One of the unique, wonderful things about New Zealand is the hugely diverse yet small landscape. You’ve got mountains, volcanoes (and supervolcanoes), alpine forests, sub-tropical beaches, glaciers and lakes –all contained in just 268,021 km²! As it sits on the boundary of two tectonic plates there’s also a tonne of geothermal activity, not to mention regular…
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Putangirua Pinnacles – AKA The Dimholt Road
Stunning natural beauty, tonnes of adrenaline sports, incredible wineries. New Zealand is known for many things, and pretty high up on that list for a lot of people is Lord of the Rings. As most of us know, the film series was shot here. And with Director Peter Jackson living just a few suburbs away…
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Wairakei Terraces & Hot Pools
For Labour Weekend I jumped in the car and took myself for a solo trip to Lake Taupo. It was so nice to be solo travelling again! I knew I wanted the weekend to be relaxing, so Lake Taupo with it’s many hot pools and geothermal wonders was the ideal destination. In fact, that’s how…
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Wonderful Welly: Van Gogh Alive
On an overcast but surprisingly mild and dry night the other week I set out to the harbourside to check out a new installation that promised to be unlike any art exhibition I’d seen–Digital Nights Wellington – Van Gogh Alive. It’s billed as “An outdoor debut of the world’s most visited multi-sensory experience celebrating the…
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Wellington on Lockdown
I’m typing this on day 26 of lockdown here in New Zealand. Today we got news that next week the country will move from Level 4 to Level 3, which means that a few more essential businesses can open up and deliveries from certain shops, cafes and restaurants can resume. However, we’ll still have to…
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Art Deco Architecture Adventures in Napier
With its colourful buildings, Art Deco architecture, and proximity to wonderful wineries Napier is a must visit New Zealand destination. I’ve had is on my must-see list for a while, so when a recent bank holiday weekend coincided with my Birthday week we hired a car for a little break in the Art Deco capital…
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Wonderful Welly – Wellington Botanic Gardens
There’s a saying around here, “you can’t beat Wellington on a good day” and so on a recent good day I decided to explore one of the city’s most scenic spots, Wellington Botanic Gardens. If you’ve read here before, or you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know I’m a sucker for plants and the Bristol…
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11 things I’ve learned in my first month in New Zealand
I can’t quite believe it, last week marked 1 month since I landed in Auckland and began my new life in New Zealand. It’s been a bit of a blur if I’m honest, and I’m still settling in and finding my feet. I’ve moved to Wellington, in the South of the North Island, In my…
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New Chapter in New Zealand
Apologies for the long overdue update. I’ve recently safely arrived in New Zealand. I’m currently spending a couple of days exploring Auckland until I head to Wellington which I hope will become my home for most of my time in this beautiful country. I realise I’ve been absent for most of my travels. That wasn’t…