Institute of Photographic StudiesThe New Zealand Experience - November 12th, 2006
The wind whipped the rain across the windshield as the RV's rolled into the pull off spot on the side of the road. It was 12:30 a.m. and most of the team was asleep in the RV's when Rowan decided to cancel the night hike to see the glow worms due to the icy, pouring rain outside. Exhausted from the day before, we sluggishly grabbed blankets and pillows and found little cradles in the RV's to grab some sleep.
The morning greeted us with a beautiful sunrise over the small lake close by. I woke up early, and having slept in my clothes, grabbed my camera and took a stroll down the road to capture the glory of the morning. Clouds illuminated by the glowing light of dawn floated above the calm water. A long, straight dock stretched far out into the lake, as if to mark the beginning of a journey. As if the scene couldn't get more beautiful, suddenly a small hint of a rainbow appeared in the sky and I knew then that it was going to be a perfect day.
After a quick breakfast we jumped into the RV's and headed to Franz Joseph glacier. The hike to the glacier was stunning. Foliage lined the paths and hung over us like a canopy. Early morning light streamed through the trees as a gentle mist filled the air. Finally, the trees broke away to reveal the most amazing ice structure known to man. The glacier was surrounded by rocky mountains, long waterfalls, and a rushing river. We spent several hours there photographing and taking in the beauty. It was a worship experience I'll never forget.
The rest of the day was spent driving through the mountains of the South Island. We did make a stop along the way to photograph some amazing waves. A few of us got soaked in order to get that perfect shot! We ended the day at beach in Haast, where we camped out for the night along side the ocean.