New Zealand
New Zealand is a pristine world faraway. On the spectacular beach of Wharariki near Cape Farewell, black-tailed godwits shared the surf line with seals. I swam with the tide into rain forests of Whanganui Inlet, and hiked the barren lavas of Tongariro. There are few places in the world where elemental forces combine with such proximity. Glissening alpine peaks divide densely forested gorges in the south. Islets in the Coromandel north are last strongholds for the worlds most prehistoric creature, the endangered tuatara lizard. I drifted along rocky sea cliffs, dived down for scallops in the Enchanted Isles and played on rope swings in Cook Inlet.
This is a land of luscious birdsong, exotic hot springs and extraordinary species. The royal albatross, the kakapo parrot, the kiwi and the blue-eyed penguin fight for survival on the margins of the southern seas.
