The final leg of our journey took my dad and I up the east coast. First stop was Akaroa, a peninsula to the south east of Christchurch, visiting my friend Cece who I originally met during my first wwoofing experience last April. A town with a strong French influence, Akaroa is reached by a long …
Our first view of Mount Cook National Park came as we rounded a corner in the road. A large turquoise blue lake emerged on our right, mirroring the small mountain range beside it. Up ahead, a brilliantly white jagged outline marked our destination. What we had first assumed to be Mount Cook, actually turned out …
Milford Sound was something of an epic adventure. After a four hour drive, our first stop was in the town of Te Anau. We quickly found no short walks in the area appealed to us and instead went to a film showing in the local cinema. The film, Ata Whenua (Maori for Shadowland), was the …
Our first stop inland was Wanaka, the small town where I had originally planned to spend my winter. Dad was looking forward to seeing this place, one of the more prominent features of my travels to date. I had mixed feelings, knowing it would not be the same without the people that had helped make …
From Abel Tasman National Park our journey led west to the Great Coastal Road. We stopped for lunch in Murchison, a small town with wide streets and hilly backdrops, making dad reminisce over time spent in Canada. A unique vintage shop housed within a barn had rusted trucks out front, setting the scene for the …
Seven weeks after buying his plane ticket my dad arrived in Wellington airport, thirty odd hours of plane time initiating him to the world of travel. I felt a rush of emotion hugging him after over a year, though only minutes passed before it felt like we had never been apart. We spent that Tuesday …
The ‘Happy, Simply Home’ is very much as the name described. A simple structure designed to provide all you really need in a home and from my experience, you truly are happy whilst you’re there! An idea created by a man named D’Arcy, who is often travelling, working with UN and aid projects throughout the …
My week in Levin was spent with Radha and Charles, a retired couple living a vegan, largely organic and increasingly self-sufficient lifestyle. Meeting me at the bus stop, Radha drove me back to their house and began to explain the work they had been doing over the past two years. Their land had been nothing …
The end of my time with Adam took an unexpected turn, in the form of a yellow bicycle. Leading up to this moment were a series of events, making it seem very much like this was meant to be. So, let me backtrack a little… I was due to leave Adam’s place on Saturday and …
My first impression as I got off the bus, into Adam’s car and driving up the muddied track to his house, was just how in the middle of nowhere it was. I was met at the bus stop, or I should say, where the bus stopped at the side of the road, by Adam, my …
