On my own.

We have arrived at Whakapapa Ski Village.

The hubby and I had visited Whakapapa back in April 2009 to see the place in warmer weather and to check out the ski facilities.

“Wha” is pronounced as “Fha” in New Zealand Maori language. So the name of this place is pronounced “Fha-ka-papa”. The children are always thrilled whenever they pronounce it.

Today was our first morning in Whakapapa and the hubby took the kids skiing and snowboarding. They love it. But I absolutely hate it. I hate the unbearable cold. And I hate the constant falling on my butt.

Last year, the kids were very considerate and they had decided to cancel our trip to Whakapapa because they knew I didn’t like it. This year, I really wanted to give them the ski trip they’ve always wanted. So they took off for their snow activities while I slept in late in the campervan.

I decided to do something on my own later in the day and went for a 2.5 hour walk to the Taranaki Falls.

It was a lovely super bright day. And I worked up a good sweat in the freezing cold!

It felt weird doing trail walks on my own. I usually do them with the hubby. The walk felt exceptionally long and lonely today. :-p

Despite being on my own, I had a great time walking. The landscape of the Whakapapa region is absolutely stunning and I was entralled by its beauty.

Click here to see a larger photo.

It was a really cold day. And the floor was lined with ice crystals. Ice had also formed on rocks along the streams.

Throughout the walk, there were bursts of pretty flora. It was totally unexpected since it was winter and the weather conditions have been so harsh lately.

And here’s Taranaki Falls!

It would be impossible to swim in the base pool because it was so cold that ice had formed around it. I also spotted huge ice stalactites structures behind the falling waters.

It was beautiful. I just wish I could have shared the moment with my family!