Wellington is an upbeat, young and hip city. After spending time in Auckland, which was more globally-minded and posh, Wellington was a breath of fresh air. From diverse food and street art to sweeping city views and terraced landscaping, Wellington had character. On our way down, we stopped at Lake Taupo for coffee and saw …
The Mystifying Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland
Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland is ‘one of the most surreal places on earth.’ TripAdvisor Visiting Wai-O-Tapu, an active geothermal park, was the first moment in New Zealand where I thought deeply about how unique this area is and how it can only be found here. It was stunning and other-worldly. I kept thinking I was on …
7 Trail Runs in the Hudson Valley for Spring, Summer and Fall
When I lived in the Hudson Valley, I fully embraced my passion for trail running. I’ve been using MapMyRun to map my runs and create a collection of my favorite trail runs from the area. I thought this would be a good resource for others to have and for me to look back on. Additionally, …
Sniffing Our Way Around Rotorua, New Zealand
Certain places have a distinct and lingering smell: New York notoriously smells like garbage, Fez, Morocco smells like leather tanneries (dead animals), and Rotorua, New Zealand smells like sulfur. At first, I could barely smell the sulfuric odor, but the closer we got to the hot pools the more pungent the odor. As Nick and …
Black Water Rafting in Waitomo Caves and Fresh Roasted Coffee in Otorohanga
Well, today may have been our most insane adventure yet. From going caving in the middle of winter to see glow worms, to meeting a friend-of-a-friend, who owns a coffee shop in a 9,000 person town in rural New Zealand, I am not sure which part was more shocking! So, Waitomo, NZ, 2 hours south …
Beaches of the Wild West Coast: North Island, New Zealand
On Sunday afternoon, we drove out to Kariotahi Beach. It was so stunning. The sun was beginning to set and the green hills contrasted the blue ocean, which contrasted the black sand. It was remarkable (and freezing!). We drove out along the beach and ventured both north and south with our car on the sand. …
Settling in New Zealand and Exploring Auckland
The journey from Santa Barbara, CA to New Zealand was surprisingly short and sweet. After getting 6 hours of sleep on the plane and watching a man storm down the aisle having a meltdown because his wife moved seats away from him (think Kristen Wiig in Bridesmaids but less funny and more concerning), the 13-hour …
Kissing Strangers in Tunis
Hi! I’m Tonery, a recent Bard College graduate who has found her way to the beautiful North African country of Tunisia. I am currently working as the Coordinator for a U.S. Department of State funded cultural space and lending library called the American Corner in Tunis, Tunisia’s capital. My job is as exciting as it …
A Day in the Life: Tracking Hyenas in the Maasai Mara
This post is adapted from my blog entry for the Michigan State University Hyena Research Blog. Hi all! As I’m getting more settled in the Mara, I thought I’d share what a “typical” day in Fisi (Swahili for hyena) camp looks like. In reality, there are no typical days out here, since we never know …
Hiking Half Dome: A 10 Hour Night Hike
Half Dome is the ultimate Yosemite day hike – the one you can’t die without doing, and the one you’re most likely to die while doing. Yosemite Day Hikes Last week, Nick, Ben and I hiked Half Dome. Half Dome is a dome-shaped rock in Yosemite National Park- famous for its unique shape and its …