Derik and I always knew we were to eventually make it back to the United States, and after 3.5 years of making our home in foreign countries, and a six month full-time travel stint through Asia and Europe, we thought it was high time to enjoy a more familiar side of the world. The problem was, we couldn’t put a finger on where exactly we wanted to go, because nothing really screamed "New Zealand" the way we wanted it to. You read that right, New Zealand. After traveling for 6 months and visiting multiple countries, we began to realize how homesick we were for the place we just left. I’m not sure how NZ captured our hearts the way it did (actually, who am I kidding, of course I know how it happened…if you’ve ever lived or visited New ... Read More
Cruising Milford Sound
New Zealand is by far the most beautiful country I have ever visited. It’s a place that Derik and I both fell head over heels in love with, and a place that sends a ping of sadness through my heart when I think about how far away it is from us now. During our time in New Zealand, cruising Milford Sound was at the very top of my bucket list. Strangely, I spent an entire year wishing to visit, and it didn’t happen until our last two weeks there. We went on an amazing comprehensive New Zealand tour with Haka Tours, and I knew the opportunity to book a cruise with Jucy to Milford Sound would be in the runnings of 'things to do while on tour.' It was either that or spend a day in Queenstown (which is equally as amazing for first-timers), and ... Read More
24 hours in Wanaka
Jetting away on the weekends or anytime we could squeeze in a day trip, was something Derik and I would do quite regularly while living in New Zealand. When my brother and sister-in-law came to visit earlier this year, it was pretty much required that we took a quick 3-hour drive over to the west coast to show them the mountainous grander that is Queenstown and Wanaka. Now, as someone who has traveled New Zealand from top to bottom, if you're looking for a place that has everything you ever thought New Zealand to be, the west coast of the South Island is that place: mountains, glaciers, the bluest rivers and lakes you've ever seen, LOTR locations, and of course, sheep. If it wasn't so expensive to live in the Queenstown/Wanaka area, in ... Read More
Finding and Photographing the Aurora in New Zealand
The Aurora Australis (otherwise known as the Southern Lights) is a rare beauty that only shows its splendor to those who seek it. Intrigued? I know I was! One of the biggest bucket list items I had while living in New Zealand was to see the Aurora Australis, especially since I grew up seeing the Borealis…there's just something about being able to witness such a gorgeous phenomenon in both hemispheres! Or maybe I'm just overly hyping that up? Anyway, I wanted to get down to the nitty gritty with you guys today and explain all you need to know about finding and photographing the Aurora Australis. It's simply not as easy as waiting until a friend calls you up on the phone and then walking out your door(or maybe you'll be the lucky one ... Read More
8 Must-Try Foods in New Zealand
As mentioned previously, one of my favorite things about travel is discovering new foods! Though many may not initially think of New Zealand as a foodie’s haven, there are several delicious meals you must try while visiting the most beautiful country on earth. It's no small secret to my friends, family, and now our blog readers…I'm a foodie. One of my favorite things about traveling is discovering the local cuisine, and am more than willing to try things at least once. Though many may not initially think of New Zealand as a foodie’s haven, there are several delicious meals you must try while visiting the most beautiful country on earth. Luckily for me, working locally, I was able to get the inside scoop on some of the best meals ... Read More
Kaikoura Dolphin Encounter
The horn blared loudly signifying it was okay to jump in, and we slipped off the end of the boat into the icy cold water, immediately surrounded by a pod of 250-300 wild dusky dolphins. I couldn't believe my eyes as I sat there floating on top of the water looking to the left, right, behind, and below me — dolphins were everywhere! Having the opportunity to swim with dolphins may just be [hands down] one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had in my entire life. Kaikoura truly is the hidden gem of the South Island, and if you're one of those that takes the extra time to visit, you'll know exactly why it's so special. This coastal town is nestled right between the ocean and the mountains, giving you scenic views every direction ... Read More
Living Expenses in New Zealand
I'm writing this post because a year and a half ago when we were planning our move from Korea, I wish I had a reference point on living expenses in New Zealand . It was incredibly frustrating to be told "It's super expensive" yet have nothing to base it off of. Living in South Korea was also pretty expensive, and I just wanted to know in comparison how much we were going to have to budget each month and overall to make our time in New Zealand not the worst thing ever on our bank accounts. For all you fellow "I-want-to-travel-and-live-in-New-Zealanderers" hopefully you can use this as a general guide to help you get an idea of what things are going to cost while living, or even just visiting New Zealand. PLEASE NOTE: our living ... Read More
An Adventure Tour through New Zealand
Once Derik and I figured out we would be leaving New Zealand in a matter of a few weeks, we were hitting things pretty much full throttle trying to arrange flight tickets, get out of our rental agreement, what to do post-New Zealand, and packing up our stuff. We both had this nagging feeling like we hadn't seen enough of New Zealand (or even participated in an official New Zealand tour) to be completely satisfied before we left can you ever be completely satisfied?. Yeah, sure we lived in NZ for an entire year, but if you've ever visited you'll know what I mean when I say you can't ever have enough of "the most beautiful places on earth." That's where Haka Tours came in. First of all you should know that I love planning and knowing ... Read More
Fall in New Zealand
I bet you didn't expect to see a post full of colorful fall leaves in May did you? As the rest of the world is transitioning into summer, the Southern Hemisphere transitions into winter. I can't even look at Pinterest anymore, as all the spring and summer pins leave my mind super confused as to where I am and what time of the year it actually is. I think I'm starting to adapt to this whole season reversal thing, and I'm learning to embrace the changing seasons (namely fall/winter). Luckily, finding little patches of autumn heaven, as you see in the pictures of this post, help me out a ton. Last weekend we had absolutely gorgeous weather (which has luckily continued on into this week), so Derik and I went on a photo adventure to find the ... Read More
