It was another chill day with little preplanned. We all enjoyed a lie-in after the late night, followed by a chill day. The slow start allowed me to catch up on this blog, especially the dive photos and associated post. We had decided to enjoy the all-you-can-eat buffet at the top of the gondola asContinue reading “NZ Day 12: The Finale”
Tag Archives: family
NZ Day 11: Kiwis, Redwoods, and 2024!
We all enjoyed our lie-ins with nothing specific planned for the day. After the suggestions from Vicky yesterday and our own preferences, seeing some kiwis remained the highest priority and the redwoods sounded great, so they set the agenda for the day. A lie-in for Janet and I is not as late as for theContinue reading “NZ Day 11: Kiwis, Redwoods, and 2024!”
NZ Day 10: SCUBA Diving in the Bay of Plenty
Our hectic schedule was making all of us pretty tired but Samuel and I had one more day of adventure booked: diving. I’d booked a day with Dive Zone in Tauranga without knowing much more about what we’d do. Samuel’s priority was to see different things, and we certainly did that. I hadn’t thought aboutContinue reading “NZ Day 10: SCUBA Diving in the Bay of Plenty”
NZ Day 9: New Plymouth to Rotorua
This was a really fun day with two very cool tours that we did en route to Rotorua. We woke up to somewhat wilder weather with heavy rain and strong winds, so it was good that this wasn’t a hiking day! MacDonalds was next to our hotel and convenient for a quick brekkie before hittingContinue reading “NZ Day 9: New Plymouth to Rotorua”
NZ Day 8: Hiking the Pouaki Crossing
In summary, this was not a great day. It was a hiking day and the weather wasn’t great, but the hiking trail compounded the issue a lot! I need to plan hikes more carefully, but I did not see this one being so bad and it was well reviewed. It started well with our meetingContinue reading “NZ Day 8: Hiking the Pouaki Crossing”
NZ Day 7: Wellington to New Plymouth
For what was mainly a travel day, we did lots of fun things too! The room was very comfortable, but the sounds of the city caused some restlessness. We had a quick breakfast in the room before heading for our tour of the Weta Workshop. We learned how the company was started by a coupleContinue reading “NZ Day 7: Wellington to New Plymouth”
NZ Day 6: Christchurch to Wellington
This was a travel day as we move from the South Island to the North. It was a welcome change of pace with a variety of modes of transportation and plenty of scenery. It was a 6am start for a taxi to the train station. I’m sure I ordered an Uber for four but theContinue reading “NZ Day 6: Christchurch to Wellington”
NZ Day 5: Twizel to Christchurch
Merry Christmas! This post might reach some of you on this great day, and I wish you a blessed one. It has been for us. We had slept well, even after the previous day’s soaking, and enjoyed breakfast at the hotel, as we were not sure what else would be open. From the dining room,Continue reading “NZ Day 5: Twizel to Christchurch”
NZ Day 4: Queenstown to Twizel
It was a day with ups and downs, and up and down… After a brief stop on the edge of Queenstown at one of the many fine coffee shops in NZ, we stopped at the Kawarau suspension bridge, made famous when AJ Hackett turned it into the first Bungy Jumping operation in 1988. I heardContinue reading “NZ Day 4: Queenstown to Twizel”
NZ Day 3: Milford Sound to Queenstown
The title makes this sound like a reverse of yesterday. I guess it was, but it was still amazing. By the end of the day, we were somewhat overwhelmed. Even though the beds were very comfortable, I woke at 2am and couldn’t resist checking outside. It was peaceful and still and some stars were pokingContinue reading “NZ Day 3: Milford Sound to Queenstown”
NZ Day 2: Queenstown to Milford Sound
We would not have believed that a seven-hour coach-ride could be so amazing, and that was just the day’s warmup! We slept very well in those comfy beds and found a hearty breakfast at the Copthorne Hotel where we were getting picked up by the coach for Milford. The level of uncertainty about the pickupContinue reading “NZ Day 2: Queenstown to Milford Sound”
NZ Day 1: Houston to Queenstown
Technically, this covers a couple of “Day 0s” as it goes from Tuesday to Thursday, though we lost Wednesday somewhere in the middle of the Pacific! After a fine Uber service to the airport from Jett, we had a smooth checkin, and headed to Landry’s at the airport, where we tried our “Priority Pass” (whichContinue reading “NZ Day 1: Houston to Queenstown”
New Zealand, Here We Come!
It’s time for our next trip, and this is a big one. For years, New Zealand has drawn Samuel to its far shores, and it has always been on my list, and Janet and Bailey weren’t complaining about the prospect of visiting. However, as it is in the southern hemisphere, their seasons are reversed. Their summer,Continue reading “New Zealand, Here We Come!”
The Cotswold Way Day 3: Winchcombe to Cheltenham Race Course Station via Cleeve Hill, with Steam Train
Today’s excitement included meeting up with my sister Jane and her husband, and finding ice cream at just the right time. The steam train was pretty cool too. The lack of bus service on Sunday to Winchcombe was not an issue as the GWSR steam train was running. Its station was two miles from ourContinue reading “The Cotswold Way Day 3: Winchcombe to Cheltenham Race Course Station via Cleeve Hill, with Steam Train”
The Cotswold Way: Our Plan
It’s time for another hike! This opportunity has been triggered by a wedding invite from friends we saw on our Grasmere rest day during our Coast-to-Coast adventure last summer (thank you Grace and Peter). After the wedding festivities, we will head south to the Cotswolds, but will hike it in a new way. So whyContinue reading “The Cotswold Way: Our Plan”
Hawaii – Day 7
Our final morning! As with most other mornings, I woke up around dawn (5:50) and caught up on processing photos and blogging on the house’s back porch. It had a great view toward the sea, as well as birds scurrying around its garden. I will miss the view, the temperature, and the sound of wildlife.Continue reading “Hawaii – Day 7”
Hawaii – Day 6
First, we headed to Waialua Coffee where we drank fresh coffee, had a tour of their small coffee and chocolate making facilities, and found souvenirs with reasonable prices. Today’s plan had originally been a sunrise hike before spending the day on the Windward side of the island on a beach. The last couple of morningsContinue reading “Hawaii – Day 6”
Hawaii – Day 5
SCUBA day! Samuel and I had picked up some rental gear from a dive shop and we were ready to go. We’d brought our own basic gear including my Go Pro, it’s photos have taken me extra time to process this day’s blog. We wanted an early start to avoid the crowds and get aContinue reading “Hawaii – Day 5”
Hawaii – Day 3
Today was slower than yesterday which we needed. The highlight was the evening with Toa Luau, and their ticket included entrance to visit their botanical gardens and waterfall. We started the day more slowly and after driving the 10 minutes from the house to Waimea valley, arrived a bit after it opened at 9, afterContinue reading “Hawaii – Day 3”
Hawaii – Day 2
This was a varied day as we explored the area from Pearl Harbor via Honolulu and Waikiki to Diamond Head. We had a reservation on the first boat for the USS Arizona memorial at 8am so it was an early start, leaving the house before 6:45 which meant we enjoyed quiet roads. Pearl Harbor isContinue reading “Hawaii – Day 2”
The Adventures of the Cajunlimeys 