I’d like to start out saying, I have a high appreciation for motorcyclist but today that opinion was challenged. We started our normal day driving with sunny blue skies and fantastic scenery when we faced one of the scariest situations in our driving history. I was distracted looking down at my phone when I hear Mike comment, “What the f***! As I look up I see a motorcyclist headed directly toward us in our lane, on the left side. Immediately…
On the drive from Greymouth to Franz Josef we were on the hunt to find the perfect jade pendent which brought us to Hokitika. My perfect piece is a brilliant green circularly carved flower jade piece found at Hokitika Craft Gallary. To our delight the artist of the piece, Jayme Anderson was working the studio that day. I learned flower jade gets its name from the yellow rind that shoots through the outer edges of the stone. The stone rarity and…
The entrance to Abel Tasmen National is 11km drive down an unsealed road. The trail is half on a flat pebble path that increases in challenge with climbs over boulders to get to Harwood Hole. There we found an amazing view down the 176m shaft. On our way back, we detoured to Gorge Creek Viewpoint which also has an incredible view. To get to the top, there are jagged boulders with 6-12 inch gaps you need to walk on. Mike…
Our trusty Ace Rental car complete the North Island today and began the South Island journey on the 3.5hrs Interislander ferry from Wellington to Picton. The views in the Queen Charlotte Sound were incredible with the bright green to the stunning blue water and sunny blue skies. Next we drive from Picton to Richmond on the windy roads that hug the turquoise coastline. We stayed at The Pear Orchard that we found through AirBnB. The couple were lovely hosts. Timo, originally…
Today after years of reading and months of preparation we are leaving. The plan kicked into action in mid-June when Steph quit her job and focused all her time and energy into reducing the clutter in the house so it would be ready for sale. We also sold off the majority of stuff we own and have reduced our possessions down to a dozen or so rubbermaid style bins. We were already pretty much current on the majority of immunizations…
Gavin Aung Than's comic take on a graduation speech Cartoonist Bill Watterson gave sums up a lot of how Steph and I have felt over the past years. The exception is we are not going to work for ourselves and grow a family. We are just trying to invent our own meaning to life. It won't be easy, but we will be happier for trying.
For a long time now my Steph and I have been contemplating quitting our jobs and traveling. We had been researching it. Wondering where we could go and how long we could go for. She reminded me recently that on our last trip to Little Corn Island I was swimming with her in the ocean contemplating how we could change our lives and make this place our home. I didn't necessarily mean Nicaragua, I meant the world, seeing things. This…
We were driving to Vizag for a wedding. Near Chillakallu we saw this wedding procession on the road.