Lake Moeraki Wilderness Lodge From Fox Glacier, it was a short drive to Lake Moeraki Wilderness Lodge. We traveled here for one reason. The Fiordland crested penguin. We had booked a garden view room and were assigned Room #10, which overlooked the river and felt like an unexpected upgrade. The lodge had this warm, slightly […]
Crossing to the West Coast If you aren’t familiar with South Island geography, Akaroa sits on the east coast. Our next destination, Lake Moeraki, is on the west coast. And in between? A rather inconvenient mountain range. This stretch became one of the most memorable parts of our South Island wildlife road trip experience. Google […]
Why Our 10-Week Antarctica Trip Started at an Airport Hotel Ever wondered who stays at airport hotels, other than people who’ve missed a flight? It’s now us. Our trip to Akaroa, New Zealand for wildlife experiences on the Banks Peninsula, started the night before. We live about two hours from the airport. For a 9am […]
As we left Kaikoura, the weather shifted back to windy and rainy conditions, setting the tone for our 3-hour scenic drive to Nelson. Nelson was a strategic stop for us: We planned to drop off our rental car and leave most of our luggage at the hotel, returning to collect it after our time […]
Though disappointed by the cancellation of the astrophotography workshop in Lake Tekapo, we remained optimistic about coming back at some point given New Zealand’s proximity to Sydney. The next leg of our journey was a drive estimated at about five hours to Kaikoura, with a planned stop in Christchurch to break up the trip. Christchurch […]
Checkout was at 10am, and we needed to squeeze in some laundry before heading to Lake Tekapo. I hadn’t seen any laundromats there, and when I messaged our Airbnb host, they confirmed, there is no laundry in Lake Tekapo. The closest option? Twizel, about an hour away. So, our plan was a morning of laundry […]
Our journey from the Otago Peninsula to Aoraki/Mount Cook was a transition from misty clouds to glorious sunshine, marking a beautiful start to the New Year. With little traffic early in the morning, our drive was smooth, though it gradually filled with holiday travellers as the day progressed. Aoraki/Mount Cook is ridiculously expensive due to […]
Disembarkation day always carries a hint of melancholy, almost like the end of a relationship. We docked at Bluff around 8 AM and, being bound for Invercargill Airport, we were among the last to disembark at around 9:30 AM. The drive to the airport was quiet and reflective. Arriving at the airport before the Budget […]
Our expedition was nearing its end, and rather than the planned quiet day at sea, our crew made the decision to revisit the Snares—an opportunity we’d missed earlier due to adverse weather conditions. We were thrilled to learn we may have an opportunity to get better photos of the endemic Snares crested penguin. And in […]
The day dawned with perfect weather at Sandy Bay on Enderby Island, part of the Auckland Islands. It was stop #2 on our original itinerary, but was now our last stop. Today’s activities included three options: Enderby Circuit: An 11km all-day hike around the island, complete with lunch and a ‘poo bag’ kit. Northern Cliff […]