The Best and Worst of New Zealand

21-Feb to 17-Apr-2011 Well, ladies and gentlemen, here it is. Our final post from our travels and travails in New Zealand. And (deep breath) this means I am finishing this post from California. We are home! We are so happy to be home and can’t wait to visit with all of our friends and family. We spent some of our last few days in NZ relaxing in...

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Skirting the Southern Coast

31 March - 4 April 2011 With four fine days of weather behind us, we fled Milford Sound for the southern coast. After a stopover in Manapouri, a day walk at the start of the Kepler Track, and two umbrella chasing horses to guard us at night as we slept in a cushy cottage, we found ourselves staring boldfaced into a wind that reminded us where...

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So nice, but Cook missed it twice

28 March - 2 April 2011 Fiordland is a national park that tampers with your sense of scale. Massive rivers rush at a “fast forward” pace, multiple Yosemite-esque valleys spring into view, some of them partially submerged in ocean water, and beech forests cling to sheer cliffs jutting thousands of feet into the air. When it rains, it pours, and...

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Aspiring to Paradise

21 -25 March 2011 As we traveled inland and away from the wet, west coast the scenery quickly changed from dramatic and deserted coastline to steep glacial valleys where wide blue lakes are filled by impossibly wide and braided crystal clear rivers. From my perspective, one of the best things about New Zealand thus far are the wide, braided, and...

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Along the We(s)t Coast

12-21 March 2011 After guzzling vino in the Martinborough wine region north of NZ’s capitol, Wellington, we woke up early and drove our campervan onto the Cook Strait Ferry. The Cook Strait is known for its treacherous seas, so we popped seasickness pills and crossed our fingers on this early morning cruise to the South Island. Lucky us! Calm...

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NZ North Island

Auckland: 24-27 Febuary 2011 After flying 1st class from Christchurch to Auckland, we spent a few days on solid ground getting used to the fact that every noise and truck rumbling past was not another aftershock. Auckland, a city built around 50 volcanoes reminded us very much of San Francisco. The highlight of our visit was walking from the...

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