Institute of Photographic StudiesThe New Zealand Experience - November 13th, 2006
We were awakened this morning to a beautiful sunrise on Haast Beach. After enjoying a great Kiwi breakfast of yogurt, wheat-bix, and choc-flavored nutra loops, amidst a frigid cold front we piled into the RV's and headed south to the Gates of Haast. There was an absolutely stunning waterfall there that we got to shoot until lunch, which was awesome. We stopped at another waterfall shortly thereafter. Exchanging jeans for shorts, and leaving the shoes behind, some of the team braved the extreme cold and waded across the river to get some additional close-up shots, that we "beached individuals" were unable to.
We then headed to the quaint town of Wanaka, nestled at the foot of a gorgeous mountain range, where we spent a few hours wandering around, shopping, doing some Internet catch-up, and various other tourist attractions. Before heading back to the RV's for our long, through the night drive, we stopped and ate some much-craved pizza at a small Italian restaurant.
Our final destination for the day is Milford Sound. I believe our ETA is approximately 4 am. Rumor has it that this spot is an almost unbeatable location for experiencing sunrise.
My favorite part of the day was definitely the waterfalls at the Gates of Haast. It was such a precise picture of the power and magnificence of God. I was reminded that even when life seems out of control, illustrated by the waves crashing angrily over the surrounding boulders, that God holds everything in the palm of His hands, and even the winds and the waves obey the sound of His voice.
—Laurel Patterson from Texas, USA