Travel Blog

Jake and I went to New Zealand almost one year ago today. At this point last year, we were buying last-minute items like compression socks for the long flight, and finding a place to live for when we returned from New Zealand. It’s been a whirlwind since then with new jobs, moving twice, and buying our first home!

The following is my travel journal from the trip. I hope it sheds some light on our adventure and inspires you to do your bucket list trip while you still can.

Travel Journal

Flight

It all started with a few plane rides. Jake and I flew from Florida to Georgia, to California, then to New Zealand over about 24 hours. We left on Thursday, January 30th, but didn’t arrive until Saturday, February 1st. My mind can barely wrap around how the International Date Line works.

We left from VPS around 2:00 pm after a tearful goodbye to our pup Gilly at my parents’ house.

The flight left on time and ran early, so we weren’t in a rush at the Atlanta airport. Our flight from ATL to LAX also left on time and ran early. Jake ate at ATL, and I had dinner at LAX, my first real meal of the day, I realized at the time.

I made friends with a woman named Gail in the LAX bathroom while I was washing my face and brushing my teeth (remember to pack toiletries in your personal item for a long trip!). She was also going to New Zealand, so we found commonality in that. I didn’t see her again, and only mentioned meeting her because interacting with kind strangers has been a theme of this trip so far.

The cross-country flight felt super long; we watched two movies together. The cross-Pacific flight was three times as long, and I really thought I was going to be nervous or antsy, but it wasn’t that bad.

We closed the window shade a couple minutes after leaving LAX when we saw the beach give way to the Pacific Ocean. Thankfully, after a few episodes of The Office (Delta had season 3), I went to sleep. It was interrupted every couple hours, but I managed almost seven hours of sleep.

I skipped dinner and breakfast on the plane because I wasn’t hungry, but I accepted the midnight snack (a little pizza in a hot pocket holder). It wasn’t bad. I also ate the brownie that came with Jake’s dinner of Chipotle chicken. Over the 12 hours, we also ate most of our snacks we brought, then threw away the rest so we wouldn’t have to declare them upon arrival in NZ. We would not have been allowed to bring them into the country. Surely chips and a peanut butter sandwich wouldn’t count as an agricultural danger, but better safe than sorry.

We also chatted with our aisle seatmate throughout the flight, but I never caught her name. She was from a little town in Oregon, and it was also her first long flight. She and her husband rented a camper van for their month in NZ. All three of us were amazed when Jake reopened the window shade, and we saw the islands down below! It was breathtaking.

The North Island

The NZ airport was pleasantly empty. We saw a few other people, but it felt like it was mainly the couple hundred that deplaned with us. We had no trouble at baggage claim, nor going through customs and inspection. They cleaned my hiking boots, but that was it.

From there, it was time to pick up the rental car. At this point, I was completely regretting not eating a meal, and was suffering from low blood sugar, probably a little bit of jet lag, and culture shock. I wasn’t in the best mood, but I was also completely fascinated by everything we were seeing, so I tried to let the temporary stress roll off me.

We ended up taking a shuttle to our rental car company (others were at the airport, but ours was off-site). The driver was really nice, and we chatted with the older British couple on the shuttle with us. Getting the rental car was no problem, so before we knew it, we were off to explore. On the wrong side of the car and road (In NZ, they drive on the left)! Jake drove like a champ and felt like a natural by the second day of driving. I drove last night too and didn’t have much trouble, although it did feel strange.

Our first stop after getting the rental car was at Popeyes, about 15 minutes away. The chicken was so good! It seemed like so much better quality compared to its US counterparts.

After eating, we drove to the nearby Auckland Botanical Garden. It was gorgeous. I got a strawberry ice cream cone, which was delicious and essential. I was so hot in my long-sleeve shirt and sweat pants! Thankfully, we had peeled off our compression socks before walking around. I felt better since eating, but was still exhausted overall.

The rest of that day, we were counting down to 8:00 pm, when we allowed ourselves to go to sleep. We were avoiding a nap to try to beat the jet lag.

We checked into the Sebel hotel (in the same area as the airport, Popeyes, and botanical garden) a little after 3:00 pm. Our plane had landed around 8:30 am. The first thing we ran into was that we couldn’t figure out how to turn the lights on. It turned out you had to insert the room key into a slot next to the door to power everything on. It didn’t matter since a big window let in a lot of natural light, but it was different from the hotels we’d experienced elsewhere.

We collapsed on the bed after showering, then I called my mom to update her. That shower felt like heaven, washing away the grime of 18 hours of travel. We chilled in the hotel room for a while, channel surfing, but knew we needed to rally to avoid falling asleep.

We ended up walking to a nearby mall to explore. We bought an outlet converter since the power outlets are different in NZ, and had dinner in the food court. The mall closed at 5:30 pm, so we had slim pickings. I got some kinda gross, slimy Chinese food and a weird Diet Coke. Apparently, the Kiwis don’t do aspartame, which I’m learning is what makes Diet Coke taste good.

Jake had more delicious fried chicken from Texas Chicken Manukau (Manukau is the neighborhood we were in). I’m not really sure how we did it, but I managed to avoid sleep until almost 9:00 pm and Jake sometime after that. I guess we can thank David Bromstad and My Lottery Dream Home. Around midnight, a phone call to our room phone woke us up. We didn’t answer it and were able to quickly go back to sleep, but it was a little unsettling.

In the morning, I called the front desk to make sure the call wasn’t about anything important, and they didn’t know anything about it. We’re assuming another room called us by accident. My call ended up getting us free parking, which was nice because we didn’t know we were going to have to pay for parking!

We had both woken up pretty early and decided to go get breakfast and go to the grocery store, which brought us back to the mall.

I got Starbucks (iced coffee with caramel, and a ham and cheese croissant) then we went to Woolworth’s, the grocery store at the mall. It was so entertaining to see all the little differences! We loved it, and got a few “practical” snacks (Froot Loops, cinnamon bun Oreos, Ritz, cereal bars, and two jugs of water). Next, we were on the hunt for Jake’s breakfast (Krispy Kreme) and a cooler, also known as a chilly man in NZ. We did not find a cooler, but did explore another grocery store that was more like a Walmart or Sam’s club called PAK’n Save.

After our errands, we went back to the hotel to check out and really begin our vacation. We were both relieved to be out of Auckland and driving down country roads. We were technically on a major highway, but the road was only two lanes, and we were driving through farmlands, so it felt like the country.

Coromandel

The drive to the Coromandel Peninsula was gorgeous. We were enthralled by all the tropical plants and palms interspersed between the pines. It took about two hours to get to the Lost Spring in Whitianga. We had initially planned to go there on the following day, but it turned out they were closed then, and we needed to kill some time before the 3:00 pm check-in in Hahei.

I think one thing Jake and I are good at while traveling is rolling with the punches. We are both planners, but if something doesn’t go to plan, it’s not a problem. We’ll adapt.

The vibes at the hot spring were impeccable. The warm green water, the hibiscuses, the hot sun, and the peaceful quiet made the experience. It was easily the most beautiful hot spring we’d ever been to, but we agreed that Orvis in Colorado felt more special.

We stayed for two hours, and I slurped a mango margarita. It was so fun floating around and people watching. There were many accents to listen to.

We checked into the VRBO on Patricia Place in Hahei a little after 3:00 pm. The rest of our time there, we’d refer to the turn for the house by saying, “Just turn at the swastikas.” They were beautifully painted, and clearly going for the Irish good luck symbol, not the Nazis, but they were still swastikas. No, I did not take a picture.

We climbed the stairs, enveloped by vines, ferns, and herbs, up to the front porch. It had an absolutely gorgeous view of the hills, town, and the Pacific. The whole place was beautiful and my preferred style (warm, wood floors, wood ceilings, white cabinets, lots of natural light).

It felt like a full day just to get to that point, but there was so much more to come. I’m going to take a break from writing now that Jake is awake. Maybe I’ll get back to it on the drive.

~

Back at it! I ended up enjoying my time looking out the window yesterday, so this is Wednesday, Feb 5th, Day Seven of the trip. While I wasn’t writing yesterday, I finally looked up the name of the beautiful flowers we’ve seen everywhere in NZ so far. We’ve also seen magnolias with smaller, less waxy leaves than the two species we’re used to in Florida. Plus hydrangeas of every color and Agapanthus (that long-stemmed purple flower everywhere), and tree ferns dotting the roadside and jungles. 

So, back to the Day Four recap.

After checking into the VRBO, we went to dinner at the Vessel. It was a cute little restaurant with a covered outdoor area not too far away. I got their version of a Margherita pizza, and Jake got fish and chips. Both were good, but it was sweltering without a breeze, so we ate pretty quickly and both had leftovers.

From the restaurant, we walked to Cooks Beach to see the ocean. After, we went back to the VRBO for a bit before heading to Hahei Beach around 7:30 pm.

We walked all along the beach and back, then sat down to watch the ongoing volleyball game. A chick was DJ-ing on top of a surfboard sitting on two chairs. It was kinda EDM shit, which I am not into, but it wasn’t a bad vibe.

