Jess is a Wanderer took advantage of a cold and frosty morning to enjoy light trails and some wintry scenes. They say that time flies when you're having fun and on this cold and frosty morning - that couldn't have been more true. I stood at various points along this road for a good three hours trying to get as many stages of the night sky and sunrise. This shot, above, was taken as a 4WD pulling a trailer drove past. The rest of these pics were snapped whilst I was aimlessly

When someone's having a birthday and they invite you to a barbecue breakfast celebration on the beach whilst watching the sunrise, there's only one plausible answer. Yes. Count me in! Despite having lived less than 20km away from said beach for over five months, I had no idea the place existed. As a result, I was in my element this morning whilst watching the sun coming up, warming myself in front of the fire. What a perfect winter's morning. #barbecue #beach #SouthIsland #wi

The Queen's Birthday. Not actually in June but the first weekend is when NZ celebrates the monarch's latest milestone with a long weekend. Jess is a Wanderer took advantage of the extra day off and headed to Wanaka in search of some wintry views. I arrived in Wanaka fairly late on Friday night. I'd somehow booked myself into a three-bed apartment at a motel. It was great to have so much space to myself. I headed out straight away to get some nighttime photos of 'That Wanaka T

Jess is a Wanderer decided to embrace the official start of winter by hiking up to the top of Roy's Peak. Famous for its Instagram-worthy views, the path is tackled by thousands of tourists every year. If you read on, you'll see why! Getting up to Roy's Peak isn't too taxing if you're in fairly good shape. It's steep as steep as steep but there are plenty of spots where you can stop, take a breather and enjoy the view. I'd heard on the weather forecast that snow had fallen ov

Jess is a Wanderer moved to Waimate in January 2019. I realised I haven't shared much with you recently so here are some updates from my new hometown. So autumn has definitely arrived and brightened up the town a treat. The drive to work (admittedly only around 3km) is now completed a lot slower as I like to stop and admire the sunlight through the trees. It's amazing how much better everything looks with a splash of colour. I managed to get out for sunrise recently which was

New Brighton is a suburb of Christchurch that was hit badly by the 2011 earthquake. Slowly rebuilding its damaged economy, buildings and tourism hotspots; there is plenty to keep a budding photographer entertained. We arrived on a very foggy evening so there wasn't much of a view to be seen. However, we'd driven the three hours (after work) and had a delicious meal in Christchurch city so weren't too disappointed about the lack of nighttime photos. I was here predominantly fo

Jess is a Wanderer visited New Brighton. Still recovering from the earthquake of 2011, there's a lot of work to be done to revive this suburb to its former glory. Famous for its pier, there's also a lot of street art which is now dotted around the place. You could lose a lot of time walking around the streets of New Brighton admiring the street art. From the policitaly poignant to the bright and colourful, there's plenty on offer for you to stumble across. Tie in your walk wi

Jess is a Wanderer celebrated getting another year older by heading out to Banks Peninsula - namely Akaroa - in search of sunset and seals. It was a marvellous weekend with plenty of cake, ice-cream and sunshine. Leaving the busy city streets of Christchurch, the road winds its way along Banks Peninsula. Before long, there's no network, unspoilt views and teeny-tiny towns popping up here and there. Akaroa is sort of 'end of the line' and famous for its harbour, quaint shops a

Jess is a Wanderer headed to Tekapo in search of the last colours of autumn. It certainly was worth the journey (and the cold) to see these beautiful views. It seems that the temperatures have certainly cooled in recent weeks as the mountains were a little snow-dusted. Can't wait for some snowy adventures! Arriving into Tekapo, I knew that I was going to be greeted with more spectacular scenery. I'd visited in summer but there's something about the autumnal colours that just

You know when you get these crazy ideas and then somehow they come to fruition? That's what happened at 4am when Jess is a Wanderer was heading towards sunrise at Lake Pukaki one morning. And it was certainly worth the effort! Lake Pukaki is located near Mount Cook (Aoraki) and offers spectacular views of the mountain (on a clear day). Despite being cloudy on this particular occasion, the view was still incredible. As the colour started to peel through the darkness, I knew th

