New Zealand

Rob and I saved the biggest must-see sight on the south island of New Zealand for the last few days of trip. Milford Sound is world famous for its fjords, mountains and hikes (aka “tramps”). Most visitors opt for a tour bus to drive 4 hours each way from Queenstown, but that’s exhausting and doesn’t…

This is a popular drive on the south island of New Zealand for a reason. Not only does Highway 6 here connect two must-see areas, but it also gives you a snapshot of many of the different kinds of natural landscapes in the area in just a few hours drive. As we left Fox Glacier,…

From the rain forest beaches along Highway 6, it is just a short drive up into New Zealand’s glacier territory. For our visit, we decided to hike Franz Josef first and then drive on to spend the night in the smaller town of Fox Glacier and hike that the second day. Very lucky with weather…

Rob and I headed south along the west coast road from Motueka for the final few days of our trip. Highway 6 is known as a famously beautiful drive in New Zealand, with lush rain forests and beaches along the way. It’s also, in the classic New Zealand style, a fairly slow two lane road…

After Stewart Island, my favorite place in New Zealand was the sleepy town of Motueka, about 30 minutes north of Nelson on the South Island. The area is famous for being the sunniest in New Zealand with lots of beaches and kayaking in nearby Abel Tasman National Park. It is also a major center of…

When we first arrived in Nelson, I wasn’t sure that I liked it. Our campsite had mosquitos and sand flies, there were a lot of bohemian backpackers around…it reminded me of Santa Cruz which (scandalously) isn’t my favorite place. But the next morning – Monday in New Zealand, Sunday for our work schedule – the…

The word “Kaikoura” means “crayfish meal” – so it only makes sense that Rob and I would partake of the bay’s giant lobster-like crustaceans before leaving for Nelson. On our second day at the beach town, we drove around to the south side for a 3 hours loop hike along the coastline. The trail starts…

Kaikoura is a wonderful spot in New Zealand! A local favorite for beach vacations, Rob said the landscape looked like a combination of California (rocky coastline), Hawaii (turquoise water) and the east side of the Sierras (snow-capped mountains in winter). We left Christchurch on Saturday morning after a morning of working – it was still…

Rob and I spent a week working from Christchurch, the earthquake-devastated commercial hub on the east coast of New Zealand. We spent most of our time in our Airbnb house on Clyde Road – which was gorgeous! Airbnb is extra helpful in Christchurch because many of the downtown hotels were destroyed in the earthquake 5…

Our final stretch of driving through Otago before reaching Christchurch! Rob and I left Dunedin early in the morning and set off north along the coast. We stopped along the beach to see the Moeraki Boulders. These round rock spheres are 60 million year old formations from the bottom of the ocean. Almost pearl-like, they…