Rugby, the National Sport of New Zealand
I got up at 4am to watch the All Blacks win the World Cup. I hadn’t seen a full rugby game before in my life. By halftime I was completely hooked.
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New Zealand Travel | NZ: North Island | NZ: Only in New Zealand | NZ: South Island | NZ: Where to Go and What to Do
Soak Your Troubles Away: New Zealand’s Hot Pools
New Zealand has over 100 hot pools — from luxury spas to free natural creeks steaming in the bush. If you enjoy soaking your troubles away, you moved to the right country.
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A Pukeko in a Ponga Tree — New Zealand’s Very Own Twelve Days of Christmas
Try singing “and a pukeko in a pohutukawa tree” to the tune of Twelve Days of Christmas. I’ll wait. It gets funnier every time.
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The Winterless North: Northland, New Zealand
Northland is the warmest, least populated, and most underrated region in New Zealand. It has the country’s oldest building, its most sacred kauri tree, a beach that’s officially a highway, and sand dunes you can surf. I’ve only been once and I’m already in love.
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New Zealand Travel | NZ: Kai and Cocktails | NZ: North Island | NZ: Only in New Zealand | NZ: Where to Go and What to Do
Dinner from the Earth: The New Zealand Hāngī Experience
A hāngī is a pit, a cooking method, and a meal all at once. It’s also one of the most distinctly Māori experiences you can have in New Zealand — and you don’t need to wait for a family invitation to try it.
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How to Talk Like a Kiwi (part 2)
Rude as. Bugger. Togs. Speedo. Part 2 of How to Talk Like a Kiwi — including the Toyota commercial that made ‘bugger’ famous and the one that explains the difference between togs and underwear. Yes, really.
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New Zealand Travel | NZ: North Island | NZ: Only in New Zealand | NZ: South Island | NZ: Where to Go and What to Do
State Highway 1: Top to Bottom — Driving the Length of New Zealand
State Highway 1 runs 2,047 kilometres from Cape Reinga in the north to Bluff in the south. It twists and turns almost the entire way. It takes forever to drive. It is beautiful.
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Our Toilets Are Famous: The Hundertwasser Loos of Kawakawa
There is a brown tourist sign on Highway 1 pointing to public toilets. We took the exit. Best decision we made all day.
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What to Do in Foxton, NZ: A Surprising Stop on Highway 1
Foxton wasn’t on our radar — it was just a town we’d driven through a dozen times on the way between Wellington and Auckland. Then my partner mentioned there was a windmill, and we made a detour. I was expecting something decorative. It’s actually a working windmill. That set the tone for the whole stop.
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How to Talk Like a Kiwi (part 1)
I got a voicemail from a recruiter about a role with a company called “In Zed Bus.” I Googled it for ten minutes before realizing she meant NZ Bus. Welcome to Part 1 of How to Talk Like a Kiwi.