We decided to stay and watch the game for a bit, sitting in the sand. There was a large game using a net, and a group of three or four ladies playing without the net. When the ball came our way, Jake dove for it, and was invited to join the game. They convinced me to join too, so we played for an hour or so. Neither Jake nor I had played volleyball in many years, so it was exhausting.

At the end of our game, it was just about dark, but people were still hanging around. Jake sat down next to who we learned was Timmy, and his partner Shannon. Jake struck up a conversation, and they had a few recommendations for us. Getting tips from the locals is the best. They suggested we go to the Purangi Winery and ask for Danny, and also do the hike to Cathedral Cove (we weren’t sure if we should hike or rent kayaks). We went to both places the next day; more on that later.

That night, we slept at the VRBO with the windows and doors open. What a place to be!

The next morning I woke up about an hour before sunrise and decided to stay awake. It wasn’t a great view from our balcony because the sun was blocked by the hills, so I don’t think I can say I was the first person on earth to see the sunrise on February 3rd. I was however, one of the first. And Jake woke up and saw it too. Since we were both awake, we decided to go ahead and get the Cathedral Cove hike out of the way. We started around 7:50 am, walking to the trailhead from the VRBO. We drove there first since it was only four minutes away, but there was only space for drop-offs, no parking allowed during the summer.

It took about 10 minutes to walk there with all the elevation changes. It was a super hilly area. The hike was beautiful, walking along a well-maintained path through the jungle and rolling pastures with sheep. The temperature was perfect for hiking.

We got to Cathedral Cove when the tide was still relatively low, so we were able to explore more than if we’d gone later in the day. I walked through a few waves to get to the other side of the cathedral and explored there, too.

I stood with my feet in the water, looking out into the Pacific, imagining mermaids playing in the waves. Getting back through to the side we started on involved more water since the tide was already starting to come in, but it felt great on my baking skin.

During the walk back up the trail and to the VRBO, I was dumping sweat and feeling like I should have had breakfast before the hike (a theme so far). We made it back and immediately went for the Froot Loops. Once we felt stable enough to google, we tried to find a place to get real breakfast. We couldn’t really come up with anything, so decided to go to the general store in Hahei, just a few minutes away, to get something to cook. On the way there, we saw Hahei Beach Cafe, which only had a chalkboard menu (which is why we didn’t notice it online). We ended up eating breakfast there.

While we were waiting for our food, Jake and I added a thumbtack to their world map over Destin. Nobody had put one there before! Jake got scrambled eggs and bacon. I got eggs Benedict and a coffee. I thought a short black coffee was just a small black coffee, but it was actually an espresso shot. It wasn’t what I wanted, but it wasn’t bad.

While we were there, we ran into some of the girls we played volleyball with. We said hi and continued on our way, but that shows you how small a town it was. It seemed everyone knew everyone else.

After breakfast, we went into the little gift shop next door, called the Cove and got a Cathedral Cove postcard. We walked over to the general store after that, and got a half dozen eggs (kept at room temp like all the other eggs we’ve seen since being in NZ), butter, apple juice, a can of Coke, and a Skittles drink. Just had to try it when we saw it. Future Kira piping in to say the Skittles drink probably had our sugar requirement for the year, but it was delicious.

We went back to the VRBO before leaving for the Purangi Winery around 1:00 pm. Danny was such an interesting person to meet! We walked into the shack of a building and asked the guy behind the bar if he was Danny. He confirmed he was, then immediately launched into a historically and culturally educational spiel.

It was part of the free tasting. Jake and I learned about the feijoa fruit, among other things. The Feijoa is New Zealand’s fruit, more so than the kiwi, which outsiders have never heard of.

We tried a bite or two that came out of the freezer and had been defrosting during our conversation, then chased with a feijoa liqueur spritzer. It was very light and refreshing. I also tasted the room temp feijoa liqueur, and I think a boysenberry wine. All three were good, but my favorite was the spritzer version of the feijoa liqueur.

Danny called Timmy and Shannon while we were there to let them know we were at the Winery and to make sure they were ready for us to come up and visit (a happy surprise, they lived up the hill). We talked politics for a while with Danny before leaving. We were surprised by how familiar he was with the issues and all the people involved.

We drove further up the dirt road after leaving Danny’s amazing view and stimulating conversation. Timmy and Shannon had some land with a garden outside. They built their place by hand and were completely off the grid. Shannon met us outside and led us through their knick-knack-covered studio. Timmy was filleting a fish that looked like some sort of snapper, but we don’t know what it actually was.

We chatted with them for a bit before leaving. They sent us away with a shovel to borrow for Hot Water Beach, a few homegrown tomatoes, and a watermelon. They’re so generous! We left Jake’s phone number and email with them. Not sure if most NZ phones can actually dial our American phone numbers, though.

As promised, we stopped by Danny’s again as we drove down the hill. We bought a small bottle of the feijoa liqueur. He also sent us along with a spicy orange pepper. We had already walked back to the car when Danny ran out and gave us some lemon verbena, too.

It’s been so heart-warming to meet so many kind people only a few days into this trip!

After the Winery, we stopped by the VRBO before continuing to Hot Water Beach. We left around 5:30 pm with the shovel from Danny and Shannon, plus a smaller one provided by the rental. We had to pay for parking, but we were just happy we found a spot. It was pretty busy.

It took about five minutes from the parking lot to reach the hot water part of the beach, easily recognizable by the crowd of dozens of people. It took us a minute, but we ended up finding an unoccupied hole right next to the Pacific (instead of further inland to the beach). It was such a cool experience to have! From the VERY hot water (as in almost scalding my feet as we walked through it), to the roaring ocean, to the international people watching, it was a wonderful experience. The only bad part was that we were both covered in sand afterwards, even after rinsing in fresh water (and is that really so bad?).

We wanted to get dinner before heading back, so went to the nearby food truck FNC’s Fish and Chips. We ate our burgers and chips (fries) at one of the picnic tables in front of the order window. Jake ordered me a cheeseburger, and it came with beets on it. It was pretty damn good.

The shower at the VRBO felt AMAZING. That night, we did some stargazing on the back deck and had a relaxing end to another amazing day of the trip.

I’m going to take a break from writing now, but I’m looking forward to writing about another beach, a new Airbnb, and Hobbiton! All on the next day (which is yesterday for me)!

~

We’re driving to Rotorua now from Tauranga, so it seems like a good time to try to catch up a bit. 

We spent one last morning at the Patricia place VRBO in Hahei, which has the opportunity to be my favorite place to stay on the trip. From there, we got on the road to Tauranga. We couldn’t check into the Airbnb until 3:00 pm, so we stopped at Opoutere Beach. It was a gorgeous stop! Google Maps failed us yet again, but we are getting used to relying on road signs, so didn’t have to detour too far to get to the parking lot.

We walked along a wooded path that spit us out onto a pristine sandy beach along the Pacific. There were “poisoned pines,” so we made sure to keep on the path. We walked along the beach to the left, far enough that only gulls were in front of us, and the family behind was too far to make out well. We got about 15 minutes of nude sun (it was a nude beach) and ran up to our thighs into the chilly Pacific for a sec. We didn’t want to get too much sun, so packed up after a quick dry.

The walk back to the car was just as beautiful. While Jake was starting the car, I went up to my knees in the refreshing Wharekawa River or bay, I’m not sure which. It was more mangrove-y looking than the beach side.

We had wanted to go to the right on the beach, out to the little spit of sand between the ocean and the bay, but ran out of time. We left the beach (pretty sandy) to continue to Tauranga.

A few minutes before the Airbnb, we stopped at Summit Takeaways for Jake to get a burger and fries. As he says, he’s on a mission to find each place’s Tops (his favorite burger spot in Fort Walton Beach, FL). He’s had a good run so far on that front.

We checked into the Airbnb right before 3:00 pm and took much-needed showers before getting back on the road to Matamata. The Airbnb is a tiny home with a deck surrounded by tropical plants, including a mango tree. Can’t wait to use the hot tub later!

Hobbiton

We ran into some traffic, but still got to Hobbiton (in Matamata) an hour before our ticket time. Check-in for the evening banquet tour was a breeze, then we went to take a pic with Gandalf in the gift shop, and buy some souvenirs.

We went upstairs afterwards to sit in the cafe and enjoy the views of the rolling hills of the Shire. I felt so warm inside to be there, “happy” can’t describe it. Of course, the people-watching was superb. I was surprised I didn’t see any elf ears, but there were a few people dressed as hobbits. We got on the tour bus as scheduled at 5:50 pm with Mike driving. Our other guide, Brad, was driving a van ahead of us.

It took about ten minutes to get to the movie set. We began with a walking tour at the working vegetable garden, then walked through the hobbit holes.

Between our two guides, I think they’d seen the movies 55 times, and Brad had a PhD in Middle Earth. Later in the tour, I asked him if the magic was still there now that he works at Hobbiton. He said that every single time he walks through the gate, he comes home. He’s been working there for two years and found his dream job, which is lovely.

After getting to walk through one of the staged hobbit holes (we picked the green door), we continued across the stone bridge to the Green Dragon Inn.

