Dear Kiwis, I’d like to thank you! But, in order for you to understand my gratitude, I first need to give you some context. I grew up in the US, in a home where we never locked our door. Some, including myself, thought this was odd, but my parents didn’t think it posed any real threat so we learned to accept it. Although my family…
Every year, tourists travel to Rotorua, New Zealand to witness its geothermal activity, natural hot springs, shooting geysers and pristine lakes. More importantly, the town is home to a popular cultural center for Maori history and present day life, which is the main reason Lucas and I wanted to visit, given our love for culture. Naturally, Rotorua made it onto our list of things to do in New Zealand after a few web…
One of the great things about meeting fellow travellers and talking to local Kiwis is discovering the most fascinating natural wonders of New Zealand. We first heard of Hot Water beach from our nomadic friends Nashant and Isabell and couldn’t believe what they were describing. Hot water that comes out of the sand? Near the frigid ocean? No way, we have to see it for ourselves. We…
As an adult, especially over the past few years, I have been an avid reader. As a teenager, most of my reading was sports related and consisted of the local sports section and Sports Illustrated. The two books I remember enjoying most as a teenager were the Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley and the Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis.1 While reading…
According to World Standards, about 35% of the world population drives on the left-side of the road, and the countries that do are mostly former British Colonies. This point of contention has created an on going debate with opposing countries that often refer to their side of the road as the ‘right’ side, as in the correct way to drive. While this interesting little nugget of information is quite fascinating,…
The beauty of residing in Auckland is the ability to experience the city vibes of New Zealand’s largest metro and its main attractions. A variety of shopping and dining options are available for city seekers in search of a easy going nightlife, cafes and live music. But there’s more to Auckland than the cosmopolitan city that its known for. The major hub is within driving distance to stunning beaches and scenic hikes all within an hour…
We are excited to share with you our new YouTube series, How We’re Living, an on going update of our semi-regular routines to highlight accommodations and everyday responsibilities like grocery shopping and budgeting throughout our travels. The Retro Caravan We sold our house to live in an RV camper. Correction, we sold our four bedroom, two bath, finished basement and fenced in property to live in a caravan nicknamed Alpha and…
We made it! Since our arrival to Auckland, we caught up on much needed sleep for the first few days. Not so much from the sixteen hour time difference but from a lack of sleep over the last few months. Planning for a life transition was a full-time job and we had our fair share of late nights, early mornings and a whirlwind of tying up loose…
Up, up and away we go. After many sorrowful goodbyes, our one-way ticket from New York to New Zealand couldn’t have been any smoother. Many assumed that we flew through LA to reach our destination however we actually flew from Toronto to Vancouver, which was a five hour flight, then onward to New Zealand for the last fourteen hours of our trip. We were not looking forward to being…