This trip of a lifetime to Hawaii, New Zealand and Australia brought countless highlights. Having finished our time in Queenstown, NZ we were headed toward the next peak experience: celebrating the New Year with my family back on Maui. Of course, for aviators like us another highlight would be the journey there.
141016 Into The Blue
Though forecasts said we’d see clouds on the short Auckland hop to catch our night flight to Maui, the airport looked like this. A few minutes after boarding we were looking through a blurry jet window back at Queenstown and all our new memories there.
141019 Queenstown Into Memory
Moments later we got this view of the area far across the other side of the lake, where we first spotted Queenstown from that small plane so long ago (a few days).
141021 Both Sides
Soon after, we got a last look back at vanishing Queenstown now far at the end of the other arm of the massive lake.
144424 Looking Back
Despite the gloomy forecast, Aoraki peeked out of the clouds gathering on our path to bid farewell.
150214 Aoraki (Mount Cook)
Also departing it seemed, were the dwindling glaciers flanking the peak.
150303 Glacier Remnants
Soon we crossed from South Island to North Island and were treated to a cloudless view of distant Ruapehu at the zoom limits of a cell camera through jet plexi.
154608 Ruapehu
Beneath that solid cloud deck Auckland was inviting in muted colors, with the bustling city tower barely visible in the far distance beyond a quiet cemetery.
160000 Muted Auckland
Making our wait for the connecting flight a delight, we were joined by our new friend we’d shared that glorious Ardmore GA flight with. He’d made a special trip to see us off and chat about our hopes of him coming to the U.S.
175636 Hero John
So many wonderful people we’d met in our New Zealand travels, and John is an exemplar. He capped our last moments here, and before long we rode new wings into the night reaching toward the high lights of sparkling stars. Soon memories of our times in this enchanted land faded into the realm of dreams.
213548 Dream Trip
John & Anne Wiley 
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