New Zealand Vacation

Have you ever wanted to travel somewhere and never acted on your dream? Well, New Zealand is the perfect place to begin. It has it all—scenery, nature, culture, wildlife and adventure.

We are going to share with you our dream come true… information and fun, interesting places that we visited as well as tips on how to save money. We explored the South Island and North Island of this beautiful country. Marla, my daughter, tramped (hiked) and wwhoofed (worked part-time for room and board) for 6 months throughout NZ. Madeline, Marla’s mother, joined her for a fun-filled month.

It is amazing how a country the size of the state of Colorado, comprised of two islands in the South Pacific, can take you from the lap of luxury to the peaks of adrenalin! From snow top mountains to sprawling sand dunes.

New Zealand is a country of rare beauty—both the scenery and the people. We tramped to see the exquisite glacial mountains, walked along the rapid-flowing rivers, ate beside the deep, clear mirror lakes, viewed the whooshing geysers and were amazed by the boiling bubbly mud ponds.

We walked the abundant native forests and relaxed on a breathtaking deserted sand dune beach… marveled at the exquisite fauna, such as the albatross, kiwi, sea lions and yellow-eyed penguins in their natural habitat.

And of course we extensively photographed every aspect of our New Zealand Vacation: magnificent scenery, wildlife, culture, nature and adventure.

We fell in love with this little country—its people and landscape.

We cruised Milford Sound and explored the alcove caves along the shores of the Tasman Sea in a small motor boat.

We sampled amazing New Zealand food and drink at a five star restaurant in the Pinnacle above the Auckland skyline, served homemade New Zealand cuisine from a chef, enjoyed coffee at sidewalk cafes and the Secret Garden, feasted at a Hangi, picnicked in beautiful parks and on beaches, and cooked quick outrageous meals in hostels and YHA establishments!

And we slept in a beautiful hotel suite in Auckland, a fairly nice motel in Hamilton, hostels throughout New Zealand, the remote Lochlea Farmstay Waipukurau New Zealand, and the YHA in Mt Cook. All surrounded by breathtaking mountains and forests while being lulled to sleep by the sound of nature.

We enjoyed the sites and sounds of city life in Auckland, Dunedin, Christchurch and Wellington - explored the ancient fossil beach in Curio Bay - walked Fox Glacier - rode a gondola in Queenstown to view Doubtful Sound - visited museums and churches and a real Maori town in Rotorua - and tramped the forests of both islands.

Friends and family continually ask, “After all your exploration and play, what was the favorite of your New Zealand vacation?”

All of it! Every place we visited was unique, each with its own energy, character and beauty that made it special.

We want to hear from you. What was your favorite New Zealand vacation?
Visit our New Zealand Blog and tell us about your adventures.