After crossing Arthur’s Pass, we entered the Westland region. Quaint Hokitika welcomed us with its scenic gorge, glow worms and driftwood beach. From there, we hit Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers and got up close and personal with the glaciers on a couple of scenic hikes. After camping at remote Gillespies beach, we were up…Continue reading New Zealand – Westland (Westport, Hokitika, Franz Josef, Fox Glacier, Lake Matheson, Oparara Basin)
Tag: Oceania
New Zealand – Canterbury (Christchurch, Lake Clearwater, Mt Cook, Timaru, Kaikoura, Hanmer Springs)
It was a shock to our system to fly in from tropical Samoa to New Zealand during winter! Thankfully, there were tons of op shops (second hand stores) for us to score some cheap winter gear. We flew from Auckland to the gateway of Canterbury (Christchurch) where we kicked off our adventure, linking up with…Continue reading New Zealand – Canterbury (Christchurch, Lake Clearwater, Mt Cook, Timaru, Kaikoura, Hanmer Springs)
New Zealand – Otago (Dunedin, Oamaru, Queenstown, Omakau)
After leaving the Southland region, we made our way to Dunedin. It was rugby time as we had tickets to see the Highlanders battle it out against the Lions. But first a bit of sightseeing as we explored Tunnel Beach (amazing) and the Otago Peninsula. We experienced our first bout of bad winter weather in…Continue reading New Zealand – Otago (Dunedin, Oamaru, Queenstown, Omakau)
New Zealand – Southland (Milford Sound, Invercargill, The Catlins)
After making our way down Haast Pass to Wanaka, we entered the Southland region as we drove into Te Anau and up towards Milford Sound. We lucked out with perfect weather to appreciate Milford Sound, which astounded us with its beauty. Go Orange Cruises was offering an early morning special (2 hour cruise including breakfast…Continue reading New Zealand – Southland (Milford Sound, Invercargill, The Catlins)
Samoa – Upolu
Samoa exceeded our expectations. Consisting of the two main islands of Upolu and Savai’i, we planned to spend over a week on each one. However, Cyclone Donna delayed our arrival by 2 days and a detour to American Samoa cut into our schedule but we managed to make the most of our time at this…Continue reading Samoa – Upolu