New Zealand is one of the most exotic places not just in Oceania, but in the world. It’s a rare non-tropical country in the Southern Hemisphere where you can go surfing, diving, hiking, and mountain climbing all on the same trip. Before visiting, I assumed New Zealand would be similar to nearby Australia, but geographically the two countries couldn’t be more different. New Zealand is much cooler and greener, with everything from geothermal landscapes and subtropical coastlines on the North Island to glaciers and snow-covered mountains farther south.
I visited New Zealand in 2004 during the same trip that took me to Australia. At the time I was almost entirely interested in nature and adventure, so I barely explored the cities. Most of my photos and memories from the trip instead involve geothermal areas, caves, coastlines, forests, and some of the incredibly green countryside.
Geothermal New Zealand
One of my first experiences with New Zealand’s unusual landscape was exploring an area filled with geothermal activity. Steam was rising out of the ground throughout the area, which is why I always remembered it as the “thermal village.” Ironically, this was also about the only photo I took of anything resembling a man-made structure during the entire trip!
There were small lakes and pools throughout the area that were hot enough to burn at the touch. Even stranger were the boiling mud pools. They constantly bubbled and made exaggerated noises that reminded me of a witch’s cauldron from a cartoon.
New Zealand is also home to numerous geysers. I watched this one erupt repeatedly while exploring the area. Nearby, colorful mineral deposits covered the rocks where geothermal water had flowed across the surface.
Bay of Islands
Near the northern end of the North Island is the Bay of Islands, one of New Zealand’s most famous areas for boating, sailing, and fishing. I took a boat through the bay and passed dozens of islands, many of which looked completely different from one another.
One of the highlights was the famous Hole in the Rock. The opening is large enough that boats can actually travel through it, which we were able to do during the trip.
One of the islands was covered with so many birds that its white summit almost looked like snow from a distance. The contrast between the bright green vegetation and blue water throughout the bay was incredible. After leaving one of the islands, a pod of dolphins began following our boat and repeatedly jumping several feet out of the water.
I also visited several waterfalls while traveling around the North Island, including Whangarei Falls. I only wish I had a better camera back then, and some better weather to go along with it!
Exploring the North Island
Before arriving in New Zealand I expected the landscape to resemble eastern Australia for some reason. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Even before my plane landed in Auckland, I remember looking out the window and seeing some of the greenest scenery I had ever seen.
Despite New Zealand’s unique wildlife, I somehow came home with very few wildlife photos. The horses obviously don’t count, but I did photograph this large bird. New Zealand’s most famous native bird is the kiwi, a flightless and mostly nocturnal bird that is notoriously difficult to spot in the wild.
Tauranga
I did some hiking around the seaside town of Tauranga with friends who showed me a trail climbing above the coast. The rocky shoreline was beautiful, and the higher sections of the trail provided great views over the water.
My friends told me wildlife was commonly seen around this coastline, including seals. I didn’t have that kind of luck, but I did photograph this bird along the trail.
Waitomo Caves & the Lost World
My two most memorable experiences in New Zealand were underground. The first was blackwater rafting through the Waitomo caves. Instead of whitewater rafting, you float through an underground river in a rubber tube with a headlamp. At one point everyone turned off their lights and the cave became completely dark except for thousands of glowworms covering the ceiling high above us. They looked like stars in the night sky.
My other adventure was the Lost World, where I rappelled roughly 300 feet down through an enormous opening into a cave. After descending into the darkness, the route continued underground before eventually climbing back out through another section of the cave.
Across New Zealand
I took these last photos after coming across a swamp that immediately reminded me of something from The Lord of the Rings. When I visited in 2004, the movies were still extremely popular and tours were already taking visitors to filming locations around the country.
Looking back, I definitely didn’t photograph New Zealand as thoroughly as I would today. I was far more interested in the adventure itself than documenting every destination. Still, between geothermal landscapes, the Bay of Islands, Tauranga, blackwater rafting, and rappelling into the Lost World, New Zealand ended up being one of the most adventurous parts of that trip.
