Natural New Zealand

Abel Tasman is on New Zealand's South Island and is the country's smallest national park. It is named after Dutch explorer and merchant Abel Tasman who in 1642 became the first European to visit Aotearoa - New Zealand. What is interesting about the park is that you can hike and camp its more than 55,000 acres and you'll always end up on the glorious golden beaches and in the gorgeous turquoise water. It's perfect for the traveler who likes to be outdoors and exploring. You can hop on a boat that will take you past a small outcropping where seals spend their time and if you're lucky, you might catch sight of a dolphin. Click on any of the photos below to enlarge them.





To learn more about Abel Tasman National Park, click here. For my previous post about the park, click here.

This last picture I shot on the ferry that runs between New Zealand's two main islands. This is a look back at the South Island as we set out on the Cook Strait, headed for the North Island. I just thought the way the light hit the land looked amazing and I wanted to capture the excitement I felt as we hit the open water. Later, the ride became so choppy that majority of people on the ferry ended up throwing up. The distance is only about 12 miles but the ride itself takes about three hours. In this case, it was a very long three hours.

The Great Outdoors

Our travels through New Zealand's South Island led us to a boat docked in a bay in Abel Tasman National Park. We spent one night in the park camping and one night on this boat. I took this picture through a small window in the lower level of the boat because the fish swimming so close looked so bright and alluring. Click on it to see the details.

On a side note, Abel Tasman is truly stunning and if you ever have the chance to go, carve out a few days to hike, trek, camp, swim, snorkel, kayak or just relax on the beach. It's worth it.




Click on any of the images to see the larger versions.

Big Country

What I love about New Zealand is that it has miles after miles, acres and acres of land that is untouched. The landscape is also very diverse ranging from beaches to glaciers to mountains and valleys. And the air is so crisp and clean, you breathe differently, move differently and just feel differently. Click on the images to see them in more detail. Seeing the photos enlarged really does New Zealand's expansive landscape more justice.

Up or Down

Make sure to click on the picture to see the enlarged image.

Waterfall On Me

Glacier Climb

I took a trip to New Zealand with my cousins and while we were on the South Island, we took a helicopter ride up to the Franz Josef Glacier. When we got off the helicopter, it was obviously cold. But then we put on crampons over our hiking boots and followed a guide up and down the terrain so the sweat set in. It was a truly surreal experience.