Christmas Day aboard the Heritage Adventurer was all about eating, beginning with an extensive brunch instead of the usual breakfast. We had most of the day to relax, with the exception of a presentation by Nigel Marvin about his experience filming nature documentaries, and another round of bio-securing our gear. The celebrations culminated in […]
We were still kind of buzzing from our first day exploring Macquarie Island the day before. The morning greeted us with a calm anchorage at Sandy Bay, a spot celebrated for its easily accessible colonies of king and royal penguins. The bay also serves as a breeding ground for elephant and fur seals, making it […]
After a challenging couple of days at sea, and another round of bio-securing our gear, we were greeted with an exciting text message: “Welcome to Macca.” Macquarie Island, under Australian jurisdiction and part of Tasmania, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its extraordinary biodiversity and geological features. It is the only place on […]
Our day began with gentler seas as we approached the northern part of the Auckland Islands and anchored off Erebus Cove. The morning’s agenda included a visit to the historical Hardwicke Settlement, established in 1849 and abandoned just 3 years later. We disembarked via zodiacs for a short trip to shore, where we were divided […]
Our night was a turbulent one, rocked by what felt like unusually rough seas. The motion was a strong side-to-side sway, reminiscent of a baby being rocked in a cradle a bit too vigorously, which left us wondering if it was due to our cabin’s location or just the wild sea conditions. By morning, we […]
When booking our Airbnb in Te Anau, our host wisely advised us to schedule activities in advance due to the high season rush. He also recommended visiting Doubtful Sound and, if possible, staying overnight. Taking his advice, we adjusted our dates, even though this meant one less night in Te Anau. Doubtful Sound is less […]
The slight wine-induced haze from last night—yes, three glasses now count as a big night in my mid-life—made for a slow start to the morning. Andy fetched our coffee from the lobby, just as we got a text from our Airbnb host inviting us to check in early. Motivated by the prospect of settling in […]
Both Andy and I woke up feeling refreshed, especially after takeaway coffee from the lobby bar, and Fergbaker pastries. We decided on an impromptu photowalk around the Hilton complex. The birdlife was spectacular! We spotted Great Crested Grebe, New Zealand Scaup, Chaffinch, Tui, Coot, and Tern. The highlight was definitely spotting the Tui, a new […]
New Zealand, a treasure trove of natural beauty basically in our backyard, often gets overlooked for more distant destinations. Our first roadtrip through New Zealand taught us the importance of pacing—we tried to cram too much into too little time so we barely scratched the surface. We thought a campervan would give us flexibility, but […]
Getting to San Juan Island We caught an Uber to Renton Airport, at the south end of Lake Washington. I’d never even heard of it before, but there were planes everywhere—none of which I recognised. It turns out they were Boeing planes, still waiting for their airline branding. It was pretty cool to see them […]