All my bags are packed and I'm ready to go... But at least I'm not leaving on a jet plane, not yet anyway. I have one day left in Te Anau to say goodbyes and tie up loose ends, and I can't help but feel a bit sad. While I'm still looking forward to the good things that lie ahead, I've grown so attached and comfortable here that it's a sad thing to leave it behind. So as a tribute to this wonderful little town, I'm taking you on a photographic tour of Te Anau (though it surely doesn't do the place justice). Riley, this is for you.
My home for the past 6+ months.
My walk to work.
Where I work(ed)!
Last day in the VC, with Anja and Denise (and Jeanette, but she's the one behind the camera this time).
Monument to Quintin Mackinnon, one of the intrepid explorers of the region.
Heading down the lakefront.
Lake Te Anau with Mt Titiroa in the distance.
Welcome to the bustling metropolis of Te Anau...
...where you have to watch out for livestock crossing the road? This remains one of my favorite pictures of this town.
The Cliff, one of my favorite places in town. I've spent many a good night there with friends and live music.
Giant takahe.
Lakefront and wharfs.
Mountains are never far away.
It really is a prime location.
Te Anau's "urban sprawl".
Since I'm leaving town, I'll be pretty incomunicado until the end of my first roadtrip in June, so I'm taking a leave of absence from the blogosphere and the world wide web. But I promise to make up for it with heaps of good photos and stories when I return. Till then, be happy and healthy! Love you all.
I'm closing in on my final week in Te Anau (eeek!). Six months seem like an eternity and the blink of an eye. While I'll be genuinely sad to leave this new home, I am honestly looking forward to traveling around a bit and then settling in elsewhere for winter work. Starting next week, Lyn and I will be embarking on a good two-week roadtrip around the South Island, ticking some more hiking goals off our list. We'll start out with...
And then on to Taupo for me! I'm heading there at the end of May to be with Cory for a couple weeks before we set out on a road trip of our own (destinations unknown) to slowly work our way back down to Lake Ohau, where we'll both be working for the winter at the ski fields there (me in the ticket office and Cory as a lifty)! We're both really looking forward to finally living in the same place and being able to snowboard and explore a new area together. Ever the Lord of the Rings geek, I've been rewatching each film and eyeballing the landscape around Twizel, the nearest town to Ohau. Here's a teaser:
Now if only that giant white city was actually there, I'd think I'd died and gone to heaven. Well, maybe I have anyway...let's not forget that I won't be far from the majestic Aoraki/Mt Cook, New Zealand's highest peak, and we all know I'm a sucker for mountains. And the beautiful turquoise waters of Lake Ohau. I think I can handle it. So send me on my way.
