New Zealand - How fast are you going?

New Zealand - How fast are you going?
Originally uploaded by Jeroenolthof.nl

I was on my way from Mount Cook to Christchurch when I noticed this sign along the road. I found it quite funny to see a sign like this in the middle of nowhere with miles and miles long stretches of road with no vehicles at all.

I can imagine you'd want to drive fast here because of the low amount of vehicles in this part of the country. The roads are asking for it! I've never seen a police officer using his laser gun in New Zealand by the way. Another reason why I made this photo.

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New Zealand - Mount Cook Village

New Zealand - Mount Cook Village
Originally uploaded by Jeroenolthof.nl

Mount Cook Village is located near New Zealand's highest mountain, 12 kilometers south of the summit. The small village is home to just a few facilities. There are a couple of hotels/hostels. Mount Cook Village is mainly used as a base for those who want to climb the mountain. There really isn't a whole to do here but it's the best place to relax. I had a flight around Mount Cook planned but this was canceled due to bad weather.

The previous photo in this set was taken earlier that day and it shows how fast the weather changes in New Zealand. Near Lindis Pass we had a beautiful day with loads of sunshine and later that day it was all foggy, cold and rainy.

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New Zealand: Lindis Pass

New Zealand: Lindis Pass
Originally uploaded by Jeroenolthof.nl

En route on State Highway 8 from Queenstown to Mount Cook. This photo was taken somewhere near Lindis Pass. I took this photo because I noticed these two clouds. They look quite weird to me. Does anyone know what these clouds are called

The weather was still pretty chilly that day. The blue sky changed later that day when the weather got worse and it started raining.

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New Zealand - Lake Hawea

New Zealand - Lake Hawea
Originally uploaded by Jeroenolthof.nl

New Zealand - Lake Hawea

En route from Franz Jozef we stopped at a scenic lookout point on the Makarora - Lake Hawea Road, also known as Highway 6. We had an amazing view overlooking Lake Hawea. The scenery was stunning and seeing these mountain ranges makes me realize and imagine why Peter Jackson decided to shoot Lord Of The Rings here in New Zealand.

Lake Hawea is 35 kilometers long and it's located parallel to Lake Wanaka which is 8 miles to the west.

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New Zealand - Lake Hawea

New Zealand - Lake Hawea
Originally uploaded by Jeroenolthof.nl

New Zealand - Lake Hawea

En route from Franz Jozef we stopped at a scenic lookout point on the Makarora - Lake Hawea Road, also known as Highway 6. We had an amazing view overlooking Lake Hawea. The scenery was stunning and seeing these mountain ranges makes me realize and imagine why Peter Jackson decided to shoot Lord Of The Rings here in New Zealand.

Lake Hawea is 35 kilometers long and it lies parallel to Lake Wanaka which is located 8 miles to the west.

www.jeroenolthof.nl

New Zealand - Bruce Bay

New Zealand - Bruce Bay
Originally uploaded by Jeroenolthof.nl

Bruce Bay is located along highway 6 on the South Island. I took the bus from Franz Jozef to Wanaka and the bus driver stopped here at Bruce Way. We had to opportunity to take some photos, use the restrooms of just to enjoy the view. The view was stunning and I was very happy the bus driver decided to take his break here.

The beach is covered with scrap wood. The background shows the Kahikatea forest.

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New Zealand - Bruce Bay

New Zealand - Bruce Bay
Originally uploaded by Jeroenolthof.nl

Bruce Bay is located along highway 6 on the South Island. I took the bus from Franz Jozef to Wanaka and the bus driver stopped here at Bruce Way. We had to opportunity to take some photos, use the restrooms of just to enjoy the view. The view was stunning and I was very happy the bus driver decided to take his break here.

The beach is covered with scrap wood. The forest on the left is the Kahikatea forest.

www.jeroenolthof.nl

New Zealand - Arthur's Pass National Park

New Zealand - Arthur's Pass National Park
Originally uploaded by Jeroenolthof.nl

New Zealand - Arthur's Pass National Park

This is a shot from a train journey I took a couple of years ago in New Zealand. It is by far one of the most exiting train journeys I've ever taken and it's also voted as one of the world’s great scenic railway journeys.

