Where I'd rather be: New Zealand

New Zealand has long been near the top of my travel wish list. Anyone who has seen pictures (or the Lord of the Rings movies) knows what a gorgeous country it is. Between the North and South Islands, there exist many diverse opportunities for outdoor adventure on beaches, over mountains, through forests, across rivers and yes, even under oceans.

My friends Greg and Sirpa stoked my envy in recent years, when they showed me hundreds of photos after their respective visits and told me their travel tales with glowing excitement. When Fodors offered me a free travel guide last year in exchange for quoting me in one of their books, I chose their latest New Zealand guide. Cassie and I even briefly considered the country as a honeymoon destination. But the place still remains on the wish list.

While Googling "Lake Harris" the other day, looking for information about camping in the Adirondacks, I accidentally hit on this page of jaw-dropping New Zealand photography (because, apparently, there is also a Lake Harris Down Under). Travel photographer Tom Dempsey whisked me away for a solid 20 minutes as I longingly scrolled through several pages of his spectacular photos. So if, like me, you'd rather be in New Zealand, let your mouse be your guide.



Photo credit: Tom Dempsey / Photoseek.com