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Story and photos NGO TRAN HAI AN
New Zealand, the land at the edge of the world, is full of natural wonders and captivating beauty.
New Zealand has an inexplicable allure that left me speechless and then transformed me into a storyteller, as every moment and every scene overwhelmed with wonder. In this breathtaking country, I found myself lost in the myriad emotions of magical adventures.
Dawn at lake Wanaka
New Zealand is known for being the place where people witness the world’s first sunrise, and many photographers whisper that the lonely tree at Lake Wanaka is the most splendid spot to greet the first light of dawn. Tempted by this intriguing hint, I managed to leave the warmth of my bed and brave the bone-chilling cold to see for myself. The magical scenery of the gentle morning sun spreading over the lake, with the early morning mist and the eternal snowy mountains in the distance, leaves millions of visitors feeling fulfilled after witnessing it just once.
When I arrived, over a hundred photographers were waiting, undeterred by the thin layer of ice covering the lake, many wading into the water to find the perfect shot. The morning sun gradually spread its light, shifting from the pure white and blue hues of the mountains and forests to a radiant golden glow. The solitary, slender tree leaning over the lake, in harmony with the earth and sky, created a poetic dawn scene. The dawn at Wanaka marks a sublime moment where nature and humanity unite harmoniously.
A fairy tale village of Hobbits
I had been to the Hobbit village on a previous trip and returned to spend a whole day there. This time back, I was enchanted again by the endless green hills and the pure white sheep, fluffy as cotton. The magical interplay of space and time transforms this village into a fairy tale world. The gentle hues of time blended with the bright colors of the Bag End houses, while sunbeams danced from one hill to another. The fairy tale Hobbit village was the filming location for The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies and The Lord of the Rings series. The 44 tiny round houses, half-submerged in the earth, retain an aura of mystery and charm. Around the houses are cute little vegetable gardens and quaint tools.
This location is becoming one of the most attractive tourist destinations in New Zealand. The village, located in Matamata, Waikato, about 130 km south of Auckland, is accessed by a road as picturesque as a painting, with vast, lush green hills and sheep idly grazing. The main attraction is Bag End, the home of Bilbo Baggins, the hobbit from the Lord of the Rings series.
Exploring Tasman glacier by boat
For the first time, I had the experience of boating on a glacier river at temperatures of minus 50 degrees Celsius. It was drizzling, with extremely strong winds and bone-chilling cold. The guide picked up a melting piece of ice and handed it to me to try biting. It was painfully cold to the teeth! As we were slowly drifting, suddenly, the floating glacier in front of us collapsed, an incredibly rare moment. Located in the Aoraki/ Mount Cook National Park, Tasman is the longest glacier river in New Zealand, stretching 27km in length, 4km in width and 600m in depth. From the coast, visitors can see towering ice mountains. In 2011, a strong earthquake of 6.5 magnitude struck Christchurch, causing 30 million tons of ice to fall into the river, creating waves nearly four meters high. Currently, the New Zealand government is extremely concerned about global warming and fears that this 18,000-year-old glacier river might disappear in the future.
Queenstown – the adventure capital of the world
Queenstown exudes an elegant beauty, but also sets visitors’ hearts racing with some of the world’s most extreme adventure activities. It is the birthplace of bungee jumping, and the bridge over the Kawarau River is the site of the world’s first commercial bungee operation. Here, you are taken to a railing-free bridge and secured with an elastic cord before taking a dramatic leap into the deep chasm.
If bungee jumping feels too extreme, you can try the zip ride. This activity offers a marvelous experience of gliding through the air, blending adventure and thrills in a unique way. Another enjoyable activity is riding a Jet boat canoe, which is also a signature Queenstown experience. Imagine being strapped into a high-speed canoe, zooming through the rocky Shotover River. Occasionally, the canoe spins 360 degrees, or seems to rush towards the rocky walls, then swiftly takes a beautiful turn through a river bend in just a few seconds, making the hearts of adventurers skip a beat.
Before the surreal and enchanting beauty of this land, all words of description seem exceedingly limited. Although I have explored the edge of the world three times, I still feel like I have only grasped a tiny fragment, and the wanderer in me still dreams of returning more than once.
