Kangaroos, wombats, and Tasmanian Devils, oh my! Time for another animal encounter, this time at Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary in Tasmania, Australia. Tasmania, an island that sits off the southern coast of Australia, is home to some of the most unique wildlife in the world. Here, mothers raise their young in pouches, mammals lay eggs, and devils roam at night. We …
Now We Can Call Ourselves Bushwalkers
In Norway and Italy we were hikers. In Nepal we were trekkers. In New Zealand we were trampers. Now that we are in Australia and successfully hiked the Wineglass Bay Circuit, we can call ourselves bushwalkers. We had a week to spend in Tasmania, and like always, we were on the lookout for some of the best hikes (or bushwalks, …
New Zealand: Photos from the Road
On our first visit to New Zealand in 2015, we were absolutely amazed and the landscapes we saw as we drove through New Zealand. In this post, I share some of our favorite photos from our three and a half week road trip. Our family fell in love with this small but incredibly beautiful country. We were immediately transfixed by …
Ten Fun Things To Do with Kids on the North Island of New Zealand
The second half of our New Zealand adventure took us through the North Island. Although the North Island lacks the stunning scenery that we were wowed by on the South Island, there are still heaps of fun activities for families. The North Island has it all…beaches, volcanoes, fabulous cities, famous movie sets, more adrenaline generating activities, and even caves filled …
Photo Tour of the Hobbiton Movie Set
What is the cutest little spot in New Zealand? The answer is Hobbiton, the movie set for The Shire in both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies. What is Hobbiton? Hobbiton was constructed in 1999 for the filming of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. It was used for just several weeks of filming and not intended …
The Tongariro Alpine Crossing, New Zealand’s Best Single Day Hike
The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is often labeled as the world’s greatest single day hike. Located on the North Island of New Zealand, the volcanic terrain of Tongariro National Park breaks up the lush, green scenery that is so prevalent in this country. Here is your chance to hike in the shadow of Mt. Doom, walk through an almost lunar landscape, …
SiloStay, One of the Most Unique Places to Stay in New Zealand
This post was written by Tyler and Kara on our first trip to New Zealand in 2015. We are a family of four who have been traveling around the world for ten months. We have slept in caves, in tents out in the African bush, in teahouses on the Everest base camp trek, and even under the stars in the …
Hooker Valley Track Hiking Guide: Stats, Map & Photos
The Hooker Valley Track is a hiking trail in Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park that takes you through stunning alpine mountain scenery within New Zealand’s Southern Alps. You will hike past views of snowcapped mountain peaks and glaciers, across three swing bridges, and past two glacial lakes (Mueller Lake and Hooker Lake). The track ends at Hooker Lake with …
Roys Peak Track: Stats, Photos, Hiking with Kids
Roys Peak Track is one of the best hikes to do on the South Island of New Zealand. Located in Wanaka, this trail takes you high into the mountains for breathtaking panoramic views over Wanaka and Lake Wanaka. The hike itself is not all that exciting, but the main reason for hiking Roys Peak Track is for the views from …
Becoming Adrenaline Junkies in Queenstown, New Zealand
This post could have been called a lot of things. Blowing the Budget BIG TIME. Having the Time of Our Lives. Getting Our Adrenaline Fix. Best Three Days Ever. #Neverwanttogohome. We had an absolutely amazing, action packed three days here. And there is still so much to do when we come back, and come back we will definitely do. Forget …
A Tale of Four Bungy Jumps
Prior to our trip around the world, we would never have gone bungy jumping. That’s just for crazy people, right?! But as we passed bungy jump locations around the world, the idea grew on us. Once in Queenstown, the birthplace of bungy jumping, the idea didn’t sound so crazy anymore. How could we circle this globe, trying to experience as …
Milford Sound: Day Trip Options, Key Summit Hike & HELPFUL Tips
The Milford Sound (also called Piopiotahi), one of New Zealand’s most popular sights, is located just a few hours away from Queenstown and Te Anau on the South Island. In 2008, the Milford Sound took the #1 spot on TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice World Destinations. And nearby Queenstown took second place. That just goes to show how popular (and touristy) the …
Wow!
I had once heard that New Zealand is such a beautiful place that you can’t believe it, even when you see it with your own eyes. We have only been here several days now and I agree with that statement. New Zealand just may be the most beautiful country we have ever visited. This post was written at the beginning …
Fiji…One Week In Paradise
Ahhh…Fiji. Paradise. Fiji was everything we expected and more. Crystal clear aquamarine water, white sandy beaches, amazing sunsets, beautiful islands. We joke around that Fiji is our vacation from our vacation…a very long vacation, I know. Here we got some much needed R & R from our fast paced travels around the world. I can’t complain about the challenges and …
Beautiful Modriki Island, The Filming Site for the Movie “Cast Away”
Ahhh….Fiji. This has to be one of the most beautiful places we have been to yet. No wonder it is such a popular location for filming movies. Movies such as “The Blue Lagoon” and “Cast Away” were filmed here. During our short stay in Fiji we took a tour out to Modriki Island (also called Monuriki Island), the filming site …
Taiwan Food Tour
Stinky tofu, pig’s blood soup, and chicken feet, oh my!! We ate some weird things while in Taiwan and believe it or not, we even ate out of a toilet. Our two weeks in Taiwan was a culinary adventure and tons of fun. We wandered through night markets, ate at delicious Japanese restaurants, and feasted on Dim Sum. Here is …
You Can’t Visit Taiwan Without Exploring Taroko National Park
Add Taroko National Park to the list of beautiful places in Taiwan. This national park, located on the eastern coast of Taiwan very close to the city of Hualien, is a huge draw for visitors to Taiwan. It was a huge draw for us as well, as our family can’t resist hiking trails, rock scrambles, and beautiful vistas, things Taroko …
Ten Interesting Facts About Taiwan You Probably Didn’t Know
Before our trip around the world I knew very little about Taiwan. It wasn’t even on our radar as a destination for our journey around the globe. While browsing through hotels on Trip Advisor, tourism advertisements and facts about Taiwan kept popping up. After the tenth advertisement, Taiwan captured my attention and I took my first look at the Taiwan …
Hiking Teapot Mountain in Taiwan
Hiking Teapot Mountain was a fantastic experience. This hike would end up being our favorite in Taiwan as it had all of our favorite elements: stunning scenery, rock scrambles, steep ascents that required basic rock climbing skills, and an almost deserted trail. We saw hardly anyone else on this hike leaving us to wonder where everyone was. Why don’t more …
Taipei, Taiwan in Photos
Our introduction to Taiwan was its largest city, Taipei. We spent five awesome days here. There is so much to do, with night markets to explore, Taipei 101 to climb, so many wonderful restaurants to choose from, and tons of day trips to take. This was yet another city that we all really liked. National Palace Museum Our visit to …