Sit awhile on the willow-fringed shoreline in Wanaka township and soak up the view. Crystal clear waters lap the pebbly shore and take on a deep blue hue further out, dramatically reflecting a dozen snow-capped peaks in the Mt Aspiring National Park.
The rush of white water is mesmerising. It is impossible to discern a pattern in the heaving, roaring maelstrom, but the sheer power of 400 tonnes of water per second cannot be ordered or contained.
'Thar She Blows!' The cry goes out and our cruise boat heads off in hot pursuit of a broaching sperm whale. The skipper adroitly positions the vessel parallel to the mammoth creature, staying the mandatory distance away.
Massive sand dunes stand solid and unmoveable against the terrible onslaught of pounding seas. The dunes rise up from the harbour entrance like miniature mountain ranges, painted a brilliant golden hue by the sunlight.
You find yourself in a wonderland of pristine whiteness - ice pinnacles, blue crevasses, deep caves and towering seracs. The glorious crispness and purity of this jumbled icefall is truly astounding.
As the beech forest canopy opens up to reveal majestic snow-capped mountains, you know for sure this is one of New Zealand's finest scenic highways. Mirror lakes fringe the Eglinton Valley road and ferns, mosses and lichens carpet the forest floor.
A gigantic arched cavern separates your luxurious beach from Mare's Leg Cove. Through the yawning cavern are views of lush native forest on the Whitianga shoreline. Offshore is a pristine marine reserve, alive with many species of sea life.
As you lie on a grassy windswept knoll above the lighthouse, the vast seascape of moving water is mesmerizing. A maelstrom of boiling 10 metre high waves is sweeping in from the Tasman Sea, directly opposed by a matching set rising out of the Pacific Ocean.
Cruise among 150 sun-drenched islands, on a silvery smooth sea. Follow a pod of bottlenose dolphins circling in the beautiful Bay of Islands. When the shout goes out, plunge into the inviting sea to dive and frolic with these playful creatures.
Imagine a 'day walk' that will take you into a vast amphitheatre surrounded by 2000 metre high snow-capped peaks on the Main Divide of the Southern Alps.
Stroll along Tennyson Street, Napier, and your wandering eye will catch lightning flashes, sunbursts, zigzags, rising orbs and other weird geometric designs.
Glorious days of sun, sea, wildlife, tramping and kayaking can be enjoyed in the Abel Tasman National Park. These are some of the fondest memories travellers take home with them after a visit to the smallest, yet most popular park in the country.
