Homer Tunnel

Hey Ya'll!

Continuing on with my adventure to Milford Sounds I am going to share two quick stops along the way.  Well the drive is just breathtaking if you have not gathered that already.  Just as we were about to pull over at Monkey Creek the fog began to burn off the mountains and the rays from the sun starting streaming through.  It was an amazing site!! During this quick stop off you could fill up your water bottles with some of the purest water in the world. Then we were off to the Homer Tunnel! I was hoping I would be able to see some cheeky Keas there, but sadly none were out :( Quite disappointed about that one.  

I did want to share a bit of information on the Homer Tunnel with ya'll.  The construction of it began in 1935 and finished in 1954.  Yep that's nearly 20 years! The tunnel is 1.2 km long, and is the second longest road tunnel in New Zealand.  Funny thing about New Zealand is that there are not heaps of tunnels; I have only gone through two on my many road trips. More tunnels would be great because you would be able to get to places so much faster, but then you would miss some views.... it's a catch twenty two.....

When we stopped at the Homer Tunnel we only had about 10 minutes to take it all in.  There is a timer that counts down to when the tunnel will open on your end and when you're given the green light you gotta move on through.  So in the short time I had I captured the amazing landscape.  The vibrant green moss growing wild among the rocky landscape, the water and fog flowing down the sides of the mountains concealing its true height was really something to behold.  You feel so small in relation to everything else.  

Well I hope all ya'll back in the States are enjoying the start of fall! I know I am enjoying spring, summer is so close I can taste it! 

Mirror Lakes

Hey Ya'll!

With all the wonderful warmer weather here in the Hawke's Bay I have been getting out heaps hiking, biking, and all sorts of mini adventures.  I am so excited for summer to be here and all the adventures with friends that will bring :)

For now here are some adventures from the South Island :) After leaving Te Anau I had a lovely scenic bus ride. Along the winding roads I saw the swamps that were used as the aerial shots for the Dead Marshes in the Lord of the Rings!! Unfortunately I was not able to capture that from the bus :(  Although it was pretty epic and yes I geeked out :) Anywho once we drove for a bit longer we stopped at the Mirror Lakes.  The stop was quick and a bit chaotic because you have other tour buses stopping simultaneously with about 50 people per bus.  So I prepared myself, I got my camera all ready and then rushed off the bus to see some amazing scenery.

You could never tell by these photos but there was over 100 people at this stop and I threw some elbows errr I mean waited patiently and used my manners to get to the front :) The lake was just breathtaking.  It sits perfectly still, unmoving and unshaking.  Even when surrounded by the chaos of tourists crowding round to get a glimpse of its majesty.  This was a good reminder to me to just be still, that I do not have to be constantly doing something. Often in the chaos of life we forget to be still and feel like we have to have everything planned out. When in reality that striving to constantly be doing something is not healthy.  Taking a step back and spending time in God's Word and learning from that is what we should be striving for.  Definitely something I am working on daily.

After a short 10ish minutes it was time to get back on the bus. Then we were on our way to the next stop :) More to come later. Hope ya'll enjoyed the pictures!

"Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"