The TranzAlpine runs from Christchurch to Greymouth and basically connects the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean by going coast to coast. The trip takes 4.5 hours one way using 19 tunnels and 4 viaducts with the highest at 73 meters. The length of the journey is 223.8 kilometers.

This photo is taken during the train ride when the train reaches Arthur's Pass National Park. Arthur's Pass is one of the few stops along the line but it's definately the highest stop.

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New Zealand - Franz Josef

New Zealand - Franz Josef
Originally uploaded by Jeroenolthof.nl

This is how my back yard looked like in New Zealand. I took this photo in the tiny village of Franz Josef which is mainly known for its glacier. The glacier is a major tourist attraction and many people visit Franz Josef solely for the glacier. Other than the glacier, there really isn't much to do and that explains why just 330 people live here.

The Franz Josef glacier is named 'Ka Roimata o Hinehukatere' in Maori and it's one of the biggest glaciers in the country. It measures 12 kilometers in length. It's also unique because it's located just 300 meters above sea level and it moves ten times as much as an average glacier. The glacier area attracts a massive 250.000 visitors each year.

www.jeroenolthof.nl

New Zealand - Franz Josef

New Zealand - Franz Josef
Originally uploaded by Jeroenolthof.nl

This is how my back yard looked like in New Zealand. I took this photo in the tiny village of Franz Josef which is mainly known for its glacier. The glacier is a major tourist attraction and many people visit Franz Josef solely for the glacier. Other than the glacier, there really isn't much to do and that explains why just 330 people live here.

The Franz Josef glacier is named 'Ka Roimata o Hinehukatere' in Maori and it's one of the biggest glaciers in the country. It measures 12 kilometers in length. It's also unique because it's located just 300 meters above sea level and it moves ten times as much as an average glacier. The glacier area attracts a massive 250.000 visitors each year.

www.jeroenolthof.nl

New Zealand - Canterbury Plains

New Zealand - Canterbury Plains
Originally uploaded by Jeroenolthof.nl

This is a shot from a train journey I took a couple of years ago in New Zealand. It is by far one of the most exiting train journeys I've ever taken and it's also voted as one of the world’s great scenic railway journeys.

The TranzAlpine runs from Christchurch to Greymouth and basically connects the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean by going coast to coast. The trip takes 4.5 hours one way using 19 tunnels and 4 viaducts with the highest at 73 meters. The length of the journey is 223.8 kilometers.

The view seen on this photo is when the train leaves Christchurch and crosses the Canterbury Plains before it reaches the New Zealand Southern Alps.

www.jeroenolthof.nl

New Zealand - Canterbury Plains

New Zealand - Canterbury Plains
Originally uploaded by Jeroenolthof.nl

This is a shot from a train journey I took a couple of years ago in New Zealand. It is by far one of the most exiting train journeys I've ever taken and it's also voted as one of the world’s great scenic railway journeys.

The TranzAlpine runs from Christchurch to Greymouth and basically connects the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean by going coast to coast. The trip takes 4.5 hours one way using 19 tunnels and 4 viaducts with the highest at 73 meters. The length of the journey is 223.8 kilometers.

The view seen on this photo is when the train leaves Christchurch and crosses the Canterbury Plains before it reaches the New Zealand Southern Alps.

www.jeroenolthof.nl

New Zealand - Picton

New Zealand - Picton
Originally uploaded by Jeroenolthof.nl

Picton is on the northern tip of the southern island. This is where you'll arrive if you cross the Cook Strait by ferry from Wellington. The scenery is stunning because the trip will take you through Marlborough Sounds which is a mixture of peninsulas and islands.

The large commercial ferry harbour, Picton, is located at the head of Queen Charlotte Sound. It's also possible to fly from Wellington to Picton. That's a lot faster but not as beautiful as the three-hour crossing by Interislander ferry!

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