1 Year of New Zealand Selfies: September & October
The adventure continues!
In September and October, I explored the middle of the North Island, and then took the plunge and went to the South Island!
*Note: For full stories about many of the regions, hikes, and activities featured in these selfies, you can click this link to view the complete list of Oceania Travel Entries.
**Final note: I decided it was too much scrolling to post 365 selfies on a single page, so you can access other months at the links below:
November & December
September 1
Karangahake Gorge: hiked the Karangahake Mountain Track
September 2
Whangamāta: visited the Coromandel beach town of Whangamāta
September 3
Whiritoa: spent my last day here walking on the beach and playing cards with my hosts
September 4
Ngāruawāhia: hiked the Hakarimata Summit track (1496 stairs)
September 5
Waitomo: explored the surface of the Waitomo region: small caves, natural bridges, and waterfalls
September 6
Waitomo: explored the subterranean region of Waitomo with Down to Earth Eco Cave Tours
September 7
Waitomo: more cave adventures with Spellbound glowworm tours
September 8
Raglan: hiked up Mount Karioi
September 9
Raglan: took a surfing lesson on Ngarunui Beach
September 10
Rotorua: attended a Māori cultural performance and dinner (in the pouring rain!)
September 11
Rotorua: walked downtown Rotorua to visit the Government Gardens and Kuirau Park
September 12
Okere Falls Scenic Reserve: hiked through the reserve to see waterfalls
September 13
Wai-o-Tapu: visited a geothermal park to see colorful lakes and fumaroles
September 14
Taupo: watched water rush through the Aratiatia Rapids
September 15
Taupo: took a boat to view the Māori rock carvings on Lake Taupo
September 16
Desert Road: stopped for lunch at a picnic spot while driving south
September 17
Palmerston North: hiked the (very long) Manawatu Gorge Track
September 18
Cook Strait: took the ferry from Wellington to Picton to begin adventuring on the South Island
September 19
Picton: hiked the Snout Track for views of the Queen Charlotte Sound
September 20
Pelorus Bridge Scenic Reserve: kayaked the Pelorus River, a Hobbit film site
September 21
Ngākuta Bay: drove the scenic Queen Charlotte Drive through the Marlborough Sounds
September 22
Nelson: arrived in Nelson to a rainy day, so I worked on this blog (finally!)
September 23
Nelson: hiked up to the Geological Center of New Zealand
September 24
Cable Bay: hiked the Cable Bay Track for farm, beach, and sheep views
September 25
Tākaka: visited a fresh water spring in Golden Bay area
September 26
Tākaka: explored the rock formations at The Grove Scenic Reserve and Labyrinth Rocks
September 27
Farewell Spit: ventured onto the 34 km sand spit at the top of the South Island, and visited Cape Farewell
September 28
Golden Bay: went horse riding on the beach
September 29
Kaikōura: walked the Peninsula Walk for great views
September 30
Kaikōura: took a plane ride to spot pilot whales
October 1
Kaikōura: swam with Dusky Dolphins!
October 2
Kaikōura: spent a relaxing recovery day in the hostel hot tub
October 3
SH7: drove 6 hours to reach Karamea so I could hike to the Heaphy Hut the next day in good weather
October 4
Heaphy Track: hiked 10 miles on the Heaphy Track to reach Heaphy Hut
October 5
Heaphy Hut: departed the Heaphy Hut after a pleasant, sunny stay
October 6
Ōpārara Basin: took a tour through Honeycomb Hill Cave and to Moria Gate Arch
October 7
Westport: explored the town and Cape Foulwind (which lived up to it’s name!)
October 8
Charming Creek Walkway: hiked among old coal mines and mills to Mangatini Falls
October 9
Lewis Pass: hiked a secret waterfall track and the Alpine Loop on my way over Lewis Pass
October 10
Hanmer Springs: hiked to Dog Stream Waterfall
October 11
Hanmer Springs: spent the day reading and relaxing at the Hanmer Springs Hot Pools
October 12
Hanmer Springs: hiked Mount Isobel Summit for amazing views
October 13
Christchurch: spent hours walking the Christchurch Botanic Gardens
October 14
Christchurch: it was a windy day so I went to the International Antarctic Center
October 15
Sumner: hiked the Godley Heads Track just outside of Christchurch
October 16
Banks Peninsula: hiked a few short tracks between Christchurch and Akaroa
October 17
Akaroa: hiked the Misty Peaks Track for stunning views over Akaroa Harbor
October 18
Akaroa: enjoyed a sunny afternoon after a morning sea kayak trip
October 19
Methven: hiked the Rakaia Gorge Track for mountain views and blue glacial water
October 20
Mount Sunday: hiked to the LOTR’s filming location of Edoras
October 21
Lake Tekapo: hiked Mount John for beautiful views of Lake Tekapo and surrounding mountains
October 22
Lake Tekapo: wandered the town of Tekapo and nearby town of Twizel before sunset at the lake
October 23
Lake Tekapo: hiked the Richmond Trail high above Lake Tekapo
October 24
Lake Tekapo: spent the day soaking in the Tekapo Springs and reading
October 25
Lake Ohau: spent a windy few hours walking along Lake Ohau
October 26
Lindis Pass: still windy, so I drove the Ahuriri River Valley Road and oohed and ahhed at the pretty gorge
October 27
Mount Cook NP: drove to Mount Cook and hiked the Red Tarns Track for beautiful views
October 28
Mount Cook NP: hiked to the Tasman Glacier and lake to see icebergs
October 29
Mount Cook NP: hiked up 2,000 steps to Sealy Tarns and beautiful views
October 30
Lak Hawea: drove six hours to Fox Glacier/West Coast with pretty stops along the way
October 31
Fox Glacier Township: hiked to Fox Glacier and did the Lake Matheson Walk for more Mount Cook Views
I optimistically thought I could fit 365 selfies on a single post page, but turns out that’s a lot of scrolling down and down and down some more, so I’m breaking it up into about 2 month segments.
Here’s a link to the next part:
1 Year of New Zealand Selfies: November & December
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