We got a complimentary beverage as part of the tour, so I got a chilled apple cider in an earthenware mug. Jake enjoyed taking pictures at the pond.

We sat in leather chairs in front of the fireplace inside the Inn when it got a little brisk outside. Before we knew it, dinner was formally announced. The curtains were pulled aside by the couple I’d noticed earlier, dressed as hobbits.

There were three tables set up full banquet style, with something like 16 people at each table. I still had my cider, but poured us each water from one of two big jugs on the table.

Our waitress was Sinead (each table had their own server). I piled my earthenware plate with beef stew, roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, a chunk of sweet potato, salad with a light raspberry vinaigrette, two buttered rolls, and vegetable pie. When in the Shire, eat like a hobbit. The food was all so good! I was glad to be wearing my stretchy pants.

We talked with an American couple on my left and an Australian family on Jake’s right. After dinner, the crowd cleared out for a few minutes so the staff could clear the tables and set up for dessert. We talked to Brad at the fireplace again while we waited.

We returned to the same seats and were served a platter of various desserts (pavlova, figgy pudding, cream, and some tarts) and a cast-iron skillet of apple crumble. Jake and I only ate the apple crumble. By that point, I was pretty uncomfortably full, but no regrets.

Finished with dessert, we left the Inn for the end of the tour: an electric-lantern-lit walk back through the hobbit holes. Brad led us down off the main path into the “party field,” where Bilbo’s birthday was filmed. We turned off the lanterns while Brad told his story of coming to Hobbiton, and gazed up at the stars. It was a peaceful moment with strangers.

We walked back to the tour bus from there and returned to Shire’s Rest, where we had parked.

We didn’t get back to the Airbnb until after 11:00 pm, but still hung out on the deck for a few minutes before going to sleep.

The following morning, Jake and I decided we needed a catch-up day to make use of the Airbnb’s washing machine. I had a bagel with cream cheese and jam, and an espresso at the Airbnb. We enjoyed a morning hot tub sesh too, which was great.

We rallied in the early afternoon to drive 20 minutes to the harbor/beach district and explore. We walked along a grassy area alongside the bay beach with massive pine trees unlike any I’d seen before. Even the familiar-looking palm trees were huge. After a few minutes, we moved the car to a spot on the ocean side. I got an iced chai latte at Beach Hut (Mount Maunganui location). We chatted with the guy working behind the counter, who was from Aspen, CO. He’s a dual citizen since his dad is from NZ. Of course, we asked, we were trying to figure out how to move here by this point!

We went back to the Airbnb after that. I got a salami roll on the way from Fancy Tucker’s. Jake had gotten another burger and fries from the takeaway place near the Airbnb. We napped and did another load of laundry. We left to take a sunset hike around 6:00 pm.

By then, Jake was hungry again, so he got snapper and chips, and I got a corn fritter from a little place near the mountain. I don’t remember the name, and Jake said, “Who cares?” I guess he has a point. The corn fritter was more like fried corn bread than the nuggets we’ve gotten used to from our favorite spot in Loveland, CO.

The hike to the summit of Mt. Maunganui was NOT easy, but was absolutely gorgeous. We had pristine golden hour views overlooking the ocean, estuary, bay, and town. We could even see the white specks of sheep in the pasture at the base. We tried to take a different path back to the parking lot, but ended up on the steep stairs again.

Afterwards, we explored some beach exposed by low tide. I was delighted by the tide pools of kelp, hermit crabs, black snails, shrimp, and gobies. I collected a few pretty shells, but ultimately left them there. Jake got a sweet GoPro Timelapse of the walk. We went back to the Airbnb after, hot tubbed again, and went to sleep.

Waking up this morning (February 6th), we wanted to go to Rotorua, but needed to have a hearty breakfast first. Jake got eggs and bacon, and I got loaded waffles. They were like liege waffles with cooked banana, bacon, and maple syrup. I ordered an Americano, which is at least something I’ve heard of and almost tastes like drip coffee (continuing my quest to find regular American coffee in NZ).

We went back to the Airbnb to do one more load of laundry, then got on the road to drive the hour or so to Rotorua. I look forward to writing more after this!

Rotorua

Okay, so I’m getting back in after five days! We’ve done a lot, but I don’t think I have THAT much to write.

Jake and I are at 1852 Pub Restaurant in Wellington now. We came for dinner, but are staying for the trivia. More on that later. Way back when, on Feb 6th, we were exploring Rotorua, which was a pretty action-packed day. I’ll be referencing my map for sure!

Once we got to Rotorua, we started in the well-known (and well-touristed) Wai-o-tapu Thermal Wonderland. We did a relatively short loop through some scraggly trees before it opened onto the Grand Pristmatic-esque (Artist’s Palette and Champagne Pool) boardwalk and hot pools.

I took a video of Rua Pūmahu, a pic of Rua Ōwhanga, and a couple videos of the bright green Devil’s Bath before we hopped in the car to continue to Waimangu Volcanic Valley. Another standout before we left was the Sinter Terraces. 

We walked much further in the Volcanic Valley. The map says it was 4 km and mostly downhill. We disagree.

We stopped at each point of interest and read the paragraph in our pamphlet along our walk. Frying Pan Lake was really cool since it’s the largest hot spring in the world. No swimming in it, though (too hot).

Jake was completely enchanted by the bright blue Inferno Crater. We spent some time trying to tap into each of our senses there to remember the moment, before we walked back down the stairs to the rest of the path. Jake caught a couple that he had noticed behind us who had inadvertently skipped the Inferno Crater. It was easy to miss. He was so happy to point them up the stairs. He couldn’t live with the thought of them missing it while so close!

We caught the shuttle bus at bus stop two, where we had planned on stopping (after the Buttresses). The bus took us to Lake Rotomahana where we skipped the boat tour. After about 10 minutes of waiting, we got back on the bus to the visitors center. It was so hot, we were thankful the person who gave us the map told us most people take the bus back instead of walking the trail again. Jake got a drink, and I had lunch (a potato sandwich thing called a rosti) at the visitors center.

We’ve been collecting postcards wherever we can on this trip; added another couple here too.

We drove to our last stop in Rotorua next: The Redwoods. We enjoyed our tree walk. It’s just a shame we couldn’t stay to do the night walk, and you’re also not allowed to touch the trees. I really wanted to hug at least one!

See, we did a lot on that day. I didn’t even mention the Rotorua sulphur smell. She stinky. The locals call it Odor-rua.

Waitomo Caves

The next day, Feb 7th, we went black water rafting at Waitomo Caves on our drive to Turangi. We had so much fun! It was very different from white water rafting, as can be seen in our photos. It was cold and dark, but we did get the crew singing Natasha Bedingfield’s Unwritten, so if the glow worms didn’t warm our hearts, that did (the glow worms warmed our hearts too, though).

Taupō

Our VRBO was a little old cottage with so many beautiful windows. Also, it had no AC. We had dinner at a place a couple minutes’ drive away called Rust. Jake had fish and chips, and I had a Moroccan chicken burger (both were good).

We had talked about hiking the Tongariro Crossing the following day on Feb 8th, but didn’t really feel prepared for it. We went grocery shopping for supplies and booked the shuttle so that we could hike it the following day instead.

I forgot to mention that we decided to hike the Tongariro Crossing after talking to an American couple in their sixties near Mt. Maunganui. They told us they didn’t complete the hike due to weather, but they would have otherwise. Their point was that if they could do it, so could we. Yet another example of a positive interaction with strangers.

On Feb 8th, the highlights were Huka Falls, Taupō, and a hot water beach (just a hot water beach, not the hot water beach) on Lake Taupō. It was a really nice day. We had lunch at Texas Pete’s Barbecue Joint in Taupō, and got in a game of foosball. Unfortunately for me, Jake won, but I was a good sport.

We drove the hour or so back to the VRBO after the hot water beach and napped. It was so worth rallying to go out and watch the sunset. We set up the lounger beach chairs from the VRBO at this little park, like ten minutes away on Lake Taupō. We sat in “zero gravity” watching the sky turn gold while ducks swam around and disappeared under the water periodically.

We packed for Tongariro when we got back, and tried to have an early night. Of course, Jake stayed up too late!

The Tongariro Alpine Crossing

So, it’s Sunday, Feb 9th. Big hike day. We were up before the sun so that we could get to our shuttle by 7:00 am. I was so cranky! I’d like to blame the lack of coffee, but who knows?

We were squeezed into the back of this van after parking along the side of the road. You have to take a shuttle to the start of the hike because you park at the end (thank god). There were more international voices. It was about a 30-minute drive.

The hike is known as the best day hike in the world, and it has earned that name. I’m so so so proud of us for finishing it. That older American couple we met was full of shit.

We started with a couple km of flat pathway with a crowd of other hikers. Neither Jake nor I actually knew where we were hiking. We were looking ahead, like, “Are we summitting that mountain up there?”

Not knowing where we were going makes us sound really ill-prepared, but I will mention we brought five liters of water, plenty of snacks, layers of clothing, sunscreen, and bug spray. Plus, we knew where the hike started and ended, we just were not exactly clear on what we’d come across in the middle.

