The historic Almer Hut on a rocky outcrop overlooking the neve of Franz Josef Glacier high in the Southern Alps under a clear night sky. Where do I even begin?! This photo was made possible by an extremely spur of the moment decision to hike out from Mount Brown Hut a day early and drive down to Franz Josef Glacier. I had absolutely no plan upon arrival but went because staying in one of the huts near the glacier was at the top of my goal list for my time in New Zealand. Worried that I might not have a chance to revisit the glaciers, I decided to do everything that I could to accomplish this goal. However, I found that I couldn't do much. Aside from a private charter helicopter flight or a technical climb up the glacier, it looked as though I had no option of staying even remotely close to where I wanted. Seriously disheartened, I decided to walk into one of the helicopter offices across the street to confirm that there was in fact no other option. Long story short I found an opportunity to fly up to the Almer Hut for the night as they were flying in to pick up a heli-hiking group anyway. I was joined by Trevor whose great company and enthusiasm for photography made for plenty of fun conversations while shooting hundreds of images for a timelapse well into the night. I hadn't spent this much time stargazing in months and it was incredibly rewarding to photograph the night sky again. And what a place to do this! Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve is recognized for its limited light pollution and the grand Aoraki Mount Cook and Westland Tai Poutini National Parks provide the most impressive alpine landscapes in New Zealand. Spending the night under this brilliant sky was nothing short of the most magical experience I've had so far in New Zealand!nice wallpaper picture free download via 500px http://ift.tt/1v5eCRp
