Journey to Mt. Cook

I had never been to Mt. Cook before so this was a new experience for me. We ended up staying at Mt. Cook Lodge and Motels and it was one of my favorite stays EVER!! The views were absolutely beautiful and it's right in the heart of the village... which means easy access to so many beautiful hiking trails and even Mt. Cook itself!

The first day was a little cloudy, but the second day was absolutely gorgeous! I was nervous at first because the mountains were covered by clouds, but as we hiked along the clouds slowly moved so we could get the perfect view of Mt. Cook. We took the Hooker Valley Track which was about a 3 hour hike.

Absolutely stunning! Again, I can't speak highly enough of Mt. Cook village... reminded me a bit of our time in Patagonia. We could definitely come back and spend more time enjoying nature and all the trails of the area! It was one of my favorite days of the trip. 

Kia Ora!

Disclaimer: I have so many pictures of New Zealand that this post is only going to cover the first couple of days. We arrived in Christchurch in the south island and rented a car. The first day was just meant to explore Christchurch a little bit and be the setting off point for the rest of our trip!

Below are some pictures taken around Christchurch:

(cardboard cathedral... built out of cardboard after the earthquake)

(botanic gardens)

(memorial to the earthquake victims)

I was last in Christchurch prior to the major earthquake in 2011 and have not seen it since... in fact, the last time I was in New Zealand I was told not to go to Christchurch because it was still in ruins. You could tell by walking around the city that there was still work to be done, but the people have also done very well rebuilding and making the city look great.

Speaking of Christchurch... we literally left Christchurch (to go home) the day before the shooting took place. A week prior to that we had been walking through the park very near to the mosque where it happened. New Zealand is such a calm and peaceful place. Don't get me wrong, I don't want there to be killings anywhere, but the fact that it took place in New Zealand made me tremendously sad. My love for New Zealand and the people of New Zealand is forever. <3 Kia Kaha!

First real stop on our road trip around the south island... LAKE TEKAPO!

Church of the Good Shepherd 

Everything in New Zealand is so picturesque... you can't help but fall in love.  

The Missing Posts (Part 1)

This is so out of the ordinary for me... Mike and I just got back from Australia and New Zealand (third time there for me!) and I didn't write a single entry about our travels. (GASP)

A lot of you don't know this, but last year I paid wordpress to get an actual site for my blog. I was so excited about it and really wanted to launch my travel blog and turn it into something. There was an always an excuse though of "not feeling it today," or "too busy," "too tired..." so I let the site expire and I think it was very discouraging for me. I could have done something and I chose not to.

We had dinner with both my parents and Mikes parents last night and the missing blogs were brought up in conversation. (And a few times before last night.)

So here you go... part 1.

We arrived in Sydney on Sunday, March 3. We were greeted by beautiful weather and an early check in!! (When you've been traveling for 20+ hours and you arrive at 6am early check in is always SUPER nice so you can at least shower before going out!) Below are some pictures of Darling Harbour and of the city itself!

I really enjoy Sydney. It's not the best city ever and not my favorite city that I've ever been to, but it's just a nice, chill, place. Everyone speaks English, there are no complicated procedures to get into Australia, everything is in a central location and if it's not, it's easy to get on a bus or train and get there. There's a relaxed vibe, good people that make you feel safe... it's just a nice breather compared to some of the other countries I've been to lately. 

We spent most of the first day just walking around the harbour, seeing the opera house, touring Sydney on our own... 

It really is a beautiful city... and I LOVE that everything is so accessible and within walking distance. There's also that European flare of finding a nice outdoor restaurant, seating yourself, and enjoying the view.

The second day we did a tour with AAT Kings. Since I had been to the Blue Mountains and Featherdale Wildlife Park before, I made sure to add that onto our tour of Sydney. Booking with AAT Kings made it easy to not have to worry about transport, getting lost, etc. I did miss the hiking at the blue mountains that I had done previously, but the weather was a little toasty, so I won't complain about that!

Who can resist Australian wildlife?! Featherdale is such a nice park and if you ever go to Sydney, I recommend visiting them instead of another zoo. There's just something about this place that's so special! 

And now for the Blue Mountains:

New Zealand is up next so save your fork! **

** "Save your fork" is a reference to a story I saw on facebook. A lady who was near death said she wanted to be buried with a fork in her hand. The pastor asked her why and she explained that whenever they had meals, her favorite part of the meal was hearing the host say "save your fork" because that meant dessert was coming.  I like the spiritual significance, but I also like it in reference to our time in New Zealand.  ;)