by Katie | Apr 20, 2015 | New Zealand
Dustie and I did our first solo great walk a few weeks ago called the Abel Tasman track. This is a gorgeous trail in the Tasman region of the south island that to me was just a perfect hike; there were tidal crossings that we needed to wade through ankle-deep water (or rather, we were fording a formidable river), swing bridges over rivers, beach campsites perfect for watching sun and moon rise, golden bays, bright blue waters, and stunning coastal vistas around every bend. The trail was just challenging enough to feel like I had accomplished something, but not so much that I was cranky and exhausted. It was practically perfect, and I look forward to returning to New Zealand to do it again.
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by Katie | Apr 1, 2015 | New Zealand
One of the things Dustin and I really wanted to do in New Zealand was some hiking, or tramping as the kiwis call it. There are eight Great Walks and one Great Journey (goes down a river, so it’s not classed as a walk) that are the crowning jewels of the many beautiful walks and hikes in the country. To get us started, we decided to do the Tongariro Northern Circuit, a 40 km, 3 day hike around Tongariro National Park. This decision was largely based on the fact that Mt. Ngauruhoe was used by Peter Jackson for Mount Doom, and the lava fields below for Mordor.
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by Dustin Kudler | Apr 1, 2015 | New Zealand
There’s nothing like a match that’s running into its 9th hour, separated by only 25 runs with less than 5 overs remaining to put you on the edge of your seat, am I right? Unfamiliar with the sport I’m referring to? It’s cricket and as we learned it’s quite entertaining after you figure out the rules of play.
Since we started our trip Katie and I have experienced a bit of Irish luck when it comes to being in the right place at the right time. In this case we just happened to pick an excellent time to be traveling in New Zealand where the the 2015 Cricket World Cup was being hosted. Capitalizing on our good fortune we bought two tickets to the South Africa vs. Pakistan match. Between the two of us we had watched a combined 0 seconds of cricket. Due to our deficit in cricket knowledge we spent the first hour trying to figure out the rules of the play. For those who want a quick overview of the rules, check out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPXAzgwwo0A
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by Katie | Mar 19, 2015 | New Zealand
Our arrangement with Simon was that we would work three hours in the morning, and then we could stay at the “Hilton.” We needed to provide our own meals, but with our own small kitchen and the bounty of his garden available, it was a pleasure.
Sunset at Onetangi beach
We settled in to our little routine nicely, which went like this:
1) Wake up and make tea, and while watching the birds in Simon’s yard eat breakfast. We still need to figure out what types of birds they were specifically, but there were four primary types that spent the mornings near the pear tree: (more…)
by Katie | Mar 19, 2015 | New Zealand
Dustin and I spent our second week in New Zealand wwoofing on Waiheke island. For the uninitiated newbies (because clearly Dustin and I are experts), wwoof stands for willing workers on organic farms or worldwide opportunities on organic farms. The gist is that you volunteer three to five hours per day, in exchange for room and board, and some friendly conversation. It’s a good situation for the person or farmer who needs a hand, and a nice way to experience someplace new for travelers and volunteers.
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by Katie | Mar 13, 2015 | New Zealand
We spent a couple days in Auckland and had really amazing luck with things working out well (except for the baggage fiasco). The Volvo Ocean Race was in town, it’s the Auckland Arts Festival, we took a walking tour and our guide had some great suggestions that we followed up on (a night market and a great fish and chips place, to name two). We also tried our first AirBnB, which was a real highlight – Sarah’s place was lovely, but even more she was an excellent host. The photos below are a whirlwind snapshot of what we’ve been up to. (more…)
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