Cook Strait is a fearsome sea passage. There are approximately two hundred and fifty ship-wrecks resting on the seafloor here, not even counting pleasure craft. Fierce winds, strong tidal currents, and rough seas have formed a fatal cocktail for 19th-century sailing ships more than once. When a ship ended up in a wind blowing inland, …
Wet Coast, they sometimes call the West Coast. You can expect rain every other day. On an annual basis, this results in a water column of about 2,850 mm. However, for now, it doesn't seem like we have to fear precipitation. The sun shines in the blue sky, and the weather forecasts suggest that there won't be any changes in the near future. Why do we venture into these wet areas in the first place? It's all about ...
In its better days – meaning during the last ice age – the Fox Glacier reached all the way to the coastline. However, that has not been the case for a long time. Over the past fourteen thousand years, the glacier has progressively retreated further inland. Nowadays, …
Like pearls on a string, the national parks on the West Coast of the South Island are strung together. Fiordland in the far southwest is the largest of them all. Since the glaciers retreated after the last Ice Age, it has become clear …
Wisps of mist hang low above the grasslands. In the east the sun slowly makes its way up into the sky. At least that's what we assume, as the event unfolds entirely behind the clouds. Shortly after eight, we have left Te Anau behind us. It will take until late afternoon before something noteworthy happens. We have embarked on …
Throughout the country, heavy rains are expected – from Auckland on the North Island to Franz Josef on the South Island. In short, everywhere we've been over the past few weeks. But just not where our destinations lie in the coming days. Once again, we narrowly escape bad weather. On this Sunday morning, ...
For the first time in almost two weeks, luck is not on our side. Black, dark clouds hang low over Hooker Valley. There is no trace of Mount Cook to be seen. As we begin our last day just after eight, there is a light rain. But real wetness is absent. Soon, we have …