For the last few weeks my friend and I have been backpacking through both North and South Island of New Zealand. It’s an incredible country with about every single type of landscape and weather combination possible. I visited during what would be the Southern Hemisphere’s late Spring. I was excitedly anticipating temperatures hovering around 60-70°F. Home was going through a disgustingly, humid heat wave. I decided to ditch the sticky mugginess and urban cityscape in exchange for beautiful scenery, open roads, and a hint of snow.
The trip began with flying out from LAX and landing in Auckland (AKL.) From there we hired a car and headed south.
Locations Visited:
North Island
- Auckland
- Hobbiton
- Taranaki
- Tongariro Alpine Crossing
- Emerald Lakes
- Ketetahi Hot SpringsTaupo
- Waitomo
- Forgotten World Highway
- Putangirua Pinnacles
- Hillary Trail
- Wellington
South Island
- Picton
- Abel Tasman National Park
- Paparoa National Park
- Franz Josef Glacier
- Fox Glacier
- Queenstown
- Ben Lomond
- Kiwi Birdlife Park
- Te Anau (Kepler Track)
- Haast Pass
- Milford Sound
- Tunnel Beach
- Catlins National Park
- Surat Bay
- Nugget Point
- Tautuku Bay
- Purakaunui Falls
- Slope Point
- Moeraki Boulder
- Christchurch
I have to mention though, the number one thing I missed while abroad was the abundance of wi-fi. There isn’t much accessible public wi-fi in New Zealand. Hotspots that are available generally run at dial-up speed. –Minus the nostalgic 56k modem sound.
Shops, stores, and businesses also typically close rather early. For instance 8pm is considered late. This is conjunction with the country’s lack of wi-fi provided me with ample editing time to string together a collection of clips I filmed while moving about the country. It’s truly a remarkable country. I encourage you to visit at least once. Enjoy the short film! 🙂
Equipment
Camera:
GoPro HERO 4 Black Edition + Blackout Housing + (full review)
iPhone 5s
Lens:
Accessories:
Peak Design Slide Strap
Blackout Housing
(full review)
Quick Clip
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Nice one!