Not a Paper Doll

Sunrises and Sunsets.

There must be some sort of extra energy that kicks in when you wake up at 4am after about 3 hours of disrupted sleep, to climb a mountain in the dark, perch at a spot and take photos of the sunrise. 

I couldn’t have been more energetic this morning (despite the -2ºC temperatures) puffing my way up the mountain to find a prime location to stop; somewhere with 360º views.

After scaling up the steepest part, I decided it was better at the bottom anyway. Tripping up every stump of grass in the pitch black wilderness, we finally settled down to watch the sunrise.

One word:

Breathtaking.

This wasn’t my first sunrise, and it won’t be my last. I have seen many - both planned and spontaneous - in different places in the world, but the one’s here in New Zealand, my home, never cease to amaze me. 

The way the light starts off orange and pink, slowly blending into the dark sky verging on blue, then as the sun starts peaking through the ridges of the mountains and reflecting off the sea, the landscape turns golden. 

We knew right from the start, when the stars were still out, that it was going to be a fabulous day. Crisp, clear and not a cloud in sight.

The second the sun decided to peak out from behind the mountains, our shivering bodies were instantly bathed in a warm, golden light.

The only thing to do in these situations is breathe deeply, and take it all in.

Light is sweet; how pleasant to see a new day dawning.
- Ecclesiastes 11:7