Friday, May 2, 2008

Into the South Island (in chronological order)

Reaching for the geographical center of New Zealand, in Nelson.
Calm beach near Nelson.
View from bus heading south along the east coast.


Picturesque farmlands on the way to Christchurch.
Male (top) and female Paradise ducks near Mt. Cook. These pairs will spend most of their lives together.
Mt. Cook, the highest mountain in New Zealand, where Sir Edmund Hillary did alot of his training for Everest.
High above Queenstown, where the bungi jump was first popularized.
Cold and confused, in the same location.
Looking in the direction of the Southern Alps, where the world famous Kepler, Routeburn, and Milford tracks are located.
Acting a fool at the Puzzling Museum, supposedly home to the first two-story maze.
A few of the 35 million sheep in New Zealand. Every year the population doubles due to breeding, but half are processed and exported, reducing the population back down.
Domesticated dear...one of the strangest things I've seen so far.
The Fox Glacier on the west coast.
Giant sandfly at a tourist trap.
View from the bus...certainly one of the best bus routes in the world.
Pancake rocks.
Bizarre, deformed Mickey Mouse.
On the inter-island ferry in the Cook Straight, with a view of the south island enshrouded in cloud...
...and view towards the north island at the same moment.
Sheep being transported from the south island to the north island.




Kepler Track

Amanita muscaria, commonly known as the fly agaric, or the Mario mushroom.
New Zealand native pigeon.
Moving through the fog...
...and then suddenly rising above it.
At sunset high up in the mountains. The bottom of the picture shows a thick layer of cloud enveloping the sound.
The next morning... the clouds slowly dispersing.

You can see the next few kilometers of the trail winding its way along the ridge. Words can't describe how amazing this part of the trek was.


The gradual descent along the ridgeline down to the valley.


The next morning. This was the first snowfall of the winter season.



Routeburn Track

The Routeburn, along with the Kepler, are two of New Zealand's most famous tramps. Fresh snow from the previous evening.
Looking in the Hollyford Valley out to the Tasman Sea on the west coast.

Getting the Southern Alps reflection in the daytime...

and in the nighttime.
Looking down onto the lake photographed in the previous images. A month before I took this photo an Israeli girl disappeared in this area, and they still haven't found a body.
A hidden lake up in the mountains.
Standing defiantly atop Conical hill, the highest point on the track.
View from the Routeburn Falls hut the next morning.

Queen of the Universe Pageant

Getting a dirty look from one of the dancers.
Miss Austria (?)
Germany
Israel
Italy
Miss Japan
?
Mexico
????


?
?
Phillipines
Russia
Dominican Republic
Cuba (?)
Ukraine
?

Venezuela
Zaire
Zimbabwe
MC's
Last years finalist.
Last years finalist.














c