Let it snow,let it snow, let it snow....

It was amazing to witness a snow storm at the very city of Vancouver, Washington. The surrounding turns white when I wake up early in the morning.

New Zealand - South Island - Christchurch

Christchurch is the biggest city in South Island of New Zealand. Below are some unique buildings at the city centre of Christchurch.

New Zealand - South Island - Dunedin

Dunedin city is located at the east coast of New Zealand South Island. The unique feature of Dunedin is its' European style buildings. We stayed at Dunedin YHA as shown in the picture below. This hostel was previously a hospital. It is nice except that scary in the sense that at the kitchen, there is a factsheet which mentions: "Do you know that Room #1 beside was previously a operating theater, and this kitchen itself was a mortuary?" Sounds eerie (we are actually reading this at the old mortuary!!), and sent chill down our spine!

After moving back to our room, there was a catalog introducing this hostel. It mentioned who actually stayed in this hostel : 2 staffs and..... (3 ghost???). Oh man...what does this mean? I wanted to ask the receptionist the next day upon checkout, but yucks....just forget about it and get over it! Time to move on to Christchurch....the biggest city at South Island!

New Zealand - South Island - KaiKoura

Kaikoura is a beautiful city located at the eastern coast of South Island, between Christchurch and Picton. We stayed at YHA Kaikoura hostel which is highly recommended as it is located opposite the beautiful sea and mountain as shown below. It is also a place where seals hang out, just right in front of you!

New Zealand - South Island - Milford Sound

Road to Milford Sound is deemed one of the most scenic route in the world. You will not believe it till you experience it yourself, what to say when you are actually driving along it and snap pictures everywhere you want. But watch out for avalanche warnings where stopping is not allowed and check the weather condition before you depart. Recommended accommodation the night before Milford Sound tour is Te Anau. Below are the scenic view of the road leading to Milford Sound at the wee hour of the misty morning.

New Zealand - South Island - On the road to Queenstown & Milford Sound

New Zealand it is with its' amazing sceneries everywhere. Experience it truly with self-driving across its mountainous ranges. Below are some of the fantastic authentic New Zealand views:

New Zealand - South Island - Franz Josef Glacier

The next destination is the famous Franz Josef Glacier. It is learnt that the glacier was much longer but due to global warming, it had shortened. Hopefully this beauty will be preserved for generations. Staying at YHA Franz Josef against the majestic mountain is a memorable experience. As you step out from the hostel, snowy mountain can be seen against the clear sky.

New Zealand - South Island - Punakaiki Pancake Rocks Blowholes

After arriving Picton from North Island, our journey continues to the West of South Island. Our next stop is Punakaiki Pancake Rocks Blowholes. Discover the splendid rocks architecture carved by years of waves and winds in the man-made hiking route.

New Zealand - South Island

Crossing over from North Island of New Zealand to South Island provides spectacular view on the inter-island ferry ride. There are 2 companies providing the ferry services, mainly Interislander and Bluebridge.

If you are renting a car, it is advisable to make arrangement with the car rental company to return the car at Wellington before you board the ferry to South Island. After arriving Picton in South Island, you can pick up another car with the same rental company. This will save you bucks instead of transporting the same car over in the ferry.

New Zealand - North Island - Hot Water Beach & Catheral Cove

Located at the east of of North Island, Hot Water Beach & Catheral Cove in Coromandel unveil an amazing view of the Pacific Ocean. The night before my adventure to the attractions, I stayed at YHA backpackers' hostel at Whitianga. This is a hostel with great sea view, kayaking and ping pong game facility. Along our journey to Catheral Cove, there was a sign indicating best spot to view sunrise but argh...I was too late. The sun was already up on the sky!

There are still aplenty stuffs to be seen and do though. Do check out the tides at the hostel before you depart to Hot Water Beach. There are prime time when tides are low and you can dig a hole at the beach and pamper yourself in it as warm water surfaces. It is usually in the evening and early morning.

I parked my car and took almost an hour's hike to the Catheral Cove. I took a cool picture with the Cove as the background, and it was exactly the same as featured on many travel websites. Check it out below!

New Zealand - North Island - Rotorua

Land where the famous The Lord of The Ring movie was made, the country is indeed up to its name for sceneries.

Rotorua is one of the geothermal hotspots in Northern Island of New Zealand. I arrived at Auckland airport and in 4 hours' drive, I can see signs guiding to Rotorua and smokes coming out from left and right of the road welcoming me. Upon getting down from my car, there is a strong sulphuric smell which I can barely tolerate. But after a while, that had become nothing and replaced by my enthusiasm to explore the area. There was boiling muds everywhere in the middle of the Rotorua city.

A must-visit place in Rotorua is Wai-O-Tapu. With entrance fee of NZD25 per person, experience the wonder of geysers in a journey of 2 hours hike! Main attraction in Wai-O-Tapu is Lady's Knox Geyser which erupts daily at 10.15am. If you arrive Wai-O-Tapu later of the day and miss the Lady's Knox Geyser, just keep the entrance ticket and come back the next day for that.

United States of America - Lincoln City & Newport Beach (Oregon)

Lincoln City & Newport are another 2 beautiful coastal areas of West America along Highway 101. I enjoyed the drive by the coast while listening to the sound of the wave. We also managed to catch the beautiful sunset down the Pacific Ocean.

Lincoln City has a casino and branded factory outlets like Coach.

Sunset at Pacific Ocean:

United States of America - Cannon Beach (Oregon)

Cannon beach is one of the popular summer destinations to appreciate the beauty of Pacific Ocean. During summer, it was packed with people grabbing chances to enjoy the sunlight. Accommodation is also aplenty just by the beach side for a good stay.

Complete your tour to Cannon beach with a nice seafood sumptuous meal!