About an hour and a half into the hike, we stopped to take some pics in front of the volcano, Mt. Ngauruhoe (LOTR’s Mount Doom). We had heard of the Red Crater and thought the red mountain (volcano) in front of us was it, but we were mistaken. Not too long after our stop at Soda Springs, we came across the hardest part of the hike (the most uphill) leading to the Red Crater. That was about 9 km in. This is also around the time we think the American couple had to turn back due to weather.

Shortly after the Red Crater came the Emerald Lakes. They were truly extraordinary colors, and people were getting way too close to them imo. That’s where we collected our volcanic rocks and sand (in our shoes) by sliding down the hill towards the pools. There was no other way down. I don’t know how other people were doing it without hiking poles.

The rest of the hike changed landscapes dramatically, but was thankfully mostly downhill (although not completely).

After the Emerald Lakes, we were calling the rest of the hike “the home stretch.” Lol! We were so wrong. By the time we made it to the Blue Lake, we were barely more than halfway.

The whole hike ended up being about 22 km (13.5 miles) for us. It was so fucking hard. Our feet were in so much pain. We did it, though.

After passing the Blue Lake, we continued downhill until we replaced the volcanic, rocky landscape with a lush rainforest. When we finally made it down to the Ketetahi car park, we had one km to go back to where we had parked.

Jake drove us back the 20 or so minutes to the VRBO, where we hobbled into the shower.

We love to finish a hike day with red meat, so went back to Rust for a steak dinner.

We got Scotch steaks and potatoes. The steaks weren’t quite what we were looking for (we noticed the cattle in NZ are pretty scrawny compared to their American counterparts), but they did the job. We both went to sleep relatively early that night (I actually took a four-hour headache nap, woke up around 10:00 pm, then we both went to sleep) and did most of our packing in the morning. 

Wellington

On Monday, February 10th, we left Turangi to drive the four-ish hours south to Wellington. We weren’t looking forward to that drive, but it still mostly gave our aching legs and feet a break. Our only real plans were to stop somewhere to catch the Super Bowl (on a Monday since we’re 19 hours ahead of home) and check into the VRBO. We ended up stopping at a little bar called O’Malley’s (future Kira interrupting this sentence to say I just noticed we lived a part of the Piña Colada song, iykyk) in Levin to watch the halftime show and a few minutes of the third quarter. Go Birds! 

We arrived in downtown Wellington soon after, and were not impressed. It seemed like out of nowhere we were in a legitimate city of winding, narrow streets, high rises, and people everywhere. Wellington is the capital of NZ, so we should have known it would be big, but Jake and I were both completely overwhelmed.

Future Kira piping in to say that I complain quite a bit in the next few paragraphs, but this was still a great section of the trip. No regrets. I think our feelings towards the city had more to do with being two weeks into a five-week trip, and coming in immediately after a grueling hike. It didn’t help that we’d been spoiled up until this point with gorgeous weather.

We stopped at a gas station to fill up and catch our breath 10-15 minutes from the VRBO. We thought about exploring or maybe getting dinner before check-in, but decided against it, if only for a breather.

We wended our way up the closest hills to our little yellow studio and met Julie and Pauline, our hosts. After bringing our stuff inside, we decompressed, then went to dinner at 1852 Pub Restaurant. Jake got a fantastic burger, and I got a lamb pot pie. I wanted to give sheep a try in a country that theoretically knows how to prepare it. It was good! It mostly tasted like beef, but add mint.

We watched a lot of HGTV that first night, and I ended up staying up until almost 2:00 am to finish reading my book. It was due the following day, and I couldn’t handle a potential cliffhanger. Shout out to the Libby app, but why are there due dates? Come on. It’s digital, so let me take as long as I need to read it.

For our first real day in Wellington, we had a lot on the docket, but got a relatively late start, leaving the VRBO after 11:00 am. Jake microwaved eggs for our breakfast before we headed to the Te Papa museum. We debated using public transportation, but decided to drive and pay for parking instead.

Our first stop at Te Papa was the cafe. I got a real filter coffee (mission to find American coffee complete)! It was so good, and helped lighten my dour mood. It’s hard to be excited for a dreary, overcast day while experiencing caffeine withdrawal.

We explored the second floor (which is the first floor with exhibits) for about an hour. It’s the nature floor, so we mostly learned about the local flora and fauna. We stopped at the cafe on the way out for a sweet muffin, then walked to Body Works for our massage.

We arrived about 10 minutes early, only to find out our couples massage was at their other location! We walked as quickly as our sore legs could carry us, following Google maps, but still ended up being a few minutes late because we couldn’t find it. Reason number 500 not to live in a city. There are so many businesses in one building, how do you find anything?!

Our massages were not the best, but still felt good for our sore muscles. Post massage, I clipped up my oiled hair, and we walked over to the Wellington Cable Car. We got lost again and stopped at a McDonald’s on the way for a snack before finally getting there.

The ride up offered a little light show in the tunnel and panoramic views of the city and bay.

We did a short walk (I think the cable car loop) in the Wellington Botanic Garden, accessed at the top of the cable car hill. We took the cable car back down to ground level and hoofed it back to the car ($30 parking).

Jake was ready to keep exploring, so we started mapping to Breaker Bay, which was only about 20 minutes away. We stopped at Moa Point and walked along the rocky shore. It was still super overcast and windy, so definitely not beach weather.

We continued to Breaker Bay from there, but I didn’t even get out of the car. That wind wasn’t messing around.

On that stretch of the drive, there were signs to watch for penguins crossing, but unfortunately, we didn’t see any. We went back to the VRBO for a bit before dinner at 1852 again. I didn’t even mention our meals were BOGO yesterday since it was Monday!

On Tuesday, they host trivia at 7:00 pm. We were eating a little after 6:00 pm (Jake had hake fish and chips and I had the Thomas Jefferson mini pizza), so decided to stay to watch even though it was too late to join. I got raspberry sorbet with chocolate sauce for dessert, partially so we could keep hanging out, and partially for my sweet tooth. We stayed for the first three rounds of trivia. I practically had to drag Jake away.

After dinner, I hung out in the VRBO while he hiked up towards the wind turbine. The access was a one-minute walk from our place. When Jake got back, we hunkered down for another night of tossing and turning. The Kiwis do not know how to buy a good bed! 

On Wednesday, the 12th, we woke up to sunshine. We went to Sweet Mother’s for breakfast near Te Papa. It was Cajun themed, and the best breakfast we had in a few days. Jake got waffles, and I got eggs and toast (chef’s kiss). No chicory coffee, but I made do with the espresso. We also got an order of beignets that seemed more like hush puppies, but we appreciated the effort.

After breakfast, we moved our car to the Te Papa lot. Before leaving, we had the pleasure of meeting and petting a white poodle named Wilson. The owner was so sweet when I told her I missed my dog. Of course, I showed her a pic of Gilly on the beach. Seeing Wilson was really nice, but it kinda made me miss my boy even more. 

Te Papa is a great museum and a must-see in Wellington. We spent about four hours exploring. We could tell the exhibits probably change relatively often instead of being set in stone information.

We finished the nature section with volcanoes, earthquakes, and tsunamis. Apparently, you need to be at least seven km inland to be protected from tsunamis (filed away since being caught in a tsunami is a fear of mine). We learned a little more about the NZ fault lines that piqued our interest on the Tongariro Crossing, too.

I also forgot to mention that while we were in Taupō, there were several earthquakes, which is usual for the area, but we didn’t feel them.

Next, we walked through a very heavy WWI exhibit. We spent a little less time exploring the art and culture floors, but still enjoyed everything.

I was still full from breakfast, but Jake was ready for lunch, so we drove back to Sweet Mother’s. I got a toasted baguette, and Jake got gumbo with curly fries. I got a strawberry boba milk tea afterwards. It just felt like the city thing to do.

We rested at the VRBO for a bit before gearing up for a walk to the bunkers Jake explored yesterday. They’re probably about halfway to the wind turbine. Jake set up a Timelapse of the beautiful sunset over the bay, then we hid in the bunker to get out of the wind.

Someone was adding art to one of the other bunkers, and other people filtered over to check out the view and our GoPro. The wind was really biting my ears, but I stuck it out as long as possible.

As we were walking back down the hill, we appreciated a gorgeous waxing gibbous rising. I fell asleep soon after (I had done some packing before the walk).

We had an early start the following morning!

The Ferry

Today, Feb 13th (actually today), we caught the Interislander Kaitaki ferry at 7:00 am. Lane Two ftw (we got to load quickly)!

The ferry left the dock around 8:45 am. After boarding, I got waffles, and Jake got scrambled eggs. I had gotten coffee from the vending machine while we were waiting to board. During breakfast, there were announcements about cabins, so Jake went to investigate, and $49 later, we had a cabin! Totally worth it just to have our own toilet! I chilled while Jake took a nap on the comfiest beds (two twins in the room) in two weeks. Jake had gone up to the level 10 viewing deck before his nap, and I went for a few minutes during. The car was parked on level five; our cabin was on level nine. 

Convo Jake and I had while waiting for the ferry: Contest for the worst place we’ve stayed: Turangi vs Wellington. Jake votes Wellington, I vote Turangi.

