Mount Cook in Winter

Just to catch you up to speed, 2 weekends ago we took a quick trip up to Mt. Cook about 6 hours from here. Kimball really wanted to get some great pictures of the Kea, our mountain parrot. Well, the snow was beautiful and we did a treacherous hike up a steep icy track to get some great views, but alas, no Keas. (See the pictures of our trip below)  So last weekend we went to the Fiordlands (about 3 hours away) and hiked up the famous Routeburn track for an overnighter at Mackenzie hut. We were the only ones on the trail and had the huge "hut" to ourselves. It was below freezing but we kept toasty in our sleeping bags and layers. Fortunately, early Sunday morning Kimball heard the "keee-ah" call of the Kea bird and bundled up in search of them. He got some great pictures, which I will post next time. He has started a photography business called "Kea Photography" doing nature photos etc and these will be a great addition to his website. He has already gotten requests from conservation agencies for his photos who are willing to pay. It's great to have a fun hobby that pays!