Jess is a Wanderer cycled just under 50km on a round trip from Duntroon to Kurow. Following part of the infamous 'Alps 2 Ocean' track, you pass farmland, a vineyard and follow parts of the main road on an extremely well-maintained track. The most important part is making sure that your bike does NOT have a flat tyre but DOES have brakes thirty minutes before departure. Yep, that's right. No brakes and a flat tyre just as we were leaving. Fortunately, I was able to source a ba

Jess is a Wanderer headed out to the lakes region and came across Lake Benmore and Lake Aviemore. Manmade dams that are used for hydroelectricity, create some beautiful settings for photography. And with hikes like the Deep Stream Track to explore too, what more could you want? Deep Stream Track is around 3km one way. It leads to a dead end after following the lake, presenting some stunning views and maybe leading you to a chance encounter with a wallaby along the way. The tr

On March 31st, Jess is a Wanderer and a bunch of colleagues headed up to Christchurch to take on the 5km Muddy Good Run. Guaranteed to be a jolly muddy affair, we dressed up as highlighters (as all good teachers who love stationery would) and embarked on a slippery, slidey, messy adventure. Here are the highlights. There are photos from the course too but I'm too stingy to pay for those! #run #race #mud #Christchurch #SouthIsland #teachers #fitness

Jess is a Wanderer headed out to Aoraki/Mount Cook and what a place! Perfect, clear views of the mountain and a very manageable, very well-maintained track to Hooker Lake. Despite being busy with tourists hiking the famou route, this was a fantastic way to spend a day. 10km return, it's suitable for all fitness levels and, if the weather is good, you'll thoroughly enjoy yourself. We did try to get around Hooker Lake and to the base of the mountain. A tricky endeavour that end

Jess is a Wanderer moved to Waimate on the east of New Zealand's South Island at the end of January - here for 2019, I decided to head out and explore my 'new hometown'. Here's what I found... #Waimate #SouthIsland #autumn #sunrise

Jess is a Wanderer ventured out of Dunedin's busy centre (mainly due to The Eagles being in town) in search of respite at the beach. Whatever your reason for being in Dunedin, don't just stay in the city - head out to the coast too. I haven't done it all so there will have to be a return trip on the cards. Especially to see the giant albatross colony. #SouthIsland #beach #NewZealand #Dunedin #city

Dunedin Railways operate one of the most scenic railways in the world: Taieri Gorge. Visitors flock from all over to experience the beauty of this route. And now I've done it, it's not hard to see why! With tickets costing around $100 per person, the train company definitely delivers on value for money. You have a set seat but don't have to stay in it. You can stand outside between carriages or mingle with other passengers inside. There's a buffet car and a very entertaining

Located slightly south of Dunedin, towards Brighton, is Tunnel Beach. Literally exactly as it says on the tin: a beach with a tunnel. There are also plenty of caves to be explored but (as usual) I hadn't researched the tides and the tide was already too high to visit the caves. Nonetheless, I enjoyed walking around the patch of beach at the end of the tunnel watching the waves batter the surrounding rock formations. It was just before sunset and there were some beautiful colo

Technically, this was a work trip and strictly business but the weather was so beautiful that I couldn't help but take my camera along in the hope of catching a glimpse of Mount Cook. Let's just say... I wasn't disappointed. Accessed from the Tarnbrae Track, you follow the path to Parsons Bridge, Sawyers Creek and Freehold Creek. An easy walk with truly beautiful views. Around 6km return. #SouthIsland #lake #MountCook #hiking #tramping

Christchurch celebrates Chinese culture with an annual lantern festival. I recently started working in Waimate - a few hours south of Christchurch and recruited some teacher friends together to celebrate a bit of Chinese culture. We decided to pop along and had a marvellous time following the trail, admiring the lanterns and watching the various performances. Beginning at the Bridge of Remembrance and going to Victoria Square and The Commons there's plenty to see and plenty t