new zealand
Queenstown, New Zealand
Posted August 26, 2019
Queenstown: the final destination of my trip, known for its winter and extreme sports. I arrived in the evening and checked into Haka Lodge Queenstown (yes, the same chain as the one from Auckland), and headed out to grab a bite to eat at the famous Fergburger. Supposedly Fergburger serves the best burgers in the world. I can’t speak for the meat variant, but while the falafel burger I had was very tasty, it certainly doesn’t hold up to that standard! Read more…
Christchurch, New Zealand
Posted August 26, 2019
Christchurch ended up being a sort of last minute booking for me. I hadn’t really thought out what I wanted to do there, and my main motivator for visiting was the tour bus that I was planning on taking from Christchurch to Queenstown (you can read about that further down this post). There isn’t quite as much to do in Christchurch as there is in other cities, thanks to the massive earthquake that devastated the city in 2011 and reduced around 80% of the downtown core to rubble. But, I was able to make my short time there worth it! Read more…
Wellington, New Zealand
Posted August 25, 2019
As I mentioned in my Auckland post, I decided to travel from Auckland by way of the Northern Explorer, a train that runs through the North Island countryside over the course of about 10 hours. The seats were comfortable, the food available on board was tasty (albeit not cheap), and the views were spectacular! Read more…
Auckland, New Zealand
Posted August 25, 2019
It was so, so refreshing to step off the plane and out into the cool, New Zealand evening air after a month straight of roasting hot weather. I was greeted at the airport by Terry, a friend of my aunt. He and I had coordinated him picking me up, but he graciously offered me dinner and a night’s stay at his home in the Auckland suburbs, which I accepted. Sure, I’d arrive at my hostel one night late, no big deal. We had a wonderful Indian meal and then I more or less went right to bed for the night. Read more…
New Zealand - 100% Pure New Zealand
Posted August 22, 2019
New Zealand was actually the second country I selected for this trip, despite it being the last one I ended up visiting. For a while, I even considered skipping it because I’d be there during the winter, and I wouldn’t be able to do anything like swimming or surfing! It also meant packing extra warm clothing that I’d be carrying around with me for a month in Japan and Vietnam. But I decided to do it, even just to check out some of the skiing on the South Island. And damn, was it worth it. Read more…
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