Turangi:

• cons: bugs, no AC
• pros: single home, lazyboy recliner in living room, zero G chairs on porch

Wellington:

• cons: studio with no space, tiny shower, no kitchen (only a microwave), mothballs, Julie and Pauline
• pros: beautiful view, Julie and Pauline

I still think Wellington was better because of the amazing views.

~

Reflecting on the first half of our trip since leaving the North Island, I’ve loved it. There have been difficult moments as expected, but it’s been wonderful. I’m so grateful that Jake and I are doing this together. My favorite stop on the North Island is still our time in Hahei. The vibe was so chill, and there was so much to do, and it really felt like summer.

I asked Jake what his favorite was, and he said, “The Tongariro Crossing is the dopest hike I’ve ever done, and the three days in the Coromandel Peninsula were great.”

We’ve both had the thought that we were told the North Island was barely worth visiting, and it’s been the best two weeks of our lives. We are really looking forward to finding out what the South Island has to offer over the next few weeks. Yes, we have three more weeks in this trip! 

I also wanted to mention that it’s been so challenging for us to find a balance between seeing and enjoying every point of interest and relaxing. I’ve been feeling a little rundown since Turangi. We’re hoping to find more balance in the future.

The South Island

We’ve been driving about 30 minutes since getting off the ferry in Picton, and so far, the landscape is similar, but not identical. Lots of rolling hills covered in evergreens and dusty foothills. The agricultural presence is obvious, with several wineries and orchards along the road. We also noticed cattle, sheep, goats, and horses within the first five minutes of driving. The mountains we’re driving towards now seem bigger than those on the North Island. 

The Abel Tasman Great Walk

I’m sitting down to write now on a wicker bench in our bedroom at the Abel Tasman BnB. Jake is going through his pics from the day. I want to write about our time since the ferry and mention a couple things I don’t think I’ve written down so far. 

For one, blackberries grow like kudzu on the North Island. I ate a wild berry in Rotorua, but I haven’t had the chance to pick many more. 

Another thing is that Jake and I have been counting police cars. They’re yellow and blue checkered. Two weeks into this trip, we’ve seen 12. There are so few!

Regarding our activities for today:

We stopped at Cable Bay for about four minutes on our drive to Marahau. It was another beautiful rocky shore. We wanted to stay longer, but needed to check in before 4:30 pm so Maisie, our Abel Tasman guide, could brief us on the next few days of our great walk.

There are eleven great walks in New Zealand, defined as “premier, well-maintained hiking tracks through diverse, spectacular scenery, managed by the Department of Conservation.” We only fit one of them in, but we chose right for the time we had.  

Along the way to Marahau, we stopped at Countdown grocery store in Nelson as well. Jake ran in to get more essentials like water, cereal, beef jerky, and Skittles (junk food continues being essential on this trip).

We continued to the Abel Tasman Sands B&B. We arrived between 4:20 and 4:30 pm. Maisie arrived a few minutes later to go over our map and schedule, and provide bags for our gear that they will be carrying on Day Two.

The house itself is beautiful. Maisie said it used to belong to the owner of the tramping (hiking) company. It’s a very nice home, and it seems that we have sole access to the living and kitchen areas, plus our bedroom and en-suite bathroom. At least one other couple is staying here, but they haven’t come in to use the kitchen yet, and we aren’t sure if they will. They knocked on the door earlier to say hi. They’re an older Kiwi-sounding couple (even after this time, I still get English, Australian, South African, and New Zealand accents mixed up).

Future Kira coming in to mention that we were happily surprised to have the whole house to ourselves.

By check-in time, Jake and I were both starving, so we decided to go to dinner early. Maisie made us a 6:30 pm reservation, but said it shouldn’t be a problem to go early (and it wasn’t). We drove to The Park Cafe Marahau around 5:00 pm. It was only a five-minute drive, and it also marks the start of the Abel Tasman track.

It turned out to be another place with impeccable *chef’s kiss* vibes. Jake got fish and chips, and I got a Hawaiian pizza. The breeze coming off the ocean was so wonderful. It almost made me forget that I was still wearing sweatpants and a hoodie while everyone else was wearing shorts and t-shirts.

After dinner, we stopped at the general store to get shampoo since we noticed the Sands only provided body wash. We also got some coffee (I’m going to try “the plunger” in the morning!), a postcard, and a magnet.

Since getting back to the place, I checked out the packet Maisie provided while Jake brought in the suitcases. We really don’t have much to prepare for tomorrow. We only need to fill our water reservoirs since it’s just a four-hour hike on Day One. We’ll pack more tomorrow night for the long leg on Day Two.

I’m looking forward to it, but also anxious because I’m me! 

The real world always manages to sneak into vacation. I’m holding on to Trump stress, and my mom unfortunately got let go from her job today. Both suck! But nothing I can do about either, especially not from New Zealand. I really am looking forward to the adventure to come over the next few days, and the remainder of our holiday. Hoping I’ll find time to reflect more after the hike tomorrow.

Future Kira, coming in to assuage fears. Unfortunately, Donald Trump is still in office, but my mom did get a new, better job. I wrote almost nothing about our great walk at the time. I think because it was so much fun, and also exhausting. I’ll mostly let the photos speak for themselves.

Day Zero consisted of checking in to the BnB, meeting Maisie, and going to dinner.

Day One’s 12 km walk was downright easy. We met some birds called Weka (pronounced whick-a), we rode the water taxi back to Marahau at the end of our hike, and slept at the Sands B&B again. It was also Valentine’s Day, and we celebrated with a dinner reservation at Hooked on Marahau and a glass of Prosecco.

Day Two killed us. We started by taking the water taxi to Torrent Bay, where we began the 20 km walk. I have to mention that the water taxi is trucked out on tractors because of the significant tidal change of up to 5.2 meters (17 feet). We were told it was 4.2 meters while we were there.

The water taxi driver informed us that granite and iron give the beaches their orange, rusty color.

The bush (I keep calling it the jungle, but it’s the bush) was beautiful, the locals were kind, and the trails were immaculately maintained. I got a little tipsy, and Jake got attacked by a weka (who stole his snack right out of his hand). We nearly collapsed at the Awaroa Lodge when we arrived. By the end of Day Two, we both had painful blisters on our feet. Our exhaustion didn’t stop us from marveling at the gorgeous scenery and the lack of roads there, though. The only way to access the Lodge was by walking in, like we did, by boat, or by helicopter.

We ate dinner at the Lodge, then fed the “tame eels” with leftovers from the kitchen.

On Day Three, we woke up from the Lodge, to finish out the Great Walk. It wasn’t especially difficult, and the tidal crossing was really cool, but my feet were still super sore from the aforementioned blisters.

We are, once again, so grateful for this wonderful experience and another 40 km under our belts.

Franz Josef

Today is Monday, February 17th. We finished our three days on the Abel Tasman Great Walk yesterday. Our feet are sore, but we have no regrets. It was an amazing experience that we can say we’ve done now.

We are on the way to our Airbnb near the Franz Josef glacier. We left the coast and are in a much more Yellowstone vibe-y area now.

Jake and I stopped at a food truck called Mumma E’s in Murchison to break up the drive.

We also stopped at Paparoa National Park, home of the Pancake Rocks and Blowholes in Punakaiki.

The rocks “were formed ~30 million years ago from compressed layers of marine creatures and plant sediments, which were subsequently uplifted and eroded by rain, wind, and the sea. This process, known as ‘pan-caking,’ created stacked limestone layers, while relentless coastal erosion carved them into cliffs, blowholes, and caverns.”

We wish we had a whole day to hang out here too! It seems like another cute Pacific town we’d enjoy.

Next, we were on the road again to continue to Franz Josef. We ate dinner at The Landing after check-in.

We only stayed for one night, so this was one of our quickest stops of the trip.

On February 18th, we woke up in Franz Josef and went to breakfast at Full of Beans after checking out of the Airbnb. As always, great food, confusing process. Tipping isn’t common practice in NZ, so we think this explains the lack of direction/service at restaurants. Overall, we preferred it, but were often confused about whether we should find a table or order at a counter, and when and where we were supposed to pay.

After breakfast, we went to Lake Matheson for a short walk with a view of Fox Glacier.

It took about an hour to walk the track. Jake was disappointed by the unusually cloudy, windy day, so he couldn’t get the photo he wanted of Mt. Cook reflecting on Lake Matheson. It was still worth it, though.

We left a little after 1:00 pm, and by 1:45 pm, we were back at the Pacific! We pulled over at Bruce Bay. You’d never know we were just tucked into a rainforest at the foot of glacier-covered peaks. That’s one of the most amazing parts of NZ: It feels like Hawaii, Rocky Mountain, and Yellowstone wrapped into two islands.

Wānaka

From there, we continued our drive to Wānaka. One of my notes from the drive: Lake Wānaka: Horsetooth Reservoir vibes (in Fort Collins, CO), but WAAAAYYY bigger.

Check-in to our Airbnb in Wānaka went smoothly. Our host is a sweet older lady, living in the main house across the courtyard. Our room is part of a guesthouse, and is beautiful. Can’t wait to explore more later. We’re out to dinner at the Lake Bar now. 

