The Epicenter of The Natural World

Recently, I have marveled at the exotic beauty of Bora Bora’s Mt. Otemanu from the thatched-covered porch of an enchanting over-water bungalow. I have swam with sharks, rays, and fur seals in the far away lands of Southern Hemisphere. I have kissed a dolphin. But New Zealand has been discovered as the epicenter of the natural world. Miles beyond miles of purple-blue lupines charge up to the shore of Lake Tekapo. Primordial palms mix into ancient glacial surrounds with sightings of Alpine Parrot, the Kea – these are memories of the Kiwi Nation, Aotearoa. And what could be more epic than overnight exploration by clipper of the jaw-dropping grandeur of Doubtful Sound as it crashes out to the powerful Tasman Sea? The penguins had me at hello.