Chronicling our crazy yearlong worldwide family sabbatical
The final stop on our month long New Zealand tour was Queenstown, a scenic two hour drive from Te Anau. Along the way we stopped at all the scenic lookouts (as usual) including the “Devils Staircase,” a scenic mountain range along Lake Wakatipu. Ask any tourist who has been to the South Island what their Read More …
Doubtful Sound and Milford Sound are renowned for their beauty. While trying to decide which one to visit we asked New Zealanders and often got conflicting answers. So, we resolved to try to see them both. We made our way from the Catlins to the small town of Te Anau, which would be our base Read More …
Leaving New Zealand’s version of Scotland (Dunedin), we continued on to Owaka, a small town in an region called “the Catlins.” Our home for a few days was a small cabin in the Newhaven Holiday Park, just steps away from the ocean. After checking in we went out to explore the beach. The kids had Read More …
Following a few days in Christchurch we continued our trek across the South Island to Dunedin. The name of the city comes from the Gaelic name for Edinburgh, “Dùn Èideann”, and it was the destination for thousands of Scots who emigrated there in the mid 1800s. Instead of a town square, Dunedin has a town Read More …
The next stop on our South Island tour was Christchurch, the largest city on the island. After making the drive from Kaikoura, the first order of business was to find a playground where the kids could get some physical activity. Near the center of town is the Margaret Mahy Playground, which is supposedly the largest Read More …
Following our visit to Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, we caught the Bluebridge ferry across the Cook Straight to the South Island. The scenery along our cruise was quite beautiful, especially as we approached the port of Picton. Upon arrival in Picton we drove off the ferry and headed to a nearby hostel where Read More …
Our final stop on New Zealand’s North Island was the capital city of Wellington. Setting off from Rotorua, we enjoyed the long scenic drive that took us through hills and forests, alongside Lake Taupo, and past lots of farmland. Wellington became the nation’s capital in 1865, taking over that title from Auckland. This move was Read More …
Spending a few days in Auckland provided a great introduction to New Zealand, and we were ready to see more. Leaving New Zealand’s biggest city, we journeyed southward in our rental car (a Rav 4) towards Rotorua, our second stop in the “Land of the Long White Cloud”. Redwoods Treewalk After European settlement of New Read More …