Okay, I’m currently eating the warm vegetable medley at Lake Bar. It’s so good, I had to write it down. It seems like it would work really well for healthy, cheap meal prepping. It consists of roasted veggies (Kumara, zucchini, broccoli, onion, carrots, beets, just a little garlic), then drizzled with balsamic, feta, and fresh basil leaves. Voila. Actually, there might be a bit of pesto. Barely there though. I think I could be happy with the recreation without.

Future Kira, writing to add, I have since tried to recreate this vegetable medley, and I didn’t get it perfectly, but this meal kicked off my roasted veggie phase. Thanks, NZ.

Today is Wednesday, February 19th. Our day began with breakfast with our hosts in their beautiful home. Next stop, the Wānaka Lavender Farm!

The lavender farm was fucking great! Watching the chicks scamper around, walking through the rolling fields, the pics, the door, then the gift shop! Ugh! It smelled so good too!

Now we are at lunch at the Burger Club food truck, then back to the Airbnb to chill.

~

So yeah, we chilled hard. Jake talked to his brother for a bit, and I talked to my mom. We organized our souvenirs. For the most part, we were horizontal with HGTV on though.

We finally rallied around 6:30 pm and stopped by that Wānaka tree. The water is low, and it’s very overcast and sprinkling, so not a good time for a pic. Jake wants to try again tomorrow.

After, we stopped at Charlie Brown Crepes food truck for a hazelnut crepe for me, then went back to the burger place for Jake’s dinner. We took Jake’s burger back to the Airbnb. After eating, we walked down to the lake from the host’s backyard. We found a great tree to sit under, which ended up being completely necessary since it started raining. We still had to walk back in the rain, but at least it wasn’t too cold. 

This morning I had breakfast with the hosts again, and learned how to pronounce Twizel (Twa-zle). We checked out around 9:30 am and went to see the Wānaka tree again. It’s a beautiful sunny morning, so we are hoping today is the day for a cool picture. We are out to breakfast at Relishes now. Eggs and toast for both of us.

Dark Skies

We made it to Twizel around 2:40 pm and stopped by the town center, where the grocery store is located. Two Four Square Supermarkets are forming the corners of the tiny town center. This made me laugh since the town seems so small. We bought some body wash and water after strolling for a bit, then checked in at the Airbnb at 3:00 pm.

It’s another regular-looking house reminiscent of Turangi, but thankfully has air conditioning. We were complete bums for a few hours, then ventured out again to return the body wash since it turned out the Airbnb had some. We also bought a few things for breakfast before going to dinner. I got some warm veggies from Mint Folk Co, and Jake got a steak from Ministry of Works. They were practically next door since the town center is so small.

Twizel doesn’t seem like it has much going for it besides the town center, some big lakes nearby, and the dark skies.

We are sitting at Lake Pukaki now. It’s the largest lake in the area and is this gorgeous, brilliant glacial blue (the bluest lake in NZ) caused by glacial flour suspended in the water.

We are watching the sunset from the safety of the car since the wind is gusting at like 15 mph. The sun is setting behind a wall of clouds and mountains to my left. In front of me, the lake looks like it continues into the belly of more mountains encased in thick white fog. It must be storming over there. To the right, there is a snow-capped mountain a head over the others, which we think is Mt. Cook. 

It’s another scenario like our experience at Grand Teton, where the mountains look like they emerge straight from the water.

This is a great way to enjoy the end of the day without being exposed to the elements (and without only sitting on the couch at the Airbnb watching House Hunters). 

~

Today is Friday, Feb 21st. We decided to walk the Hooker Valley Track. It was a seven-mile out-and-back that wasn’t bad at all.

As Jake said, it was the best “bang for your buck” hike we’ve done on this trip. It wasn’t very strenuous, and only took about two and a half hours, and had amazing views of the snow-covered mountains, glaciers, and Mt Cook.

We are at Razza’s in Twizel for lunch now at 1:30 pm. You can tell they normally cater to locals (the vibe was green carpet, but I don’t remember if it really had green carpet). Jake loves it!

After lunch, we decided to head over to Lake Tekapo for stargazing. We had a snack of fried corn on the cob from the family-run Better Batter food truck, which was delicious. 🤤 

We drove over to see the Church of the Good Shepherd on Lake Tekapo next, a few minutes late for sunset.

We tried a few different areas, but ended up parking back in the Better Batter parking lot and walking along a path to the rocky shore of the lake. We stargazed until about 11:00 pm. We identified a few constellations and saw a lot of satellites, including Starlink, but didn’t see any shooting stars.

We drove the 50 minutes back to Twizel and did a little more stargazing on the back deck before hitting the hay. 

Queenstown

Checkout went without a hitch this morning. We are leaving Twizel at 10:00 am with directions set to Onsen Hot Springs in Queenstown. We’ll have five days there, the longest stay in one place on this trip.

We made it to Onsen Hot Springs and booked a pool for next Tuesday since they didn’t have time until 10:00 pm tonight! We’re now at Love Chicken for lunch.

We drove to Deer Park Heights and decided to book for another day when it’s less crowded. We moved on to Gilly’s Point next, which turned out to be a pull-off on the way to Glenorchy packed with construction materials, but we still paid homage to our boy. We had seen the name “Gilly” on the map earlier in the trip and decided stopping was a must.

Now we’re heading to check-in to the Airbnb.

We had a great time at The Courthouse 1876 for dinner. We’re looking forward to our Milford Sound adventure tomorrow!

Milford Sound Day

Sunday, February 23, 2025

Today can be broken down into three parts: Our six-hour ride in the Sprinter Van from Queenstown to Milford Sound. Next, our boat tour of Milford Sound. Then our helicopter tour from Milford Sound, back to Queenstown.

This excursion (booked with Altitude, premium small group travel) was one of the things we were most excited about on this entire trip, and was funded by our Dodgers winnings. We started planning this trip long before Jake’s sports bet cashed out, but were able to afford some amazing upgrades after the Dodgers won the World Series in 2024. Go Dodgers!

The Sprinter Van:

Pick up was at 6:30 am and there were ample stops along the way to Milford Sound including Te Anau, Miles Better Pies, and Te Anau Downs before getting into Fjordlands National Park. Amy, our guide, told us Fjordlands doesn’t have any sounds in it. They’re called fjords because they were carved by glaciers.

We entered Fjordlands at 10:10 am, beginning with a beech forest (Red, silver, and mountain beech). Amy told us all the beeches are connected, and help each other heal.

Future Kira piping in to recommend the book The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben. It opened my eyes to the communication methods of plants.

One of our first stops in Fjordlands was at the Eglinton Valley. It reminded me of the big valleys in Yellowstone, but also Tunnel View in Yosemite.

We also stopped at Mirror Lakes, Pop’s View, and the Chasm before getting to the boat. The last hour or so of driving was interspersed with Lord of the Rings music, which was wonderfully fitting.

At the Chasm, I tried horopito leaf, which the Māori used as pepper. It had a nice, spicy flavor that lasted for a couple minutes after spitting out the leaf, without being too overpowering.

The Boat:

The Milford Sound boat cruise went from 12:45 to 2:30 pm. Memorable views were of bottlenose dolphins, fur seals, dozens of waterfalls, and Mitre Peak. Milford Sound is known for being overcast and gray, but we ended up with sun. The pictures might have turned out better with more clouds, but the sun was a welcome surprise to warm our bones.

The photos and videos really don’t do it justice. Milford Sound is a must-see on the South Island of NZ.

This is my favorite video from the boat ride:

The Helicopter:

This is what I wrote regarding the helicopter part of the day:

THE FUCKING HELICOPTER WAS FUCKING AWESOME. I rode in the front seat on the first part of the ride. We landed on the Tutoko Glacier.

I thought since the snow was so thick, the helicopter might sink in, but it didn’t. The snow is hard-packed, and I think like 40 meters thick (not for sure, but I know it’s really thick)! Jake rode in the front for the rest of the flight to Queenstown. The whole ride was about 45 minutes.

I’m writing this in a shuttle back to our car, and it’s just now 4:00 pm. How could we have seen and done so much in one day?

~

Jake and I went back to the Airbnb and decided to get dinner before it got too late. We ran over to the drive-thru KFC (me in pajamas) and met our hosts on the way back. Of course, we had to tell them about the day’s adventure. After eating, we got some sun on the patio, then chilled inside. It’s just before 9:00 pm now. Who knows, we might go to the renowned Fergburger tonight… if we’re feeling frisky!

~

We were not feeling frisky, lol. It’s almost 10:00 am on February 24th now. We only have the Nevis swing on the books for this afternoon, and are going to relax this morning. I just wanted to note that Choccy Slams are delicious. 

It’s 1:00 pm and we are parking in the same $16 lot to do some walking around before we head to AJ Hackett Bungy.

Turns out it’s $45 since it’s this time on Monday! We stuck with it though. We’re back at 1876 for Jake’s lunch now.

Our hands are stamped; we’re just waiting to get on the bus to truck us to the Nevis Valley. We got here a little after 2:10 pm to check in, and it’s 2:43 pm now.

