Polynesian Fire Luau
I’ve been to Hawaii, attended a real luau, and watched a Māori hāngī. The Polynesian Fire Luau in Orlando is none of those things — but if you can’t get to the islands, having the islands come to you makes for a fun night.
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The Mt. Auckland (Atuanui) Walkway — A Trail Worth Remembering
One of the best walks near Auckland — views of the Kaipara Harbour, ancient kauri forest, and nearly 20,000 steps. Now permanently closed due to kauri dieback disease. This is what it was like.
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The East Cape Lighthouse
East Cape is the easternmost point of the North Island.The East Cape Lighthouse was put up on Otiki Hill in 1922 – it was fully automated in 1985 and is controlled from the maritime headquarters in Wellington now. Getting there is an adventure by itself — I’ll blog about the drive around the cape another…
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The Little Brown Kiwi and the Kauri Coast
Over the Christmas break, we set out on a tiki tour and headed North of Auckland. Our plan was to put the kayak in the water for the first time in 2017 and paddle around the Kai Iwi lakes. But plans changed – between the crowds and the wind at Kai Iwi, we instead consulted…
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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
Tiki Tours – a New Zealand Pastime
New Zealand has a gift that most countries don’t – zero things trying to kill you. No bears, no scorpions, no snakes hiding in your hiking boots. Just wind, weather, and an open road. That’s the magic of the Tiki Tour: throw a tent in the car, pick a direction, and go. We turned left instead of right one afternoon and ended up on a beach in Gisborne just in time to watch surfers come in against one of the most spectacular sunsets I’ve ever seen. That’s New Zealand in a nutshell – the best moments aren’t planned.
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Three Sisters and the Elephant: Tongaporutu’s Disappearing Coastline
We pulled off State Highway 3 on a whim and found one of the most dramatic coastlines I’ve ever walked. The formations are only accessible at low tide — and they’re disappearing. When I visited there were three sisters. Now there are two.
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New Zealand Travel | NZ: Kai and Cocktails | NZ: Where to Go and What to Do | Whiskey (and Wine) Stops Along the Way
Waiheke Island and Automated Wine Tasting
I lived in Auckland for nearly two years before I finally made it to Waiheke Island. Thirty minutes by ferry, world-class wine, beautiful beaches, and a machine that will let you taste 32 different wines by yourself. I should have gone sooner.
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Christmas in Auckland: Santa Parades, Costume Parties, and Summer Heat
My first Auckland Christmas involved a woman in a pink cotton ball costume, a Santa parade viewed from my apartment window, and a light display on Franklin Street that made me briefly forget it was summer. Auckland does Christmas differently.
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Thanksgiving in New Zealand
One thing that is hard to get used to when living in another country is holidays. I’ve gotten used to the Kiwi holidays such as Anzac Day and the Queen’s birthday, but the harder ones are holidays that I would celebrate in the U.S. but nobody pays attention to here. Halloween is one – there…
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The World’s Biggest Cookie
Their story started in 1983 when Michael Mayell returned to New Zealand from a trip to the U.S. Inspired by cookie shops in the U.S., he set out to do something similar in New Zealand – borrowing a bakery at night and partnering with his brother he started a brand that is known throughout New…
