Chronicling our crazy yearlong worldwide family sabbatical
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 …
We left El Fin Del Mundo and headed north to Buenos Aires, our final stop in South America. Open Top Bus Tour Buenos Aires is the second largest city on the continent (behind Sao Paulo) and the major tourist sites are spread out across a large area. In order to get acquainted with the city Read More …
After a week hiking (and recuperating from the flu) in El Chaltén, we drove back to El Calafate and caught a flight to Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world. Due to its location, Ushuaia is known as “Fin Del Mundo,” (the end of the world) and it is the gateway to many of the Read More …
Departing El Calafate by car we drove north along the famed Ruta 40 towards the small town of El Chaltén. The road to El Chaltén The drive into town in clear weather is truly stunning. We stopped frequently to take in the views. On the way, we spotted guanacos, rheas (similar to an emu) and Read More …
After three weeks traveling around Chile that included some highlights as well as low lights, it was time to move on. We boarded an early morning bus in Puerto Natales and rolled north towards Argentina. As the miles passed, the mountainous landscape turned to rolling grasslands, with the occasional fox or guanaco trotting by. After Read More …