All good things must come to an end. It's not depressing, it's a Buddhist tenant that cements gratefulness and appreciation for the present into life. We leave Queenstown and our beloved Creeksyde camp and head northeast through the center of New Zealand. It is clear the clouds leave their full load in the mountains to the west, as it is pretty much brown and desert-like in the middle. Rocks are piled up alongside the road in formations reminiscent of the Bl...

We call it a dust storm swirling in between the mountains as we make our way to Glenorchy for a horseride but our guide corrects days of incorrect nomenclature and tells us it is rock flour. This explains not only the swirling white but also the amazing turquoise color of the lakes and rivers. When the flour is suspended in water it results in this color. Rock flour comes from the grinding of rock by glaciers. It seems like all roads lead to glaciers in thi...

In the interest of time we decided to book a small plane-cruise package to get to Milford Sound for the day. We had simply run out of time to do a drive and could not imagine missing it. The vantage point the 8-seater gifted us was spectacular- we barely cleared the mountaintops. It looked like you could reach out and touch the brown rocky faces. On occasion we would see a turquoise pool. Brown and turquoise are striking together- such a well-loved combina...

Sleeping in the Forest I thought the earth remembered me, she took me back so tenderly, arranging her dark skirts, her pockets full of lichens and seeds. I slept as never before, a stone on the river bed, nothing between me and the white fire of the stars but my thoughts, and they floated light as moths among the branches of the perfect trees. All night I heard the small kingdoms breathing around me, the insects, and the birds who do their work i...

They call Queenstown adrenalin capital of the world. Bungee jumping originated here and it grew from there. All the vertical terrain just lends itself to extreme sports. The kiwis are so chilled- I think they have adrenalin to spare because they don't waste it on complicated stressful living. Selecting your method of adrenalin donation is tough. Prices mandate you choose wisely and there are enough people on crutches around town to remind you that wisdom sh...