Not every road trip goes as planned—especially in New Zealand. We were so excited to head toward Franz Josef to see the famous glacier up close, but Mother Nature had other plans. After days of historic rain, a massive mudslide completely shut down the road. 🚧🌧️ We had no choice but to turn around. In the moment, it felt disappointing. When you’re traveling, it’s easy to get attached to the idea of seeing everything on your list. But this detour reminded us why flexibility is so important on the road. Instead of heading west, we rerouted south and made our way to Lake Tekapo. 💙🌌 What we found there absolutely took our breath away—the shimmering turquoise water, snow-capped mountains in the distance, and skies so clear it felt like you could see every star in the galaxy. ✨ It wasn’t what we had planned, but it turned into one of the most magical stops of our trip. Sometimes the detours become the highlights