Our first stop on an epic journey through the highlights of Japan was the biggest city in the world. Lights, sushi, manga! Sprawling, frenetic, and endlessly fascinating, Japan’s capital is a city of contrasts. Shrines and gardens are pockets of calm between famously crowded streets and soaring office buildings. Mom-and-pop noodle houses share street space …
All posts tagged Panoramas
New Zealand – Rotorua
Steaming earth, roaring rivers and sky touching trees. All with a whiff of rotten eggs. That pretty much sums up the nice town of Rotorua. Attractions here are the most touristy of any that we’ve seen in New Zealand but as in most cases the best things are enjoyed for free if you put in …
New Zealand – Tongariro
[su_quote cite=”New Zealand Travel Log – Stijn van Drunen”]The alarm is early, it’s only 6:15 when we are awoken by it. Today is perhaps the day for us to attempt the Tongariro Alpine Crossing and I’m excited about it even though the weather isn’t looking perfect for it. Breakfast is served between 6:30 and 7:30 …
New Zealand – Golden Bay
On the top of the southern island of New Zealand is the Golden Bay. This wonderful piece of earth features cold water springs, waterfalls, desolate beaches and awe inspiring nature. From Motueka the SH60 takes a stomach-churning meander over Takaka Hill to Takaka in the Golden Bay area. At this point we’ve done a fair bit …
New Zealand – Glacier Country
One of the most spectacular things we’ve done in New Zealand was riding a helicopter up to the face of the Fox Glacier and doing a three hour hike over the river of ice. Roaring waterfalls on the side and dramatic rocks being slowly transported over the slowest moving highway in the world to the …
New Zealand – Queenstown & Haast
The motel in Queenstown advertised with “Dramatic Lake Views”. Not a word of that line was a lie, Lake Wakatipu offers stunning views with dramatic clouds swooping up and down the mountainsides any time of the day. The drive from Te Anau to Queenstown over the Devil’s Staircase already impresses but after spending the night …
New Zealand – Milford Sound
Milford Sound is the most well-known and most accessible of all the fiords in New Zealand’s Fiordland National Park, a World Heritage Area. Its 16 kilometre (14 nautical miles) length is lined by sheer rock faces that soar 1,200 metres or more from the water. At 1692 metres, the iconic Mitre Peak is a spectacular …
New Zealand – Southern Scenic Route
To us one of the most enjoyable things of the Southern Island was the Southern Scenic Route. This excellent signposted route takes you through some of New Zealands most scenic roads with a surprise and nice stop waiting around each corner. Technically the Milford Sound Highway is also part of this route, but more about …
New Zealand – Mackenzie Region
Our next stop along the way was Twizel, the largest town in the Mackenzie region with a population of 1200 residents and a hard to match backdrop of the Southern Alps. From our cute little mountain chalet the beautiful Pukaki lake was just minutes away. Beautiful sunsets make the mountains begging for “I See Fire” …
New Zealand – Akaroa
From Auckland we took a short Jetstar flight to Christchurch where we picked up the rental car and drove to Akaroa. The story of Akaroa begins approximately seven and half million years ago when two giant volcanoes erupted. This eruption resulted in the formation of what we now know today as Banks Peninsula. The area …