Golden sandy tidal flats surrounded by lush green hills

Hiking the Abel Tasman Coast Track (well, part of it)

  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 […]

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Close-up of purple wildflower with blurred blue water backdrop.

Lake Tekapo Weather Woes

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 […]

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Snowy mountain peaks rising above green valley and grassy field

A Heli-hike on the Tasman Glacier in Aoraki/Mt. Cook

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 […]

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