Kiwi Road Trip!

Hidden Paradise Down Under

The town was such a surprise. It is right on the beautiful coast of the South Island of New Zealand. The whole country is breaktaking but Nelson is a hidden gem. Many a night were spent drinking beers on the beautiful beach with friends I had met...

Reward Yourself After A Hike While In Nelson

While visiting an old childhood friend in New Zealand, I stayed with her and her family on their vineyard for a week. On one of the days we hiked in Cable Bay, which is about 20 minutes north of Nelson on the south island.

After our hike, we...

The Road to Milford Sound

My husband & I were lucky to have the opportunity to travel around New Zealand for several weeks. Of course, Milford Sound was one of the "must sees" on our list. We booked a day tour with a local operator called Trips and Tramps....

Mysterious Moeraki Boulders

Legend has it that these boulders are the food baskets of the great ancestral canoes that brought the Maori to New Zealand. On a recent trip to New Zealand to celebrate my retirement, my husband and I enjoyed walking around the beach marveling at...

A Stroll Along Wellington's Waterfront

What happens when you go for a random wander on the waterfront in Wellington? Apparently you come across heaps of fascinating and sneaky little pieces of art! Starting from where the interisland ferries come and go, there is a well-maintained...

Wellington Cable Car Ride to Botanic Gardens

Though Wellington seems best traversed on foot (as Hobbits do, right?), the cable car ride is well worth breaking this habit. Leaving from Lambton Quay, for $6 return, the cable car takes you up to the top of the Botanic Gardens, providing a...

Kayaking in Lake Wanaka

For some reason I find it thoroughly difficult to just putter around on a kayak. I need a destination, a purpose, a mission for a fishin’. So as we launch from the rocky shores of Lake Wanaka, we set off for Ruby Island, a small dot in the...

Try New Zealand's Oldest Whisky

Whisky distilling in New Zealand goes back to the earliest Scottish settlers in 1838, and the distilling industry thrived around New Zealand, and particularly in the Dunedin and surrounding Otago region right through until the 1870s, when...

Cook it yourself with a stunning view for inspiration

We toured the South Island of New Zealand with Active New Zealand in 2010. The last night was spent at Braemar Station, a sheep ranch near Mt. Cook.
I could have shared the photo of the meal, which was a delicious grilled salmon we'd purchased...