Exploring Mount Cook, New Zealand

This was my favorite scene from the entire trip. The lupine in front of the glacial lake makes me want to live in this photograph.

Hiking Mt Cook

Mt Cook- We finished up our boat cruise through Milford Sound with the weather still clearing and the need to put some miles behind us. Milford is the end of the road and the farthest point from our departure city of Christchurch. I thought about heading the four hours back to Queenstown but it was such a beautiful day and driving in New Zealand is such a pleasure in itself we just kept going. As the sun was setting we turned off the main highway towards the tiny village of Mount Cook.

Jack drinking the crystal clear, pure water from a natural spring.

The mountain itself loomed in the distance, getting ever closer. Even in summer it is covered in snow which feeds a lake of pure turquoise water. We had to stop at several overlooks to take it all in. The picture postcard scenes here in New Zealand just keep getting better. Our hostel was one of only a few buildings that comprise Mt Cook village. It is a jumping off point for hikers and mountaineers. Wanting to take full advantage of the long daylight hours this far south we hiked up the Red Tarns trail which rises 1,000ft to some mirror ponds which can give a wonderful view of Mt Cook catching the last rays of the sunset.

Mount Cook in all its glory!

I always get a kick out of calm mornings for reflection shots like this.

We had a bright moon over the mountains but even with all of its light the starry night sky was magnificent. I can only imagine what it would be like on a moonless night. This is one of the few places in the world with protected night sky status. As always, the more I travel, the more things I add to the must do list.

The next morning we began the long trek back to Christchurch to return our trusty ninja turtle escape van. We did plan enough time to stop for a nice breakfast on Lake Takupo which was well worth the stop. Colorful flowers grow down the slopes to the edge of another azure blue lake, surrounded by misty mountains. For an adventure photographer New Zealand is hard to beat.

Now I am on an Air New Zealand flight heading towards Fiji. Its hard to believe that in the last week and a half we traveled over 2,500km and did so much. We saw seals in the sunset on the east coast, surfed really fun waves on the west coast, took a one way plane ride to 12,000ft above beautiful Wanaka, and rounded out the Middle Earth immersion with a midnight premier of the Hobbit. We visited glaciers, jumped into impossibly clear pools, found Gillespies Beach, and counted about a million sheep. The freedom of having our own van opened up endless possibilities. And in New Zealand the possibilities are countless indeed.

As always, remember to get out there, travel, see the world....because it is at your fingertips!

• Dai Mar