Two spectacular weeks in Fiji — a perfect finale to our year of adventure. Arriving in Paradise We flew from Auckland to Nadi on June 4th, ready to soak up the sun and slow down for a couple of weeks before returning home. It’s hard to believe that eleven and a half months have already passed since we first left our house. Fiji felt like the perfect final chapter —...
Catching up at last—here’s the Mangawhai-to-Napier stretch, cats and capes to art deco and goodbyes, all in one go. Mangawhai Heads Arrival & Saturday Market At last report we were on our way to Mangawhai Heads for an eight day housesitting gig. We drove from Thames to MH, zooming by Auckland without stopping so we could be at Carol and Chris’ by noon. We rolled...
As our time in New Zealand draws closer to its end, we find ourselves slowing down a bit—perhaps savoring each moment just a little more before heading home. Crossing from South to North After leaving Ruby Bay, we made our way to Picton, marking our final days on the South Island. We didn’t spend much time there—arriving just before dark and catching the ferry the...
Our South Island road trip continued along the southern and western coasts, where wild weather mixed with spectacular scenery to make for an unforgettable adventure. The Catlins: Rainforest Meets the Sea After the Easter weekend, we left Dunedin and made our way south toward the Catlins, where the rainforest meets the ocean. The drive itself was beautiful, and we...
Still chasing Middle-earth in real life, we set out for Mount Sunday and kept rolling south through Tekapo, Aoraki/Mt Cook, Oamaru, and Dunedin—mostly in the rain, but with plenty of small wins along the way. Mount Sunday (Edoras) In my last post, we were heading to Mount Sunday. Since arriving in New Zealand, the weather has been rainy and cold, and this day was no...
After the excitement of Las Vegas, we slowed the pace with a few easy days in Long Beach, California—our final North American stop before flying across the Pacific to New Zealand. Long Beach, California We spent a couple of relaxed days in Long Beach before our long flight ahead. It was meant to be just a pit stop, but it turned out to be a lovely pause between...
Well, it has been quite a while since my last post. Time for a lengthy update. In my last update, we had just left Moi and Rose in Iguazu. Lots has happened since then. Córdoba: St. Paddy’s Day & a “Day of Fun” After we left Puerto Iguazú, we flew to Córdoba and stayed a couple of days. We met some fun people at the hostel and went to an all-you-can-eat buffet one...
From the chaos of Buenos Aires to the mist of Iguazu Falls, Argentina surprised us with warmth, wonder, and a few unforgettable adventures along the way. Back to Argentina After a few lively days in Montevideo, our early morning began with a 7 am bus back to Colonia and a much smoother ferry ride across the Rio de la Plata. Thankfully, no seasickness this time — a...
Fresh off Antarctica’s high, we found ourselves asking “what now?”—and then started sketching a whole new plan for the months ahead. Leaving Ushuaia, Early On February 26th, we disembarked the MS Expedition at 7:30 am and were bussed to Ushuaia’s airport. Our 11:20 am LAN flight was switched to an earlier departure, getting us to Buenos Aires two hours ahead of...
We set off for Antarctica aboard the MS Expedition, not quite sure what the Southern Ocean would throw at us—and wound up with the kind of luck you tell stories about for years. Embarkation & Orientation We embarked the MS Expedition at 4pm on February 17th. The ship is owned and operated by G Adventures, and our captain—a Torontonian with 25 years in these...