We punted the Avon in Christchurch and enjoyed the pretty English gardens and tea. It felt a little like being in England except much hotter!

Milford Sound was amazing. We stayed in a very rustic hostel through a very rainy and stormy night to wake up early and cruise the sound before the tour bus masses arrive. It was quite rainy on the cruise which is very normal for the area and produced a lot of waterfalls. Milford Sound is [...]

Swimming with dolphins in Kaikoura yesterday was spectacular and one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had. The dolphins pretty much swam past us without much notice, but it was amazing to have them swimming under and around us. We were in a pod of about 500! Everywhere we looked there were dolphins jumping [...]

Went on a whale watching boat today and saw one sperm whale. The males come to New Zealand to eat and go back to warmer waters for mating. Also saw dolphins which swam alongside our boat and were really beautiful. Tomorrow we’ll be swimming with the dolphins!

We took the ferry from Wellington to the South Island a few days ago. Exploring the Marlborough region. Went sea kayaking and hiking in Abel Tasman national park. Spent a few days in Nelson. Then, did wine tasting in Blenheim!

We had a great time in Wellington. Went to the botanical gardens and stayed on Cuba Street which is one of the most eclectic parts of town.

Some pictures of beautiful Goat Island where we went on one of our first days here. The black sand beach and deep blue water were great, though the water wasn’t very warm, so we wore wetsuits. Saw a few fish and three eagle stingrays (Maria saw four).

Rotorua was a blast!

Today we repelled into a very deep cave and walked, crawled, climbed, swam and intertubed our way through one of the most interesting places I’ve ever been. We saw a few eels and experienced the awesomeness of the glow-worm covered caverns. I think this is the most extreme activity I’ve ever done. I can see [...]

We arrived in Auckland after a 13 hour flight and went straight for a sailboat tour. Driving into town was an adventure since I’ve never driven on the left. Let’s just say it helps to have friends reminding you “stay on the left”, “you’re really close to the side of the road on the left” [...]