Upon arrival, we were fitted with safety gear, which was checked by three employees. The atmosphere was very lighthearted and fun, but I never questioned our safety.

We did it. There’s a lot to unpack emotionally with that swing experience, so I’m going to save writing about it for later. I’ll say I learned a lot about myself. That’s what dropping 70 meters (230 feet), then swinging 300 meters over a valley will do for you.

Future Kira writing to say I am so proud of myself for doing the Swing. I’m afraid of heights, but I wanted to face that fear. I started crying on the way down, and didn’t stop until we made it back to Queenstown. I can laugh about it now. Some days I feel like I would do it again, but even watching the video makes my stomach drop. If you enjoy bungee jumping, the Nevis Swing is for you! I didn’t mention it, but Queenstown is one of the adrenaline capitals of the world, and is the home of commercial bungee jumping. Back to February 24th now.

Afterwards, I stopped back in the Station Building to pull myself together in the bathroom. Jake and I returned to 1876 for dinner. I had a shot of Captain Morgan (tbh, first time I ever finished a shot in one go) immediately followed by a rum and Coke with lime. I greatly enjoyed my burger and fries.

We sat outside at 1876 this time and enjoyed the live music. Jake didn’t drink, but we wandered around downtown a bit after leaving the restaurant. We got home by 8:00 pm to hang out on the Airbnb deck and watch the sunset.

The next morning, I enjoyed watching the rain from the deck. It was a really nice, slow morning. I read the Charlemagne Tha God book my mom got me for Christmas while Jake had the TV on. This is part of finding the balance on a five-week trip.

Today, Feb 25th, we went to Onsen Hot Springs at 1:00 pm (superb experience), had lunch at the Coffee Club and Love Chicken (delish), then stopped at the Airbnb, before going to Deer Park Heights.

We arrived there a little after 5:00 pm. We purchased two buckets of pellets for $4 NZD, and fed pigs, ducks, deer, and cows. There were numerous Lord of the Rings filming landmarks listed on the map on their website.

We walked around LOTR One, drove to the eastern summit, passed LOTR Five, then hit the western summit. We ran into Amy, our tour guide from Milford Sound, there! She was showing her friends from Venezuela around the area.

Next, we walked to LOTR Six (Aragorn’s Cliff), passed LOTR Two on the way down from the western summit, stopped to feed some goats, and saw LOTR Seven, but didn’t follow the path. 

We then drove down to the Franklin Lookout out-and-back, then followed the exit signs to a “beware of bison, stags, and highland cows” area.

We ended up back where we started (where the “animal feed station 70 meters” sign is), and ran out of our pellets feeding ponies, mules, donkeys, sheep, and a highland cow. Since we had more time before the park closed, we decided to do the loop again. 

I’m 99% sure we passed LOTR Three and Four at the beginning, but I didn’t actually notate them. From the feed stations (and toilet where we washed our hands), we proceeded to the bison loop again.

What a great time! It’s 7:35 pm now, so we enjoyed the park for almost two and a half hours. 

~

We finally made it to Fergburger! We were able to walk right up and order at 10:31 pm. We also found pretty close *free* parking. Food ready on the screen at 10:45!!!! Jake is finishing up the fries now at 11:04 pm. Our reviews to follow.

Kira: great burger, exceptional bun, but it doesn’t seem that much better than some of the burgers I’ve had in the US. I got the Fergburger with cheese. 

Jake: said ditto to what I said. Loved everything about it, but it only met expectations, did not exceed them. However, in a country where the other burgers have been subpar, that was a really exceptional burger. Jake got a double beef, completely plain. He applied the ketchup and aioli himself. 

We also got a Coke and a Coke Zero, plus an order of fries, which were good.

Heading home at 11:15 pm after stopping at the Fergbakery, where I got a pretzel to-go.

Today, February 26th, we take the scenic drive to Glenorchy. The first stop is at a rocky beach called Sunshine Bay.

Another quick stop at Seven Mile Point track. It’s apparently only a couple miles long, but we’re seven miles from Queenstown.

We took a long, gravel road to Moke Lake based on Amy’s recommendation. These have been such a pretty stops! It definitely would have been a nice trail if we were feeling up for it. We walked along the horse pasture, then used the toilet before heading to the next stop.

We drove down a winding, undulating road with tall pines on either side to get to the beautiful Wilson Bay. It’s definitely our favorite stop of the drive. The expansive views, chill vibe, and crystal clear water make it great. It’s the perfect spot to kayak or paddleboard.

Jake and I walked along the gravel path at the 12 Mile Delta picnic sites. A pretty little spot. Apparently, a LOTR filming location, but it didn’t look familiar to me.

We hiked Bob’s Cove Loop, which took about 20-25 mins, and was mostly flat. We thought we were going to have more significant elevation gain and end up at an overlook, but we were at least 30 more minutes out from it, where we parked. The soft, leaf-covered ground surrounded by tall deciduous trees, moss-covered rocks, and ferns was a nice change from the last couple gravel paths.

Jake pulled over at the Glenorchy Airport road to get a sheep foreground, big snow-covered mountains background pic. It turned out pretty sweet.

The end of the road was at the Glenorchy wharf with the iconic shed. Great stop. We should have been here 20 minutes earlier for the light, but 7:50 pm didn’t disappoint. 

Gilly’s Point was our last stop of the day.

~

Wow, so it’s Friday, Feb 28th post shark diving day! Let’s catch up. We finished Wednesday night by going out on the town in Queenstown. One lesson: no matter what the hours are, or what the website says, the kitchen closes at 9:00 pm. We ended up getting Ferg Burger and Baker again since they were open.

The following day, we checked out of the Airbnb in Queenstown right before 10:00 am and got breakfast at the Coffee Club. Great pancakes. No notes.

Then, we went to the Kiwi Park and had a wonderful time strolling around. Per usual, loved the big trees and also finally got to see the infamous Kia and famous Kiwi. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take pictures of the kiwis to avoid disrupting their nocturnal routine.

We checked out the Queenstown gondola after leaving the Kiwi Park, but decided it wasn’t worth it due to active construction and cost. We then drove the two hours to Invercargill.

Bluff

The Airbnb in Invercargill is nice. It’s a single house with a private little front yard. It’s got an old-fashioned layout. The toilet is in a separate room from the shower/tub combo and sink. The fridge is also next to the washer in a separate room off the kitchen. We’re happy with the King-sized bed for the night and the tubby option.

The rest of the day, we chilled at the Airbnb, went out for dinner, and prepped for the following day. I finally got pasta when we went to the Invercargill Pizzeria (I had been wanting pasta for days). We were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food. 

Shark Diving

The big day: Cage diving with Great Whites out of Bluff, NZ.

We hated having to set an alarm two days in a row on vacay, but it was worth it. We were out the door at 6:10 am and walked into the shark office around 6:45 am. I didn’t check the clock much after that, but we were supposed to be getting on the boat and departing at 7:00 am.

The boat was about the size of Rewind (a 46-foot, single hull), which seemed awfully small, knowing the size of the animals we’d be seeing today.

We set up immediately on the cushioned benches in the corner with a table. Jake napped for the ride out to the drop spot, which took about an hour. I read one of their NZ great white informational books. I’m so glad I took Dramamine and my anxiety medicine. It was just about flat calm, which is highly unusual for the Fauveaux Strait, but I know I would have worried about it otherwise. I felt great the whole day.

Once we got to the spot off St. Edward’s Island, the crew dropped the cage and started the camera so we could see what was going on underwater from inside the cabin. The experienced divers went out to get wetsuits on right away while we were going through training.

We almost immediately saw two approximately three-meter great white males. According to the book I read, they’re young adults.

It was so cool just seeing them on camera inside! Jake joked that it was enough. He didn’t need to get in the water. Shark diving was for him what the Nevis Swing was for me.

We moved training outside next to practice using the regulator on deck. We could see dorsal fins poking out of the water! The experienced divers were already in the cage.

Jake and I both went into the cage for underwater training with Jordan, our dive lead, and got to see sharks! That was the short dive just to show that we could go in the cage solo for the rest of the day.

It took a while before we could go in again, but we were on the ready in our seven mm wetsuits, booties, hoods, gloves, and goggles. The weight belts were added right before we went into the cage by the skipper. The other deckhand acted as “hostess” and was named Clarice.

We had an exceptional day seeing three or four great white sharks! We also enjoyed seeing the huge albatrosses soaring overhead.

It was sunny and so flat. Like I said, I wasn’t watching the clock, so I’m not sure how long Jake and I were under. Jake went first, but another spot opened up less than five minutes after he went in. I’d guess Jake was in the water about 30 minutes, and I was in for close to an hour. I loved it so much, but it was so cold!

When there weren’t sharks, I watched the “pet fish” swimming around the tuna head bait.

I got to see another shark between Jake leaving and me getting out. Then, we were out of the water for the rest of the day. Diving only went on for another half hour or so since the sharks were so plentiful. During that time, I dried off, warmed up, and changed into dry clothes. I had instant coffee and a gingerbread cookie left over from morning tea to warm up.

Once everybody was out of the dive cage, a lunch of hors d’oeuvres and sandwiches was served on deck, then we went back to the harbor.

