Cathedral Square, Christchurch.
Cathedral Square, Christchurch.
Cathedral Square, Christchurch.
Park in central Christchurch.
Park in central Christchurch.
Park in central Christchurch.
Museum of modern art in Christchurch.
Museum of modern art in Christchurch.
Rich near the shore of Lake Pukaki.
Standard Jantar in Omarama.
A vintage Cobra glider in Omarama.
A vintage Cobra glider in Omarama.
Rich ready to take off in EE, one of our rental gliders.
Flying in wave over the Southern Alps.
Near Mount Cook, headed south. View of lake Pukaki.
Flying in wave over the Southern Alps.
View of Mount Cook and a glacier in the distance.
The Southern Alps and the Tasman Sea in the distance.
View of the Mount Cook area.
Mount Cook, while flying in wave.
The Southern Alps partially covered by clouds.
Glacier southwest of mount cook.
Mountain range west of mount cook leading to the Tasman sea.
The beginning of Routeburn track.
Camping on Routeburn track.
Typical Routeburn track view.
View from one of the huts along Routeburn track.
View from Routeburn track.
Rich climbing Routeburn track.
View of a small glacial pond.
Rich climbing Routeburn track.
Sharon on Routeburn track.
View from one of the high passes.
View from one of the high passes.
View from one of the high passes.
We stop for a rest by one of the many waterfalls.
Sharon and me by the waterfall.
Waterfall along Routeburn track.
Meadow with Tussock grass in Greenstone Park.
Sharon on the trail in Greenstone Park.
Hanging bridge in Greenstone track.
Sharon eating Rich's trail mix to mitigate the great pain on her feet.
View from our hut in Greenstone Park.
Inside of the hut in Greenstone Park.
End of the trail in Greenstone Park.
River at the end of the trail.
Sharon with much happier feet.
View of one of the many glacial lakes in the southern island.
View of one of the many glacial lakes in the southern island.
Stream in Haast Pass as we headed west.
View of a small bay along Able Tasman trail.
Typical Able Tasman beach.
View from the Able Tasman trail.
Another secluded little beach.
Park ranger with captured possum.
View from the inland trail at Able Tasman.
View from the inland trail at Able Tasman.
Another little bay in the Golden Coast.
Sharon in one of the low tide crossings.
Me in one of the low tide crossings.
Some of the beaches in Able Tasman were completely covered in shells.
Some of the beaches in Able Tasman were completely covered in shells.
Evening view from our hut.
Low water crossing at high tide.
View from some private residences along the coast.
Sharon hiking along the beach.
Beaches along the coastal Able Tasman trail.
Beaches along the coastal Able Tasman trail.
Beaches along the coastal Able Tasman trail.
Beaches along the coastal Able Tasman trail.
By the (cold) water in Able Tasman coastal trail.
View from one of the many high spots along the coastal trail.
Geothermal pools in the north island.
Geothermal pools in the north island.
Sign near our camping ground in Rotorua.
Beautiful deHavilland Beaver in Lake Taupo.
Beautiful deHavilland Beaver in Lake Taupo.
Geothermal pools in Rotorua.
Geothermal pools in Rotorua.
Geothermal pools in Rotorua.
Geothermal pools in Rotorua.
Tower building in Auckland.
The statue is of polar explorer Robert Falcon Scott.
Rich is in the glider towards the top center.
The highest point of New Zealand is directly in front of the wingtip. The beginnings of Lake Pukaki can be seen at the top of the picture.
Not a good place to land out.
We went for a short walk while waiting for the shuttle that would take us to the park entrance for our hike in Routeburn Track.
Sharon admires a waterfall.
This was a postcard perfect place for camping.
Lots of moss, lichens, and ferns among the dense canopy of trees.
The site where we had camped the previous evening can be seen at the bottom.
It amazed me how clean and well maintained everything was.
Here, we waited for the shuttle to come because of and take us back to Glenorchy.
It was quite evident why it is called Greenstone Park.
Empty, pristine, secluded, and beautiful. Unfortunately, the water was a bit on the cold side.
These non endemic animals are eating the New Zealand forest.
One of the low tide crossings can be seen at the center.
The place gets its name from the high content of ferric oxide in the sand.
It was very strange to be hiking with a 60lb. pack wearing flip-flops and swimming trunks.
During low tide, it was possible to cross by going in a straight line between the orange paddle that can be seen in the foreground and a similar paddle on the other shore at the center of the picture.
On our last day at Able Tasman, we decided to kayak instead of hike (strongly influenced by the way our feet were feeling). We sent our backpacks in the water taxi and kayaked back in the late afternoon.
Glider pilots will understand that I HAD to take this picture...
