Category Archives: New Zealand

“Sweet as”

A Kiwi expression. New Zealand was sweet to me, being both totally rad and also kind. Its experiences, like its people, were grounding. “Sweet as what?” I used to ask my Kiwi friend in law school who regularly used the … Continue reading

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Abel Tasman: the Goldilocks Walk

The Abel Tasman track — named after an explorer for the Dutch East India Company in the 1640s who thought he had reached South America — is one of the nine Great Walks that hugs the northern coastline of New … Continue reading

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Black water rafting

When in New Zealand, get your adrenaline rush. Plan one was skydiving, plan two was flying a helicopter and glacier trekking. Neither manifested due to weather. So, black water rafting it was! So surreal. Took a train then hiked through … Continue reading

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Milford, All Blacks, and Dancing in the streets of Wanaka

Friday: Cruised around Milford Sound. Heaps of rain but it added to the intensity of the waterfalls. Met two English guys on the cruise, one of whom had recently traveled to Thailand and been knocked out by a Muay Thai … Continue reading

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Kepler Track

(Updated post about the glow worm caves here) The Kepler track is one of New Zealand’s Great Walks, situated between Lake Te Anau, (the “cave of rain,” as named by the Maori), and Lake Manapouri. It’s a four-day 60 km … Continue reading

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Te Anau: glow worm caves

Bused it to Te Anau at the crack of dawn today and went straight to the DOC to get intel on the Milford track — whose trailhead is accessed via ferry. The woman behind the desk just stared at me. … Continue reading

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New Zealand: Christchurch to Queenstown

  Winding past Mount Cook on my way to Queenstown via Naked Bus whose nine hour ride is responsible for this long post. Although I’m comfortable riding solo in life, I had forgotten just how far random acts of kindness … Continue reading

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