Nestled into the Coromandel Peninsula of the North Island, lie some of the most fantastic beaches New Zealand has to offer. Hahei is a treasure amongst these beaches and is perfect for a much needed day of relaxation and sun. After spending 10 days in the Cooks Islands and returning to New Zealand to begin […]
Archive | Planning
Magical Glowing Caves
There is an unbelievable sight to witness while in New Zealand, that will leave you with your jaw hanging open. In a small town called Waitomo, they have something truly magical hidden deep within the underground limestone cave system formed over 30 million years ago. There are multiple ways to get into the caves but […]
Travel Bucket List
I am a list maker….it’s just in my nature. So, having a bucket list is a must when it comes to my travel goals. There is so much to see and do in our massive world and I don’t expect to check all of these things off of my list during my year long trip, […]
Month One Summary: January – February 2014
I have been on the road now for over one month! I really cannot believe it has been a month already, but they say time flies when you are having fun! I will be summarize each moth as I go so you all can have some perspective as to what I have been up to, […]
Tongariro Alpine Crossing PLUS 2 summits?! Challenge Accepted!
After one week on the backpackers bus working our way up the east coast of the south island and across the ferry to the north island, I was ready for a break. Backpacker buses are a great way to see a lot of the country, but they can be exhausting as well. I needed a […]
Next stop on this crazy adventure is….
I took advantage of a gloomy day in Auckland to start thinking about my next stop following New Zealand. I really love traveling open ended because it does allow you to go at your own pace and figure where you would like to go along the way. One down side is…you have to actually take […]
This Can’t Be Real: Milford Sound
It is like a scene out of a movie. Mountains covered in lush, green vegetation towering around us, water deep blue with bright pops of red. It resembles blood, just as you would see on the big screen, but is really just a reaction of the plankton and microbes living in the water, tricking us […]
I think I am in LOVE….
I knew it would happen at some point along the way, I just didn’t realize i would be so suddenly. He is tall, dark, and handsome and plays rugby. Noooo! A girl can dream though, right? 😉 But, seriously I think I am in love with Queenstown, New Zealand!! Now, I have a feeling I […]
Packing List
I have been fortunate to take some pretty amazing trips in the past….Africa, Europe, etc. in addition to weekend getaways. I would have never considered myself a light packer, no matter the length of the trip. I always over packed to ensure I had enough options and always had plenty of back up choices. Last […]
50 Strands of Gray: Choosing Medical Insurance
There are a lot of fun things you have to do when planning a trip such as this (deciding where to go, buying fun gear, etc.). But, there are also some “I-would-rather-pull-out-my-fingernails” type tasks that unfortunately you have to deal with. Insurance…is one of those. I spent quite a bit of time researching this subject […]