This itinerary was the first part of our month-long end-of-the-year (and end-of-the-decade for that matter) trip to both New Zealand and the Cook Islands. This first part focuses only on the New Zealand leg of the trip…

I guess our sentiment that this place was rather “Dead As” was challenged when we happened to witness some hideous shouting of two Maori gangs hurling insults and even bottles at each other…

Waterfalls weren’t on my agenda this particular day. In fact, the amazing tourist railway at Coromandel was all I was thinking of but, as is my wont, I decided to come home on a different road, albeit an unsealed one. Though the route was the shortest back to our accommodation at Tairua, most people avoid […]