The drive from Edoras to Wanaka was about a five hour drive…woof. We decided to take a break and check out Mt. Cook – the tallest peak in New Zealand. The only place to camp was a freedom camp ground and honestly it was the most beautiful camping spot in our whole trip:

Look at it! So gorgeous! Full disclosure: there were a lot of people parked there for the evening. Unfortunately, Mt. Cook didn’t want to be seen the day this photo was taken…but I did get a good look the night before:

The Maori name for Mt. Cook is Aoraki and sits comfortably at 3,724 metres (12,218 feet) in height. You can rent a plane to take you up to the top, but it was so cloudy we opted to not fork over 500 NZD (a person) for the joy. The Lake you’re looking at is Hooker Lake. It may not look it – it’s so clear, it’s like glass:

Anyway, there isn’t much to write about Mt. Cook except that it’s just beautiful and peaceful and CLEAN!

Silly story: while we were camping in Wanaka (a later post), I overheard a gentleman from England on speaker phone try to describe New Zealand to a relative back home. His words: Like England….but Americanized. I originally thought I wasn’t hearing correctly, but then he went on to explain what he meant by Americanized. The houses and cars look American – both in style and size – and the streets are wider.

I didn’t realize it until he said it, but it’s totally true! (especially about the roads) When I drove on the left side in Ireland – I was a ball of nerves the whole time, the roads are insanely narrow! Remember that flat tire I got on my way to the Cliffs of Moher?

T and I have had long discussions throughout our NZ Roadtrip – NZ is actually quite a delight to drive through – even in our camper!

The image of my feet in literal glassy water reminded me of that conversation. Especially about how clean the water is in New Zealand! Looking back, I was also amazed with how clean it is there. I have to give props to New Zealanders as a whole – they love their country and it shows with not only how well preserved everything is, but also how much they are trying to improve it with their plant-life and animal conservation.

Anyhoo, it was certainly something to reflect on about my time in New Zealand. So I’m gonna end this post with more gorgeous photos from our few hours at the base of Mt. Cook.

Bis naechste Woche!