Can't get over the beauty of this place

Last night around 7 p.m. Jake and I went out to Owhiro Bay on the southern coast for a run. It's been a little rainy and cloudy the past couple of days, and the clouds were hanging low. A little drizzle was coming out of the sky, but it wasn't cold -- perfect running weather. 

We parked right on the coast and ran west along a unpaved path that hugged a black sand beach. Then around the next bend, the shore turned to jagged rocks and we'd watch the waves rolling in among them. A thousand little sea gulls climbed on the rocks and floated in the water. Because of the fog, we couldn't see anything out on the water, but we'd hear the the deep horn of a ship in the distance. 

On the other side, big green hills rose up into the clouds. Our path between the water and hills was mostly wide and flat, but the fog made it feel like this little world was all to myself. It felt unreal, and it was one of the most beautiful runs I've ever taken. Looking on a map later, I realized when we were looking out to sea, the next landmass in that direction was Antarctica. Part of our run took us through the Taputeranga Marine Reserve, which lies in the path of three oceanic currents. It's home to a wide range of habitats, plants and animals. 

We saw a handful of other folks around, including a couple mountain bikers, some walkers, a little family and a couple folks fishing. Kiwis sure love the outdoors, and I can see why. 

View Larger Map

Of course I thought to myself I should take a picture of this place, but no photo could have captured the awesomeness. And this description certainly doesn't either. But I wanted to share a little with you about what this place feels like. Every day we see the most spectacular views, and we're blown away. I don't see how anyone could get tired of it. I really wish you could see what I see.