About New Zealand's South Island... they're not overselling it.
8th to 23rd March 2017
When you think of New Zealand's South Island, images of wineries, glaciers, rolling Middle Earth mountain ranges and fields of sheep pop into your head.
When you mention you are going there, everyone goes "Oooooh it's unbelievably gorgeous!". People get very, very excited and expressive. Lots of exclamation marks enter their speech.
Well, now having been there, we must add ourselves to the effusive bunch of New Zealand South Island fans.
For 2 wonderful weeks, we moseyed around the South Island in our cosy campervan, "Nesty".
Every new stop was a discovery, and often a different kind of landscape.
Christchurch and Canterbury were laid-back elegance, hot springs, and winding country roads.
Marlborough was rambling wineries, backed by snow-peaked mountains.
Blenheim was meeting up with family and enjoying chats, a non-campsite shower, and a home cooked meal.
Nelson was rainy, fun, and full of good food and drink.
Abel Tasman saw us rolling with the swells on our sea kayaks, and passing by a colony of black seals.
Kai Teri Teri was burgers and chips in our van, watching Sing Street and getting warm after the sea kayaking.
The Franz Josef Glacier is invigorating! Hiking around in the ice with the sun shining down made me feel brand new with every fresh, clean breath I took.
Greymouth had giant pebbles all over its beach and lazy mist hanging at the edge of the sea as the late afternoon sunshine shone brightly.
Lake Wanaka was so achingly picturesque that its glassy surface reflected the mountains surrounding it perfectly. It took us about an hour longer than usual to drive past it, as we kept stopping to gawk at its beauty.
Queenstown was bursting with St. Patrick's Day activity. We spent the day with awesome Monike and Alessandro, drinking beer and eating Fergburgers.
Milford Sound and Fiordland were like another world. The scale of the mountains and stillness of the fiords make you feel like reflecting on life, the universe, and what it's all about.
Mount Cook was wind, walking, and feeling grateful to step in the shadow of ancient mountains and glaciers.
Lake Tekapo was sleepy with clouds clinging to hills and mountains in an almost magical way. It's no wonder New Zealand's Maori name is Aotearoa, "Land of the Long White Cloud".
I think we both left a little piece of our hearts in New Zealand, with a promise that we'll be back to campervan again some day. New Zealand just gets you that way.