I completely racked out, even drooling on a pillow, for the whole ride back.

We drove back to Invercargill after a stop at the gift shop and napped until 8:30 pm. We rallied to go out to dinner, and found again that even if the restaurant website states they serve food until “late,” and they’re open until 10:00 pm, that doesn’t mean the restaurant is really open! We ended up getting dinner for takeaway from BurgerFuel.

We’re looking forward to exploring Dunedin tomorrow!

Dunedin

We had breakfast at Main St Cafe, then drove through Queen’s Park. It looked like a botanical garden or zoo, but we only drove since it was raining and we wanted to get on the road.

We wended through the quintessential green, rolling hills of NZ before arriving in Clinton for lunch at the Crossroads Cafe.

An hour and a half later, we checked in to the Dunedin Airbnb, a cute studio with a hot tub next to the owner’s house.

We had dinner and dessert at Salt after settling in.

From there, we drove to Sandfly Bay, a recommendation from the Airbnb. It turned out to be really cool! Sea lions on the beach, yes, please.

We visited the hot tub before settling in for the night.

~

Today is Sunday, March 2nd. We had breakfast at Salt after checking out of the Airbnb. We ran into some people who went shark diving with us! What are the odds? They happened to be from Freeport, FL.

We walked down to see the ocean again and noticed a multitude of surfers and dogs on the beach. My Heaven has a dog beach.

We drove to Larnach Castle on the Otago Peninsula to try to fit in one more thing in Dunedin. After touring the castle and grounds, we got on the road to Christchurch. We are anticipating a five-hour drive.

I forgot to mention, we love the torch lilies we started seeing yesterday in Dunedin.

Only two hours to go! We stopped in Timaru to stretch our legs and get a snack. I finally tried a cheese roll. It was delicious, but really just cheese melted in white bread. Yes, that’s a dollop of butter for good measure.

Christchurch

Jake and I made it to the Airbnb in Christchurch at 5:00 pm, then went to dinner at Beer’s by Bacon Bros BBQ Spot. It was bomb.

Just after sunset, we parked on Riccarton and walked for about 30 minutes through big trees and part of the botanic garden at Hagley Park.

We packed for the airport, had a lovely hot tub sesh, then watched more British Office before bed. We’re flying back to Auckland tomorrow!

The Flight from Christchurch to Auckland

We woke up at 7:00 am, and checked out of the Airbnb, got gas, dropped off the rental car, and immediately got on the shuttle to the airport. We had to rearrange the bags a little to get both checked below 23 kg (they were both between 23-24 kg), then checked them ourselves before heading upstairs to security and our gate. 

The flight was no problem, although a toddler pooped his pants in front of us and it was OBVIOUS. We took the Apex shuttle to the rental car office and got a new white Rav4 without issue.

Waiheke Island

We wanted to end the trip feeling refreshed, so we left the North Island and hopped on a ferry to Waiheke Island, off the coast of Auckland. We got on the Sealink Terminal at Halfmoon Bay Marina to start the final leg of this trip.

I’m feeling a bit reflective on the ferry. Jake and I were just talking about the immediate future and thoughts for 20 years down the road. Planning our first stop off the ferry today, what we’re doing in the first few days of getting home, and where we might retire. This has been an amazing adventure full of so much fun. It’s brought us closer together, and I learned about myself. I think Jake learned about himself as well. I never want to forget a moment of this trip, even the kinda bad ones (thanks, anxiety… and also the amount of food I consumed at Hobbiton).

I can’t wait to share our stories and pictures with friends, family, and other deep-dive-trip-planning strangers planning their own NZ adventure. We just got to Waiheke, so we need to leave the cafe and return to our vehicles. More to come.

~

It’s our last full day in NZ now, March 5th. Yesterday was great, even though the weather wasn’t what we anticipated (overcast, rainy). We should have known since we watched the clouds roll in when we were stargazing on the first night here. I’ll talk about our time since we’ve been on Waiheke now.

We got to the Airbnb as planned at 3:30 pm on March 3rd after stopping by the Woolworth’s (Woolie’s). It turned out, after all the back and forth with the management company, that nobody was actually meeting us here. They had come to set up the space earlier.

It’s been very private since the beginning, although we can hear the activity of the vineyard periodically around us. The Airbnb is a beautiful, spacious studio. The front is the drive leading to the main house. One side is high above the uneven ground. The outside looks like it’s used for storage by the hosts. The other side and the back of the house are ours, with views of the olive grove next to the house and the surrounding seven vineyards in this valley. It’s an island, so of course we can see the ocean too.

On the first day, we explored our immediate surroundings a bit and relaxed before going to dinner at Vino Vino, about a 15-minute drive across the island. It was a cute spot with beach and ocean views, playing Van Morrison the entire time we were there.

I had bread and cheese for dinner, and Jake had grilled snapper. I also got a glass of Prosecco since wine is a thing here.

We stopped at Woolie’s again on the way back to the Airbnb to get a couple more things, and got a mini bottle of Kraken rum from the liquor store across the street. The Airbnb was nice enough to come stocked with breakfast items, so we weren’t starting from scratch.

That evening, we both took an Epsom salt bath in the tub out back and stargazed. It was really great. We’re bonded to Orion and “the pup,” Canis Majoris, now.

We watched an Adam Sandler/Drew Barrymore movie that night and some more British Office, since this TV also has NZ+ (streaming service). 

The next day, we were a little dismayed to wake up to gray skies, but I was also a little relieved we’d be forced to have a relaxing day. We made (Jake made) breakfast at the Airbnb, and we just hung out for the whole morning inside. Around 2:00 pm, we rallied to go check out the Allpress Olives about 20 minutes away. It’s where the olives here at Cypress Ridge are pressed and blended. It was very busy with a tour group when we arrived, but we waited it out and had a great time.

Our tasting was with some honeymooners from Auckland, and we chatted about our trip. We tried four olive oils, Manuka honey, a garlic herb spread, and I even tried an olive (it was still gross, even fresh).

We came home with a 250 mL bottle of our favorite oil we tried and the delicious Manuka honey. The extra virgin olive oil is made with olives grown on this island, originating from a number of places. One of the olives is even a NZ variety brought here almost 200 years ago. I was so proud of Jake for doing the tasting with me (iykyk). It was completely unexpected.

We stopped by Woolie’s AGAIN to grab some lunch and returned to the Airbnb. It was still rainy (it had started raining while we were out), so we hung out inside again until sunset. It was so beautiful! The sky was a myriad of colors, and the clouds were doing great things.

Jake threw a couple filets on the grill while I microwaved potatoes and corn. It ended up being a legit dinner!

It was really bright outside, even in the middle of the night. We guess it had something to do with the storm. 

The next morning, today, I was so pleased to be awoken by the sun! I thought it was supposed to be overcast again, but it looks like the forecast changed. It’s not summer warm, but it’s good enough for sure.

I’m having some instant coffee now (I did the espresso machine yesterday and don’t want to clean it. Plus, it doesn’t seem worth it to get like a sip of coffee. I’m no barista).

Jake is awake, but still in bed. We’re going to have some breakfast soon, and hopefully walk down to Onetangi Beach. The Airbnb said it’s about a 10-minute walk.

We ended up having breakfast, going on another Woolie’s run, then sunning at the Airbnb for hours. Around 3:00 or 4:00 pm, we had ice cream and fries at Charlie Farley’s.

We walked on Onetangi Beach for sunset. When we got back, we packed, then stargazed before bed.

We watched the sunrise on our very last day in NZ, March 6th.

Jake and I caught the ferry at 9:15 am, and believe it or not, stopped at Popeyes again for lunch. We then dropped off the rental car and took a shuttle to the international terminal at the Auckland airport. We had no issues checking bags and going through security.

The Flight

Dinner at 4:00 pm NZ time was good. Jake got chicken and mashed potatoes, and I got the pasta. It was a penne with red sauce and a few pieces of zucchini. It also came with cheese and crackers and a dessert.

Ugh, going through customs was so annoying. We got to LAX, waited in the customs line for like 20-30 minutes, went to baggage claim to pick up our bags, dropped off our bags again, went through security, then made it to the gate. On the plane waiting to leave for Atlanta now at 8:15 am.

It’s 4:30 pm now, and we are sitting at our gate in Atlanta. Jake is about to go get us some food (Popeyes for him, Auntie Anne’s for me). The flight here wasn’t bad. It was definitely better than the way out, even with delays at LA and ATL. Jake and I sat in a two-seater, so it was just us. Way easier to pee than when you have a third on the aisle, like the flight from Auckland. We are both exhausted, but not loopy. I’m up to about four hours of sleep total, and Jake is probably at like six or seven since he got more sleep on both flights. 

8,697 total miles flown in one-ish day. Plus we watched two sunsets. Both on March 6, 2025.

We made it home. Trip complete.

One Year Later

Even one year later, I felt teary watching that last sunset on Waiheke Island. I have to mention again how grateful we are to have gone to New Zealand. It’s only made us want to travel more, and hopefully we will make our way back there someday.

Thank you for reading through my memories of New Zealand.