This past week will be one that I will be able to cherish for the rest of my life. I don’t think there is a better way to see New Zealand than road tripping with 9 of your closest friends, so thats exactly what I did. I had never been on a road trip like this before. It was crazy how much the landscape would change from one to another in the matter of 30 minutes. In one moment you feel like you’re in Hawaii with beautiful blue waves crashing on your right and huge mountains on your left, the next you feel like you’re in a rain forest and it looks like you’re in the middle of Jurassic Park, and then the next you’re overwhelmed by the most beautiful snow capped mountains. I don’t think I was able to sleep in the car for the whole trip because I didn’t want to miss a single thing.
We were able to see so much of the country, but I think hands down my favorite stops we made were Abel Tasman and Hokitika Gorge. Abel Tasman is one of nine Great Walks New Zealand has to offer. This track is at the top of the South Island and brings you along the beautiful coast where I saw the clearest and bluest waters I’ve ever seen. There wasn’t a moment of the tramp (New Zealand term for hike) where I wasn’t amazed by the beauty of the nature surrounding me. One moment is looks like you could see a mermaid pop out of the rocks in the water, and then you keep walking and then it looks like a dinosaur could walk out of the luscious forest. It was insane. Don’t even get me started on the stars. The first night was the clearest of skies and we were able to see absolutely everything. We were able to see the Milky Way up close and personal (at least it felt like that). We could even see the curvature in the sky. I was like looking up in a planetarium, but even better. Abel Tasman was challenging in parts, but hands down one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had.
As a swimmer, I feel like I’m always attracted to water, so when we stopped at Hokitika Gorge I felt like I was in Heaven (pictured above). Hokitika Gorge is pretty much created from a mixture of glacier and river water and it creates a beautiful turquoise colored water. It was hard to believe that this place was so real. Once you walk over the suspension bridge you’re overwhelmed by the gorgeous scenery of the greenest of trees and the bluest of waters. I never wanted to leave. I definitely recommend going to Hokitika Gorge if you’re ever in New Zealand! It’ll blow your mind!