Final days on the South Island

Let's see, what do we have here. Me, jumping off one of the cool cylindrical Moeraki boulders, as shot by some random French dude who moments prior to this picture did the exact same thing himself. Some panoramic shots of my drive up South Island's east coast. Some bonus footage from the Milford track including my excited hiking companion Levi doing his best Richard Nixon impersonation. A picture of a "little...LADY...BUG!", as Nicki Minaj would say. Some bizarre and even frightening pictures from the completely unexpected-but-awesome "Steampunk HQ" in the very quirky town of Oamaru. A picture of empty chairs in downtown Christchurch that serve as a memorial to the 185 people who died during the major earthquake that hit a few years ago. I'll have more to say about Christchurch in future posts but suffice to say seeing the devastation in person was haunting -- but the rebuilding, much like New Orleans after Katrina, was inspiring. Including things like people creating a bar out of a bus. Constraint begets creativity! 

Thanks to everyone who's been following along thus far. This blog is going to take an increasingly professional turn in the weeks ahead as my actual work with the NZ government commences, but I'll still try to find time to post personal pictures. Perhaps more importantly, I'm on the verge of renting a furnished, TWO bedroom apartment in Wellington, so those of y'all in the US have NO EXCUSE not to come visit!