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Two landscapes must be nearby if I am to be happiest -- the mountains and the sea. I don't need to immerse myself in either. I simply need to know they are near, and I need to see one or both in the distance.
The Lure of the Mountains and Sea November 20, 2004
Ttrealtravels2005-12-26 15:42:45
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Two landscapes must be nearby if I am to be happiest -- the mountains and the sea. I don't need to immerse myself in either. I simply need to know they are near, and I need to see one or both in the distance.
This is why I love California so. That land -- specifically the San Francisco Bay Area -- will always be my home because I can see Mt. Hamilton on my evening jog, and I can see the blue edge of the bay as I walk to my office desk.
This is also why I am falling in love with New Zealand. This country is nothing but mountains and sea. Fierce, snow-capped mountains rise right up out of the brilliant green-blue sea. Going south, I looked to the right and watched the rich, green-brown hills go by -- the little foothills of the great range that forms the country's backbone. To my left, ocean waves crashed on black volcanic sands, and the Pacific stretched for millions of miles.
My two most amazing experiences in New Zealand revolved around mountains and sea. First was swimming with the dolphins in Kaikoura. Surrounded by water and playful native mammals, I got as close to the sea as possible.
And then I finally got a real taste of the mountains. We'd been foiled by rain and gusting winds at Mt. Ruapehu. Here on the South Island, we drove to Mt. Cook and had a sorry repeat of the first mountain experience. Torrential storms kept us from seeing any of the famous peak. Dejected, miffed, I thought we'd never see New Zealand's mountains.
We ventured all the way up to the Mt. Cook observatory area at the Hermitage Lodge and visitor center. The weather? Positively stunk! It was raining buckets and the fog shrouded all but the faintest ghostly outlines of just the bottom half of the mountain. The rain started 25 miles before we even got there and never let up. There was no seeing Mt. Cook that day, and the weather made it next to impossible to
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See photographs from:
New Zealand Gallery
