Our next wwoof found us near Pataua Beach, on the quiet outskirts of Whangarei, lodging with a family of three: Tanja and her kids Marco and Sophie. Part of the road to Pataua from Whangarei makes up a section of Te Araroa; a hiking trail that spans north to south of the entire country. Every …
This entry is going to be a little different than the last one; instead of talking about the trip I want to share some thoughts about the time leading up to New Zealand. Some of the subject matter is a bit grim so if reading about death puts you off feel free to skip it. …
Part One: Three months before Viki and I left for New Zealand it was the peak of the summer in Vancouver. We were still living in Kits and I was bartending downtown. Most of my shifts started late in the evening so I had time during the day to enjoy the heat instead of working …
Our trip so far has been mostly unplanned. Or rather one plan that keeps evolving with only a few expectations. We want to explore and learn about New Zealand with advice from locals and enjoy what the outdoors have to offer on a moderate budget. Viki and I both have working/holiday visas (w.h.v.) so we …
October 14-16, 2022 DAY 1 It’s good to be back in the backcountry. The place where cell signals dim and the stars get brighter. With no established trail we had our work cut out for us in bushwhacking and route-finding. We used gps tracks from our trip to the hut 2 years earlier. As fast …
