Four months ago exactly, I was in the South Island with a group of friends, visiting the lower half of the country for the first time. Though, admittedly, Akaroa and Blenheim are near the very top of the South Island and there is still much to see further south. These photographs are taken around the Akaroa Harbour - and for the very first time I felt like a tourist in my own country; taking photos and being in total awe of the beautiful landscapes that surrounded me. The North Island also has stunning scenery, but in a very different way; less dramatic and more calm, I had grown up with it and for this reason kind of took it for granted. But visiting the South Island encouraged me to see New Zealand in a different light, fresh and vivid. What an amazing summer it was. I feel so blessed to live in this country.
