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...