North v South

New Zealand is compromised of 2 main islands, creatively referred to as the north and south (and yes, sarcasm included). The landscape is stunning no matter which side you are on, but even the inter-islander ferry provides phenomenal views.

 

 

 

The ride over did reveal some interesting things about kiwi culture.



Apparently, kiwis bring tools into the bathroom (look closely).

 

 

 

And you won't get in trouble for doing stupid things.

 

 

For the record, both islands are equally stunning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

IHOP it ain't

 

Punakaiki is known for its pancakes. Rocks that is.

Mother Nature has gotten a bad rap recently with hurricanes, earthquakes and tsunamis, but it can also create some very cool things. This is just one of them.

 



 

Syrup not included.

Two-for-one

Everything is unbelievable in NZ. They can't even have regular rainbows. Refrain from regurgitating YouTube phenom "double rainbow" guy and enjoy this for what it's worth.

Tackling the Fox Glacier is listed under "Extreme New Zealand" according to Lonely Planet, and since I never believe anything I read (but you should believe me), I needed to see if it lived up to its category. Before going extreme, I needed to look the part.

 Leave it to me to attempt to ascend it on one of the rainiest days since my arrival.

The positive side of the rain was that it revealed the blue in the ice. The bad, is that it made the ice even slipperier. Nevertheless, I made it back in one piece. Sort of.  Photos of enormous black and blues to come.

(fake smile to mask my achy muscles.)