South Island, NZ: Part 1

On May 5, 2016May 6, 2016 By KayleeIn New Zealand, Oceania2 Comments

After spending half of our time on the North Island in New Zealand we took the Interislander Ferry over to the South Island for another four weeks of epic road trippin’.

In our opinion, the Interisland Ferry should not be missed when taking an extended trip to NZ. Although it was outrageously expensive, it was the only way to get our beloved home-on-wheels from one island to the other. Thankfully, the 3-hour journey was both relaxing and beautiful, redeeming itself for the high cost. It’s also remarkably convenient. You drive on, spend a few hours taking in the stunning cook straight waterway, and then drive off.

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Soul Searchin’ in the Land of the Long White Cloud

On April 11, 2016March 30, 2016 By KayleeIn New Zealand, Oceania5 Comments

New Zealand packs a lot into a tiny corner of our universe. Because it is so geographically remote it offers such an array of wonderful diversity. It’s a rather new country, comparatively speaking. America was fighting the Revolutionary War around the same time that Europeans were discovering New Zealand. The late discovery combined with the geographical remoteness means that nature has taken the front seat. There are less people living in the entire country of New Zealand than there are in the state of Florida alone.

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Our Top 5 Day Hikes in New Zealand

On April 8, 2016April 9, 2016 By KayleeIn New Zealand, Oceania5 Comments

You might have picked up on the fact that we’re nearly obsessed with New Zealand. This is because it is basically God’s gift to nature lovers. The Department of Conservation (DOC) manages about 30% of the land in NZ (don’t quote me on that, I stole that tidbit from wikipedia). That’s a lot of land! They have done an excellent job of preserving and protecting the natural habitat yet still making it accessible to hikers.

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The North Island, NZ: Part 2

On April 4, 2016March 30, 2016 By KayleeIn New Zealand, OceaniaLeave a comment

We spent a total of 4 weeks in the North Island of New Zealand. After touching down in Auckland and getting our bearings we hit the ground r~~unning~~ driving through the island and seeing as much as we could squeeze in during our four weeks. We didn’t see it all; we had to cut out both the west and east coast of the central section due to a cyclone that hit New Zealand while we were there. While this put a damper on things (no pun intended) it didn’t hold us back too much.

Here is Part 2 of our time spent in the North Island. Click here to read about the first half of our North Island adventures.

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North Island, NZ: Part 1

On April 2, 2016April 9, 2016 By KayleeIn New Zealand, OceaniaLeave a comment

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Our Favorite New Zealand Wildlife Encounters

On March 30, 2016March 30, 2016 By KayleeIn New Zealand6 Comments

In New Zealand it seems that you are never far off from a wildlife encounter. While New Zealand has no native land mammals (besides two species of bats, which I don’t count because they fly), it has more than enough birds and sea animals to make up for it. The lack of native land mammals is actually pretty cool…. there are no predators for humans. While over in neighboring Australia it seems that everything is out to eat you or sting you, New Zealand only has animals whose greatest threats are humans.

One of our favorite hikes in NZ... we saw seals and dolphins and the scenery was just stunning. — One of our favorite hikes in NZ… we saw seals and dolphins and the scenery was just stunning.

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Oh, We Have a Blog?

On March 28, 2016March 30, 2016 By KayleeIn New Zealand, Oceania, Planning6 Comments

We seemed to have forgotten that we manage a blog to keep our devoted readers (all three of you) up to date on our lives and where we currently are in the world.

Fear not fellow friends, because we are back in the land of decent wifi and might actually be able to post more frequently. But first, let’s get you caught up on our latest travel adventures.

Beautiful Mai Tai Bay in the North Island, NZ

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One Month In: Adjusting to Long-Term Travel

On December 7, 2015January 23, 2016 By KayleeIn Australia, New Zealand10 Comments

I cannot believe that it has been a month since we bid farewell to our comfortable lives back home and set off for a year of adventure. And, what an adventure it has been! To be honest– with all of the traveling I have done in the past I have never been gone for a full month. Sure, I’ve gotten home from one trip only to turn around and pack my bags for another, but I’ve always had at least one night’s rest in my own bed, my home, my comfort zone.

This month has flown by and I am thankful for the experiences

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New Zealand: Wrap-Up

On November 27, 2015January 23, 2016 By KayleeIn New Zealand, Oceania8 Comments

We spent two weeks traveling around the South Island of New Zealand, and boy did we love it. We rented a camper van for the most epic road trip. Our expectations were completely exceeded when we saw how magnificent and otherwordly this place really is. Hands down, New Zealand is an underrated tourist destination. That’s part of what makes it so great– there aren’t corny tourists traps around every corner. It is one of our most beloved countries to date.

Here’s a recap of our time there.

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New Zealand Budget Recap

On November 26, 2015January 19, 2016 By KayleeIn Budgeting, New Zealand5 Comments

Our budget goal for our RTW trip is $100/day for two people. This is a generalization as some countries we know will be over this amount, while others will hopefully be below this goal. We knew New Zealand would be one of the most expensive countries, so we allocated more for this leg.

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