Aoraki / Mount Cook village and national park is a moody, rugged place of ice and rock, where the word "avalanche" is spoken quite often and matter-of-factly. Reportedly with 19 peaks over 3000 meters including New Zealand's highest mountain Aoraki (also known as the cloud piercer). Raw and beautiful. I will miss you. : : #mountaintrek #glacierexplorer #mountainclimbing #Aoraki #MountCook #MountCookNationalPark #TeWahipounamu #WorldHeritageSite #Unesco #SouthernAlps #glaciers #glacialwaters #kiwiexperience #alpinejourneys #NewZealand #beyondOz #middleearth #lostcontinent #NZadventure #nzmustdo #travel #happiness #ayinisms (at Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park)

After 3 days of intermittent, miserable rain and strong winds, the sun came out just in time (!🙅‍♀️) on the day we're set to leave the mountains. Wohooo! We still made it! Finally got to see Aoraki/Mount Cook, the cloud piercer, in all its glory (which we're told does not happen to most visitors). And yes -- finally able to fly and play with snow. Thank you, thank you, Mr. Sun 😘 What a beautiful, perfect day! ☀️❄️💙 : : #bucketlist #perfectday #Aoraki #MountCook #MountCookNationalPark #TeWahipounamu #WorldHeritageSite #Unesco #SouthernAlps #glaciers #Heliworks #scenicflight #glacierlanding #snowlanding #kiwiexperience #alpinejourneys #NewZealand #beyondOz #middleearth #lostcontinent #NZadventure #nzmustdo #travel #happiness #ayinisms (at Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park)

Look who got to be co-captain for today! Wooot! Here with the very capable and kind Captain Mark who's busy with the controls and-- okay, okay -- taking charge of everything because apparently, I'm too excited to focus. Base 1, we're ready to fly! 😎☀️❄️🏔️ : : P.S. Yabs, picking you up in a bit. Do you copy? : : #Aoraki #MountCook #MountCookNationalPark #scenicflight #heliworks #mtcookhelicopter #glacierlanding #snowlanding #kiwiexperience #alpinejourneys #NewZealand #beyondOz #middleearth #lostcontinent #NZadventure #nzmustdo #travel #happiness #ayinisms (at Mount Cook Aerodrome)

Traversing through the Lindis Pass on our way to Mount Cook. The topography of this mountain range is simply jaw-dropping, a magical play of light and shadow. : : #LindisPass #lotr #SouthernAlps #alpinejourneys #kiwiexperience #Otago #NewZealand #beyondOz #middleearth #NZadventure #travel #happiness #ayinisms (at Lindis Pass, New Zealand)

Milford Sound Cruise. The sound that's actually a fiord (formed by glacial erosion). Amazing. Still can't believe I'm on the edge of the world. : : #bucketlist #MilfordSound #Fiordland #FiordlandNationalPark #TeWahipounamu #WorldHeritage #SouthernAlps #fiords #glacier #glacialwaters #tasmansea #kiwiexperience #alpinejourneys #NewZealand #beyondOz #middleearth #lostcontinent #NZadventure #nzmustdo #travel #happiness #ayinisms (at Milford Sound)

Fiordland National Park, over 1.2 million hectares (not a typo!) in size, blew my mind. Totally redefined my concept of a national park. : : #Fiordland #FiordlandNationalPark #TeWahipounamu #WorldHeritage #worldheritagesite #SouthernAlps #kiwiexperience #alpinejourneys #realjourneys #NewZealand #beyondOz #middleearth #NZadventure #nzmustdo #travel #happiness #ayinisms (at Fiordland National Park, South Island ,New Zealand)