OK, New Zealand Might Want to Kill You
I wrote a whole blog post about how New Zealand doesn’t want to kill you. Then I went through my photos and found the great white shark warning sign. Oops.
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Living in New Zealand | NZ: Living the Kiwi Life | NZ: North Island | NZ: Where to Go and What to Do
Auckland by Train
We moved into our new apartment right across from the train station and decided it was time to actually use it. The Auckland transport system turned out to be clean, simple, and remarkably easy to figure out — one card for trains, buses and ferries. We rode out to Panmure, shared the train with a handful of little girls in tiaras headed to Disney on Ice, and ended up at an American store selling Vienna sausages in bulk. Just a regular Saturday.
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New Zealand Has Almost as Much Coastline as the United States. Let That Sink In.
New Zealand has almost as much coastline as the United States — for a country of 5.3 million people that works out to one kilometre of coastline per 353 people. You can really feel it on the beaches. And some of those beaches have 60-million-year-old boulders on them.
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867 Lambs in Nine Hours: The World of Competitive Sheep Shearing
The world sheep shearing record was just broken by one lamb. The Irishman who did it sheared 867 in nine hours — and he learned his craft in New Zealand. Of course he did.
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Beer for Men in Expensive Suits
Tui is a NZ institution — light, refreshing, and responsible for some of the funniest billboards in the country. The brewery on State Highway 2 is still worth a stop, even if the beer is no longer brewed there.
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New Zealand Travel | NZ: Kai and Cocktails | NZ: North Island | NZ: South Island | NZ: Where to Go and What to Do | Whiskey & Wine Around the World
Cork Screw Not Required — Screw Top Wine
I used to ignore every bottle with a screw top. Then I moved to New Zealand, where 95% of wines use them — including the award-winning ones. I’ve been converted.
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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 | NZ: Wild and Weird
Glow Worms in New Zealand: Stars in the Sky
ew Zealand is home to its own unique species of glow worm — and seeing them in a cave, a river tunnel, or the forest at night is one of those experiences you don’t forget.
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Hobbiton: Yes, You Have to Go
Just about every visitor who comes to New Zealand wants to go to Hobbiton. Which means I’ve been there a lot. It holds up every single time.
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Living in New Zealand | New Zealand Travel | NZ: Living the Kiwi Life | NZ: North Island | NZ: Where to Go and What to Do
Flying In New Zealand: Fast, Easy, and Full of Hobbits
New Zealand airports are the most efficient I’ve ever used. Wellington’s also has the bonus of being the self-declared Middle of Middle-Earth — complete with Wētā Workshop magic.
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Searching for Kororā: Wellington’s Elusive Little Blue Penguin
I didn’t know there were penguins on the North Island. Turns out there are — and they’re the world’s smallest. I still can’t find them.
