The braided rivers of New Zealand really are quite beautiful. Only properly appreciated from the air - they expand into countless rivulets of water that twist and turn across the landscape. They are only found in a few areas of the world in addition to New Zealand, mainly the Himalayas, and parts of Alaska/Canada.
These pictures are both of the Rakaia River, which has cut its own channel deep into the Canterbury Plains. Only possible to cross in 2 places, it requires a bridge of 1.75km near it's mouth - New Zealand's longest road bridge.
Another interesting New Zealand visible from the air are it's so called 'lifestyle blocks'. These small tracts of land are very popular in the Christchurch outskirts, forming a patchwork quilt of mini-farms across the Canterbury Plains. Each one has just enough land for a huge extended garden, a nice spacious house, and a small 'hobby' farm.
The land is put to all sorts of enterprising uses, although is often used for livestock. It is perfect for horses, alpacas, chickens or sheep. In a country where many farms are vast and geographically isolated, it makes a nice compromise between living the city life and the true rural life. I have to say, they do look very idyllic!
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