Maligne Lake in Jasper National Park, AB with hordes of people arriving on buses. The afternoon boat is usually less crowded so hopefully we will have room to move around. I usually don’t go for the tourist stuff but we are here and may never be again. So why not? We feel rushed a bit with just a little over a week left on the South Island. It takes a long time to get places with mountain switchbacks and narrow winding roads. Sometimes it takes 2 ½ hours to go 100 km. We will continue south and then head up the east coast back to Picton to catch the ferry back to the north island. Time sure is flying by.

Milford Sound, New Zealand - Click for larger