• Highlights of the West Coast - feature photo - view of the Franz Josef glacier, New Zealand
    Travel

    Highlights of the West Coast | New Zealand

    The West Coast of New Zealand refers to the region that stretches almost the length of the South Island. It’s a fairly narrow spit of land, tucked between the Tasman Sea and the Southern Alps. It’s also known for being…

  • Highlights of Lake Tekapo - feature photo - pink and purple lupins in the foreground with the bright blue Lake Tekapo in the middle ground and snow-capped mountains along the horizon - New Zealand
    Travel

    Highlights of Lake Tekapo | New Zealand

    Lake Tekapo (or Takapō in Te Reo Maōri) is the name of both a town and a lake in the centre of New Zealand’s South Island. Situated beneath the Southern Alps, both lie tucked in the Mackenzie Basin, surrounded by…

  • A Week in Kaikōura - feature photo - pebble beach by the ocean with mountains in the background - Kaikōura, South Island, New Zealand
    Travel

    A Week in Kaikōura | New Zealand

    When planning my summer on New Zealand’s South Island, I decided to include a week in Kaikōura for one main reason: whale watching. I’m a big fan of marine wildlife (as long as it’s observed in an ethical, conservation-oriented way)…

  • Hiking in Picton - feature photo - hills of the Marlborough Sounds and sailboats in the Queen Charlotte Sound, viewed from Picton on New Zealand's South Island
    Travel

    Hiking in Picton | New Zealand

    After kicking off my New Zealand South Island summer in Nelson, I headed east along the coast to the town of Picton. This little port town is many tourist’s entry point to the South Island, catching the ferry from Wellington…

  • A week in Nelson & Abel Tasman - feature photo - view of a beach and cover from above on the Abel Tasman track surrounded by New Zealand ferns and trees
    Travel

    Nelson & Abel Tasman | New Zealand

    It’s been a busy few months of travel recently (check out my Instagram to see where else I’ve been!) but I’m finally getting caught up on blog posts again. After finishing up my big trip through Australia, I headed back…

  • A Week in Northland road trip - feature photo - Spirit Bay & tree at Cape Reinga
    Travel

    A Week in Northland | New Zealand

    After several long weekend trips around New Zealand’s North Island, including Tauranga, Taupō and Taranaki, my next adventure took me further and for longer. Trying to escape the impending winter weather in Wellington, I headed as far north as I…

  • 3 Days in Taranaki - feature photo - Mount Taranaki volcano view from Pouakai Tarn hike with cloud across the centre
    Travel

    3 Days in Taranaki | New Zealand

    It really feels like I took a lot of long weekend trips within my first couple of months in New Zealand! Just a few weeks after my Taupō trip, there was another public holiday at the end of April. It…

  • Long Weekend in Taupō - feature photo - Māori rock carvings on the shores of Lake Taupō, New Zealand
    Travel

    Long Weekend in Taupō

    Easter Weekend rolled around early this year, just a few weeks after my birthday trip to Tauranga. I wasn’t expecting to be planning and taking so many trips not long after arriving in New Zealand! But I wanted to take…

  • Long Weekend in Tauranga feature cover photo - Hobbiton movie set tour, hobbit holes built in the hills of the Shire
    Travel

    Long Weekend in Tauranga

    I turned thirty about a month after moving to New Zealand, which is a bit of a milestone birthday. It landed on a Monday too, so I requested a couple of days off work. There were a few options I…

  • Highlights of Wellington - feature photo - Wellington cable car, skyline and waterfront, New Zealand
    Travel

    Highlights of Wellington

    It’s already been 3 months since I moved to Wellington and in that time I’ve explored quite a lot of the city! I’ve been trying to pace myself, so I don’t run out of things all year, but between taking…