Te Anau

A rare site...beautiful blue skies!

Sheep are everywhere in New Zealand. The ratio of sheep to people is twenty to one. New Zealand annually exports 150,000 tons of wool. Scattered along the mountains while grazing in beautiful green pastures, it was always a beautiful site.

By far, one of the coolest things I saw was the Te Anau Glow Worms. The entrance of the cave required us to bend down and "watch our heads", as our tour guide instructed. Walking through the cold cave on a suspended walkway, we made our way to a boat. Our tour guide propelled the boat through the underground river by putting their hands on the protruding rocks. It was pitch black. But as I looked up, the ceiling was covered with countless glow worms. These blue-green specks were so close I could have touched them. This was on of the most beautiful and breath-taking things I have ever seen. The majesty of God was so clear to me while gazing at His creation.

Exploring the city of Dunedin

Dunedin is the second largest city in the southern island of New Zealand. Taking some time to "chill", we set off to see all this city had to offer. Probably the well known thing in Dunedin is the church. The First Church of Otago was established by immigrants from Scotland. Still a functioning church, it stands at the heart of Dunedin. 

However beautiful an old pipe organ is, I still cannot bring myself to appreciate the sound of one

Being the BIG fan of chocolate that I am, I had to stop and take a picture of Willy Wonka's factory. Just kidding. Our hotel was across the road from the Cadbury factory. Although we were unable to go on a tour of the factory, we definitely enjoyed the Cadbury products that were available everywhere.

Here are some more sights around Dunedin.

Rugby is quite popular in New Zealand; "quite" being an understatement. Above are my cousins, giving their best Haka war cry.

While walking through a covered walkway, we noticed a drawing on the path. Upon further inspection and a specific standing position, we realized the drawing was 3D! Cool, huh!?

A funny-looking bike

My favorite part of Dunedin was the train station. Still operational, the railway departs daily traveling through the rugged and beautiful Taieri Gorge. 

Wildlife Cruise

On yet another rainy day, we boarded a boat in hopes of spotting penguins, dolphins, seals, and other wildlife. The boat was old and reminded me of a fishing boat that needed to retire. Although we did not see as much as we hoped, it was a lovely way to see another part of beautiful New Zealand.

A tractor - just for you, Dad

A beautiful lighthouse atop a cliff

I was half expecting to spot Arial, from Disney's Little Mermaid, sitting on the rocks singing

A seal trying to escape the crashing waves

Moeraki Boulders

Next stop...Moeraki Boulders.

Appearing as if dropped from the heavens, these spherical boulders lay on Koekohe Beach. There are many legends of how these boulders came to be, but I do not think anyone knows the true story. However they came to be, it was a fun place to explore.

Mt. Cook

To the great disappointment of Tyler and Baihley, my younger siblings, I have never seen the Lord of the Rings. My uncle has tried to get me to read The Hobbit, but I couldn't make it through. With all that said, Mt. Cook plays a big role in LOTR and the newest movie The Hobbit. If you are a LOTR fan, the opening sequence of Two Towers takes places at the base of this mountain. I have no idea what the opening sequence is...but that is what the map said.

Spending only one night at the foot of this mountain did not allow near enough time for the splendor to reveal itself. We arrived in very foggy conditions and left in rainy. The pictures are not the best but it was all that we got.

After a good night's rest, we headed off for a hike. I loved walking and being surrounded by rugged terrain. Everything seemed to be covered in moss and the morning's dew. 

A sad ending to our hike included finding this little guy.