South Island | West Coast | Castle Hill

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. ” Mark Twain

As I was writing down this blog post two weeks ago I didn’t have a clue that within a few days I’m gonna be one of the lucky hundred Slovenes getting working holiday visa. The applications opened at midnight and I sucesfully filled the form in 9 minutes, which was challenging, but fast enough with a little help of my brother.

Afterwards I deleted the text I’ve written so far and started all over again. Full of adrenaline and expectations of visiting the country again in a year.

West Coast was the most picturesqualy part of New Zealand. The windy roads give you amazing views over the highest mountain ridges (The Southern Alps) and rainforest right below. Inland drive takes you to the Arthurs Pass, known as the highest pass in NZ (the elevation is 740 metres above sea level and is surrounded by beech forest). Another 5 km along the road you reach the township with the same name – Arthurs Pass village. This is also where the train connects east and west coast of Southern Island. The road leads you further on to the Castle Hill, known for huge limestone rock formations (boulders) – in 2002, when Dalai Lama visited the place, he called it “The Spiritual Center of the Universe”. I’m sure it is one of those.

West coast met me with a few extremely talented photographers from New Zealand and Sophia, an interesting girl I traveled with for a few days.

It is one of those places I truly look forward to come back and to stay a bit longer.