Exhilarating New Zealand!!
We’re back!!! It feels like forever since I have shared with all of you! My Get up and Go is still in New Zealand but I am finally starting to adjust to our time zone - jet lag is real! :). We had an experience of a lifetime in New Zealand - we absolutely loved our time there. What’s not to love - jaw dropping landscapes, plentiful and incredibly gorgeous birds - many endemic to NZ, fun loving dolphins, adorable brown seal fur pups and adults, tiny little blue penguins - even if we only had a quick glimpse of one in the open water (we also were able to see very young ones in a version of a birdhouse - more about that another time!), cute sheep and good looking cattle, and fresh and delicious food. On top of all of that - Kiwis (not the bird!) are warm, kind, and very welcoming people - they made our trip all the more memorable because of their generous spirits and adventurous/nature-seeking souls. Lorraine and I will never forget our adventures in New Zealand…
I kept thinking about how to start what will be a series of blog posts as I have TONS of photos still to download, cull and organize in order to share with you… :). I decided to start where we started….. on the plane from JFK to Auckland… 18 hour scheduled flight (which actually was 19 hours) with an 18 hour time difference… no wonder I still haven’t acclimated to our home time zone…
Just before we landed in Auckland I snapped this quick shot with my phone of the monitor in front of me…
Normally the flight goes pretty much southwest from JFK to Auckland. We flew out on Sat. Jan 6th at the beginning of what became a huge snowstorm in the Northeast. Because of the storm our flight pattern was adjusted a lot to minimize the turbulence - which made a long flight even longer but it definitely did the trick - so we are not complaining.
We stayed two nights in Auckland to get some rest before heading out making our 9 day trip down the North Island to Wellington, which is at the southern tip of the North Island.
Our first stop after Auckland was Lake Taupo - we stayed two nights in this beautiful area and this is where I will start sharing our journey with you. Lake Taupo is a huge crater lake that was formed by the Taupo Volcano.
I did this short video with my phone so I could try and share this beautiful sunrise looking out over Lake Taupo and so that you could enjoy the gorgeous birdsong! Instantly you will notice this is not birdsong from New England! The birdsong each morning was so loud and beautiful… just loved every second of it…
Of course there are sheep everywhere and I constantly would find myself finding the sweetest sheep along my walks. I loved being able to follow all kinds of paths each morning, breathing in the incredibly fresh and clean NZ air. We learned that many Cloud Chasers have NZ on their lifetime bucket list because you will see cloud formations there that you will not see anywhere else on earth! The clouds were a bonus that I didn’t even know to dream about before we left for this trip - the stunning clouds and lighting are hard to describe - other than to say - stunning! Each morning on the North Island I went out with all of my equipment to capture some landscapes and whatever birds and wildlife that I could find…
So come along with me as we explore parts of the North Island…
Black Swans! When I ever looked over and saw these I didn’t believe my eyes…
And then this guy came running from underneath some bushes and trees!! This is a California Quail - they certainly have adapted to NZ as we ended up seeing them many times… great looking bird…
This is the New Zealand fantail… this particular morning was misty when I saw this little guy… This bird is constantly in motion - flitting around and fanning its beautiful tail!
As the mist started to dissipate I wandered over near a sheep field… and all of a sudden saw this little guy pop up out of a hole!
And then when I looked back again - there were three! :)
I was looking down below me through some trees that were lining the top of this steep field and saw these headed my way… so I crouched down low and waited and hoped that they would pass right by me… and they did!
And last but not least this gorgeous Silvereye landed in the perfect spot just behind me!! I had been seeing these gorgeous little things flitting around in trees behind leaves and branches and then finally I had my opportunity to snap this! These gorgeous birds are native to NZ and thriving…
Much more to come!! :)