New Zealand Travel Blog Index

Welcome to our New Zealand travel blog!

Laura and I spent an entire month in this amazing country, taking photos and blogging each day about what we saw, what we ate and drank and who we met. If you've already visited New Zealand and want to compare notes, or if you've always dreamed of visiting New Zealand and want to learn more, read on, leave comments, and enjoy!

What follows is a chronological index of every post from our New Zealand travel blog.
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Getting ready to go:
Homesick Already?
Why I Ate All the Chocolate Before We Left

Travels in the South Island:
Arrival
The Food
The Acclimation Drive
In Christchurch, Everyone is Above Average
The Moreaki Boulders
A Stunning Drive on the Otago Peninsula
Albatrosses Around Our Necks
Maori Placename Pronunciation Guide
Sheep
Driving Through the Caitlins

Crunching Out in Curio Bay
Curio Bay: Penguins, Seals and Moonrises
Desperate for Internet in Invercargill
Crop Dusting with Alistair and Louise
Te Anau: Gateway to Fiordland
Doubtful Sound: Breathtaking Fiordland, Part 1
Doubtful Sound: Breathtaking Fiordland, Part 2
The Manapouri Power Station
Day Hike on Milford Track
The Drive to Milford Sound

Milford Sound: More Breathtaking Beauty in Fiordland
Dusky Dolphins
New Zealand Fur Seals
Suspicious Cows
Sand Flies: The One Thing Separating NZ from Paradise
Driving from Te Anau to Queenstown
The Little Mining Town of Garston, NZ--Where Nothing Much Happens
Pink Triangles Everywhere
Queenstown, NZ: Feels a Bit Like a Real Estate Bust
Home, Home on the Range

The Powder Room
Winetasting in the Central Otago Region
Driving from Queenstown to Franz Josef Glacier
Believe it Or Not, New Zealanders Pee Too
Blue Ice at the Franz Josef Glacier
The Sauna of DEATH
Time to Make Tracks: from Franz Josef Glacier to Motueka
Rolling Up the Sidewalks in Motueka
Morning in Motueka
Abel Tasman National Park

The Awaroa Lodge: Startled by Civilization in Abel Tasman Park
Mixed Feelings in Nelson, NZ
But We DID Read the Soin
Getting a Little Homesick in Nelson
Anakiwa: Undiscovered Gem of the South Island
How to Take the New Zealand Interisland Ferry

Travels in the North Island:
Learning a Thing or Two in Wellington
Peka Peka Beach, Otaki Beach and Our First Logistical Snafu
Easy Accommodations in Palmerston North, NZ
Tongariro National Park: Volcanoes, Waterfalls, and a Valuable Life Lesson
Rotorua: Phew!! What is that Smell?
The Boiling Mud Pools of Waiotapu
The Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland
Kiwi Encounter at Rainbow Springs
Handling the Sun Down Under: Five Tips for Dealing with the Brutal New Zealand Sun
Why We Completely Skipped Auckland

Warkworth and Tawharanui, and How Sidetrips Are Richly Rewarded in New Zealand
Why We'll Return to Whangarei Part 1: An Evening at Tutukaka Beach
Why We'll Return to Whangarei Part 2: Ngunguru, Matapouri Beach and Sandy Bay
...And Highway Tolls Come to New Zealand
Couchsurfing in New Zealand
Tauranga and the Beach at Mount Maunganui
Lake Taupo and the Drive Back to Wellington
Taking the Ferry Back to the South Island

Travels Back on the South Island:
Winetasting in Marlborough: The Wairau Valley
Our Last (and Best) Scenic Drive: From Blenheim to Christchurch
A Tourist's Guide to New Zealand Road Signs
A Crisis that Wasn't in Kaikoura
More New Zealand Signs
Laura's Side Trip to Akaroa
Dan Goes to Barista School in Christchurch
Big Brother Gives Us a Speeding Ticket
A Brief Glossary for New Zealand Tourists
Home... in About 23 Hours

Concluding Thoughts:
Recommended Reading Material for YOUR Trip to New Zealand
11 Things We'd Do Differently on our Next Trip to New Zealand
Final Reflections on New Zealand