Wetapunga

On the road again, or should I say in the air again on my next adventure and this time I am traveling far, far away – to New Zealand.

The anticipation is building to see unparalleled beauty in magnificent landscapes, waterways and mountains.  My mettle will be tested by a challenging hike along the Milford Track.

Hopefully I will spy and if I am very lucky get to photograph a number of New Zealand’s endemic  species. Like the Galapagos, New Zealand is a grouping of remote islands so the flora and fauna etc. are seen nowhere else in the world. There will also be some first time experiences – learning about the Maori culture, sailing on an America’s Cup Yacht, hiking across swing bridges (wait until you see these).  There is no weight limit on luggage this time so while I will continue to pack light clothing-wise, I can also  take my tripod.  I hope to finally capture the Milky Way in photos.

To right a WTDGAP moment from my Galapagos trip I have already laid aside a matching pair of walking sandals so I don’t have a repeat of this:

Along the way we will be stopping at a few wineries for some  delicious wine tastings (always a favorite pastime).

This trip will be especially thrilling due to an unforeseen WTDGAP moment.  My hiking trips are usually small group affairs with a most wonderful organization called Classic Journeys , which offers a perfect blend of planned activities with an expert guide as well as free time to explore. However, due to a sudden cancellation of others Lenore and I were given the opportunity to make this a customized trip  just for the two of us.

We took the offer.

Interestingly the Kiwis  prefer commerce using their own NZ currency as opposed to many countries I have visited where US dollars are actually  preferred.  Since the exchange rate is very favorable to me ( $1US = $1.35NZ) I don’t have a monetary problem with this but it might be a bit difficult to use NZ dollars as they are so pretty – showcasing endemic birds and even having artistic clear windows:

During my journey Chasing Dreams will be on hiatus but I will try to offer some teasers on the magic of New Zealand until I return and resume my posts, pending wifi connections.  You can see my updates at the following:

Instagram:  @cgurmann

I bid you  “poroaki” which is Maori for tata for now.

New Zealand Small Blue Penguin

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