A mere hour and a half from Wellington, New Zealand’s CBD, is one of the country’s least known wine regions, the Wairarapa. The main town, the small village of Martinborough, exudes colonial charm and sophistication. Shielded from harsh southerlies by a range of hills, Wairarapa wineries produce elegant Sauvignon Blancs, Pinot Noirs, and more. This…
Category: north island
a brush with spontaneity: sailing in the bay of islands, part two
If you missed part one about sailing in the Bay of Islands, check it out here. Monday morning, the start of Christmas week, dawned bright and early with us moving anchorages to the other side of Mimiwhangata Bay, to a spot later populated by several fishing boats. The night before, during our solstice-party planning party,…
new zealand: a year in review
It seems like only yesterday that I landed at Wellington airport, a bright eyed traveller with dreams bigger than Stewart Island, ready for a year in New Zealand. I was picked up by my new flatmate, and his dog, and thus began a new life in a new city, a new country, over halfway around…
on the road: the arts trail in golden bay, new zealand
New Zealand often has surprises up its sleeve. For example, I went north into Golden Bay the week before Christmas expecting small towns and empty beaches. Imagine my surprise then, when I drove into Takaka and saw a long main street full of galleries, cafes, and shops. It made me wonder, what else is in…
my top fifteen NZ moments
As my time in New Zealand finally draws to a close (cue sad music here), I wanted to take some time to look back on the last year and share with you some of my favourite moments of the last fourteen months. This country is incredible. I think I have seen almost everything, driven on…
big road trip: detour to auckland
A month ago, I packed up my life in Dunedin and headed out on one last big road trip across New Zealand. Here is week three! dates of travel: 17-29 Nov 2016 I arrived in Auckland during rush hour, which sounds as awful as it was, and caught the shuttle to Jack’s apartment. I spent…
12 things to do in the coromandel
The Coromandel is one of the more remote regions of New Zealand, namely because its difficult to access further north than Whitianga without a car. It is a jaw dropping beauty of a place, though, and it consistently ranks in New Zealand traveller’s top ten. I feel madly in love with the Coromandel peninsula when…
in photos: day one on the coromandel
My brother arrived in Auckland yesterday for just one tiny week – which is broken up by a bachelor party (Tues) and a wedding (Fri) – so we have these random patches of days in which to do stuff. I met him at the airport early and after getting a car and picking up another…
chasing waterfalls: ten of new zealand’s best cascades
One thing I’ve done a lot of recently is track down waterfalls in New Zealand. Southern NZ is full of them, especially in the Catlins and Fiordland, but there are some really amazing ones in the North Island as well. Some waterfalls you can only see via hiking trails like the Milford Track – like…
travel trends: new zealand vineyards
Hey wine-lovers! This is a story for you! I realised I haven’t written anything about wine in New Zealand and holy crap that’s shocking because I have tried probably most wines from this incredible country. Alright, maybe not quite… but I’ve tried wine from every region and its all bloody good. In this post, I…