One of the best parts of Queenstown is its proximity to such interesting locales for weekend trips! Queenstown has plenty of stellar weekend trips and things to do. Unfortunately, all of the well-known backpacking huts are booked well in advance for the summer season. Therefore, we looked elsewhere for outdoors adventures. Ultimately, my friends and …
Published December 2019. Backpacking in Abel Tasman is my favorite thing I have done in my 8 months in New Zealand, hands down! After hiking 13km with blisters on our feet, Nick and I arrived at the most incredible beach; it happened to be the wrong beach. We then swam 30 meters to the south …
This weekend, I headed out to Aspiring National Park for a much-anticipated backpacking trip. I have been wanting to go camping in the backcountry since arriving in New Zealand, which was unfortunately in winter. Due to my strange hospitality job schedule and the excessive amounts of winter rain, I never got around to it. But …
After one of my first days in Queenstown, after work, my friend/co-worker, Maz and I headed up to Moke Lake to take a walk. We drove alongside Lake Wakatipu and crept higher in elevation. It was so stunning. The views of the lake and the mountains behind it in every direction are stunning. Once we …
When traveling, if you’re someone that’s more interested in doing your own thing, rather than heading with the throngs of other tourists to the most bustling destinations, New Plymouth is the place for you. Do you love good coffee, awesome surf, contemporary art, and sick mountain trails? I have spent time in the more popular …
I can never find the words to describe living in a new place/city/country. I always freeze up. Rather than saying living in NZ is “good and I’m having a great time!” to everyone who asks and wants to hear more, I have crafted a few specific and relevant bullet points that explain the aspects of …
Having already been to two different parts of the Northside of Mount Taranaki, upon our boss’ recommendation, we headed East to Dawson Falls. On the rainiest day of the week, it was definitely hard to motivate for this hike, but totally worth it. After committing to the causes of exploration and new experiences, we drove …
DAY ONE: My first time going up Mt. Taranaki was when I hiked to Pouakai Tarns, a mirror lake that reflects the mountain, which is the first section of the Pouakai Crossing. I loved this walk because the path was so well-maintained and easy to follow. It was incredible how curated and constructed the wooden …
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, …
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 …