May 10 With the car all packed up, we headed to Lake Taupo with a side trip to Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland, a place of stunning thermal activity. It was other worldly, a similar thing we’ve felt about so many other places in NZ. This steamy spectacular showcase was an artist’s palette of color and unique …
April 29 We quickly packed up and said sayonara to the Harborview Motel. We drove to town and had a great breakfast and equally great coffee at UMU Reataurant and Cafe. Last night we decided to book a two-hour train journey on the Coromandel Driving Creek Railway. Let’s just say it’s not your ordinary train …
April 23 We booked a tour out to Cape Reinga at the top of NZ to avoid the six hour return drive in the RV. We thought it would be a safer bet and more enjoyable for both of us to experience the scenic drive up to the Cape. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out as …
March 20 It’s another beautiful day in Wānaka. Let’s go on a boat ride to an island on a lake on an island on a lake on an island. Huh? I’ll explain in a minute. Brent from Wānaka Water Taxi was our skipper to the predator free island of Mou Waho on Lake Wānaka. We …
March 14 We awoke to what Doubtful Sound is truly known for, rain and misty clouds floating over the mountain tops and along the banks. It was like an entirely different place we experienced yesterday, magical and mystical. Breakfast was at 7 a.m., an OK buffet of continental and hot foods. Mitch was longing for …
March 11 I slept through my alarm and Mitch woke me up 10 minutes before our prearranged breakfast at the main house. He wanted to let me sleep as I guess the hike wore us down and I needed some more rest. I quickly got ready and was only a few minutes late. Our breakfast …
March 9 This lyric from Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical, Hamilton, has been drifting in and out of my head since we arrived in NZ, and even more so today, the second and most memorable day of the Routeburn Track. It was another picture-perfect blue sky day for our 7 mile hike. How are we so fortunate …
March 8 At 9 a.m. we boarded another bus with our new guide, Rosie, to meet up with our next group and 3 other guides at a nearby cafe in Te Anau to start the Routeburn Track, a 3 day, 20-mile hike. There were 35 hikers on this trip and 4 guides. We did some …
March 7 A Day of Rest & Recovery Today was the first time in four nights that we had the chance to sleep a little later. Mitre Peak Lodge was once a hotel and it had all the comforts of that plus amazing views. This was the first lodge where we had a washing machine …
March 6 It was another sunrise start for us when the generator kicked on at 6 a.m. We had an early morning kickoff again as our final stretch was 13 miles to reach the finish line at Sandfly Point. The good thing about this section of the track is that after a short descent, the …
March 5 At last night’s briefing, the guides shared that this 9 mile day up McKinnon Pass from Pompolona Lodge to Quintin Lodge would be a challenge. It could take up to nine hours or more to reach our destination. The weather report called for snow, wind and more rain, especially at the summit. They …
March 4 The lodge generator turned on at 6:30 a.m. and we arose to the occasion. We prepared for our hike donning our rain gear from head to toe not even knowing if we were hiking or flying. It was still raining. And it had snowed. White caps covered the mountain tops and ridge lines …
February 7 Victoria stayed back on land while I ventured to sea in search of whales. My first clue that Victoria made the right decision was when the announcement came over the lobby reception PA saying the captain had made the determination to sail, but he warned against a high probability of sea sickness. They …
We checked in for our hike at 9am and caught a water taxi for a 60 minute boat ride from Picton marina to Ship Cove, where we set off on the first leg of our four-day, 42 mile hike. Ship Cove is a famous landmark notable for the British explorer Captain James Cook, who visited …
January 22 We’re at our gate in LAX after a short flight from Denver. We leave in about an hour for our 13-hour crossing to Auckland. And then another flight to Nelson on the South Island. We packed a little too much of course, but our gracious Airbnb host offered to keep some things for …
