Top 10 World's Best Picnic Spots

Top 10 World's Best Picnic Spots

milford sound, south island, new zealand

adventure country

Rain forests hug dramatic cliffs, waterfalls cascade into rivers, and 4,000-foot rocky peaks tower over a deep fjord that has become New Zealand's most famous destination. Yes, it's on the tourist trail, but remote Milford Sound—within the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site—retains a grandeur that visitors and rain (182 days of it each year) can't begin to dampen. Buses depart from Queenstown for a drive across the Southern Alps, past alpine forests and mirror-like lakes. Pack a picnic and hop aboard a two-hour boat tour of the awe-inspiring sound or kayak around the coastline for a floating lunch party. What to pack? How about traditional Kiwi eats such as Anzac biscuits, colonial goose (roast leg of lamb), and a bottle of Marlborough sauvignon blanc.

 milford sound

A must-see on the South Island is Fiordland National Park with its rock walls towering 4,000 feet (1,220 meters) in the air. Take a flight over Milford Sound, one of the most scenic areas of the park, or spend a night exploring the Sound on the Milford Wanderer. To swim with some of the world’s smallest dolphins, book a cruise with Black Cat Cruises in the town of Akaroa, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from Christchurch. Make your way back to Christchurch, where the famous Botanic Gardens are an oasis where indigenous and exotic plants flourish.

rainbow

I was touring through the country of New Zealand, and this rainbow kept following me on my trip. We got onto the Forgotten World Highway and this shot presented itself. I knew I had to take this picture. The light, the shadows and the colour contrasts were spectacular and riveting.

cape reinga lighthouse

The Cape Reinga Lighthouse at the northern tip of New Zealand. The Cape is sacred to the Maori of New Zealand as the "leaping off point" for the souls of the recently deceased. The souls are said to travel back north towards Hawaiiki, the origin of the Maori people.

waikawau bay

Taken at Waikawau Bay, Coromandel, New Zealand. After a gorgeous drive up the coast, I was greeted with this scene. It kind of reminds me of the symmetrical paintings I did at primary school, where you painted one side then folded the paper in half. The weather always seems to provide unique opportunities up this end of New Zealand.

northernmost point

This photo was taken near the northernmost point of New Zealand. The arrowhead-shaped surf marks the meeting of the Pacific Ocean from the east and the Tasman Sea from the west.

pancake rocks

Punakaiki, West Coast, New Zealand. The Pancake Rocks are a major tourist attraction at Dolomite Point. The formation consists of heavily eroded limestone platelets stacked horizontally

 

skier

This was taken in the late afternoon in New Zealand's Southern Alps. I love the way the light on the snow and the shape of the slope combine to make the skier look as though he is skiing on the face of the moon.

glacier

While on holiday in New Zealand earlier this year, I was lucky enough to do a four-hour glacier/ice cave walk. The weather was perfect and the experience was overwhelming!

fox glacier

View at the top of Fox Glacier, on the South Island of New Zealand, from a helicopter

christchurch cathedral

Christchurch Cathedral, located in the heart of Christchurch, New Zealand, is an Anglican cathedral, a historic landmark, and a national treasure.

north island pools

Considered to be the best day walk on the North Island, this walk is famous mostly for these three pools with a very special color.

lake tkapo 

Lake Tekapo is located on New Zealand's South Island. The water is a unique turquoise color and feeds into the lake from the Southern Alps. The dawn light cast dramatic shadows on the partially submerged rocks.

sky above lake tekapo

The low light pollution of Lake Tekapo allows a clear image of the Milky Way above the pretty Church of the Good Shepherd. Visible at the top is the Southern Cross.

mount tongariro

A group of trampers makes their way across the crater rim of Mount Tongariro, heading toward the volcanic Mount Ngarahoe in New Zealand's volcanic plateau, Tongariro National Park.