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  • Plane Travel

    Laid-Back Laos Loses My Vote

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    Backpackers love Laos. Usually, when I ask them why, they say things like "it's less touristic." Another version of the same thing that I've heard it "it's more authentic." I understand the push for authenticity, to see how people really live.

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    Yellowstone NP: The Current State of Bear Affairs

    June 15, 2023

    A Chateau and a Vineyard…I Must Be in France

    January 22, 2020

    1 Year of Travel Selfies: May & June

    July 2, 2024
  • Plane Travel

    Everything I Know About the Kunkel Curse

    / 3 Comments

    For as long as I can remember, my dad has talked about the Kunkel Curse. Along the same veins of Murphey's Law, the Kunkel Curse says: The more I want something, the more likely it will never happen. Already, just talking on the phone with my dad before he flew to New Zealand, he was already warning me of the Kunkel Curse. I really wish someone would invent an app where you can punch people through the phone.

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    Goodness Glaciers, Great Balls of Ice

    November 29, 2023
    bull elk coming over a rise

    Waiting on Wapiti: a Lifetime Hunt for a Bull Elk

    September 26, 2022
    awestruck in the arctic aurora borealis

    Awestruck in the Arctic: an Aurora Borealis Gallery

    April 15, 2023
  • Plane Travel

    The Kunkel Clan Arrives in New Zealand!

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    It starts months ago. First there are flights to buy. Then, when I buy a four-seater Suzuki Swift, there's a five person rental car to reserve. Later, there are emails and phone calls and FaceTimes, accommodations to choose, activities to book, bikes to rent.

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    Crashing through the Catlins + Cool Coastlines

    January 5, 2024

    World of Waterfalls in Blue Mountains National Park

    April 28, 2024

    Peace, Love, and Turtles – Gili Air, Indonesia

    May 7, 2024
  • Plane Travel

    Photos from New Zealand Christmas and New Year

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    My expectations of a Kiwi Christmas were, in no particular order: BBQ, beach, summer fun, games, big gatherings, and tables shuddering with the amount of delicious food. These expectations, I believe, could have been met by many families (as I've heard stories of recounted holidays from many Kiwi's on my journeys), but the couple I stayed with did things quite differently.

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    Singapore Kaleidoscope

    May 26, 2024
    Sailboats on the water under a cloudy sky

    Colorful Camden: Sea Winds, Mountain Views, and Lobstah!

    October 12, 2022

    Aix Marks the Spot: Exploring my Temporary Home

    January 25, 2020
  • Plane Travel

    Crashing through the Catlins + Cool Coastlines

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    Actually, I drove incredibly carefully through the Catlins--which is how I usually drive. However, since I had a lot of ground to cover in a short amount of time, it did feel a bit like careening wildly through the region. Thankfully, I had driven out to see a few sites at the edge of the Catlins area when I'd been staying in Bluff, so I could check two places off the list. But there were still seven stops I had to make in a single day, and at least six hours of driving between me and my next hostel! So buckle up, cause you're gonna crash and careen through this…

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    The Sound of Silence: A Little Luxury and a Lot of Peace in Doubtful Sound

    December 19, 2023

    Amsterdam for Introverts like Me: How to Make the Most of a City Known for Weed & Sex

    May 21, 2022

    My Love for Laos Restored by Looms and Rice

    July 20, 2024
  • Plane Travel

    Stewart Island: The Island of the Birds

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    Throughout my wanderings, multiple travelers have told me that Stewart Island was one of their favorite places in New Zealand. Stewart Island is at the bottom of the South Island. I'd loosely been planning on visiting the island (because I'd been to the farthest northern point, may as well try to get to the southern point!) before I heard these rave reviews. So, as I kept hearing about how awesome Stewart Island was, I knew I really had to make the effort.

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    Yellow dog Lodge

    The Last Nine People (and One Dog) on Earth

    April 15, 2023

    The Sound of Silence: A Little Luxury and a Lot of Peace in Doubtful Sound

    December 19, 2023
    Maddie standing sideways with an umbrella over her shoulder framed by the curved archway of a wall in the old imperial palace of Hue

    Death by Starfruit & Other Things I Never Considered

    June 22, 2024
  • Plane Travel

    Highlights of the Road South: Methven to Omarama

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    In traveling from Christchurch to Lindis Pass (gateway to Wanaka, Queenstown, and many of the activities most tourists come to experience), I discovered some lovely places on, and off, the beaten path. Mount Sunday got it's name because boundary riders would meet at the tiny mount on Sundays.

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    Ducking Ropes and Slippery Slopes in Piha

    August 10, 2023
    steep stairs and colorful houses of Annecy

    A+ for Annecy and the Alps

    February 7, 2020

    Dueling Volcanoes and Fire Power in Tongariro National Park

    February 6, 2024
  • Plane Travel

    Home on the (Mountain) Range

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    This post picks up where I left off: traveling from Westport back to the East Coast of the South Island. Though I’d made the same drive only six days previous, I didn’t take the time then to stop and appreciate the beauty (partly because I didn’t even know I’d reached Lewis Pass until I’d passed it!). My return drive, I decided, would be different. I was back to explorer mode, rather than rush-to-the-west-coast-to-do-a-hike mode First, I pulled up Google Maps, zoomed in on the area where I’d be driving, and searched “waterfall.” This is one of my many strategies for finding New Zealand waterfalls, and it did not disappoint. There,…

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    You May Also Like

    Along the River Danube: Ancient Fortresses and Fearless Kings

    October 6, 2015

    The Kunkel Clan Arrives in New Zealand!

    March 2, 2024

    Where the Buffalo Roam–Some Thoughts on Yellowstone NP

    June 12, 2023
  • Plane Travel

    Akaroa in the Spring, New Zealand

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    A glimpse of Akaroa, New Zealand in the spring time. Akaroa is New Zealand's little French town. However, other than some French street names, it doesn't feel particularly French. It does, however, feel quiet and peaceful. Almost forgotten.

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    You May Also Like

    Along the River Danube: Ancient Fortresses and Fearless Kings

    October 6, 2015

    Where the Buffalo Roam–Some Thoughts on Yellowstone NP

    June 12, 2023
    mosque with a jade tower

    Between Konya and Cappadocia: Dervishes, Caravans, and Turkish Rugs

    March 29, 2019
  • Plane Travel

    I Would Drive 500 Miles…Just to Hike 20 More

    / 1 Comment

    I compile my items and hop in the car to drive from Kaikōura to Karamea. From East Coast to West Coast in one day. New Zealand is such a small country. But...also not that small. It's 263 miles, but will take seven hours. Distance-wise it's like driving from Longmont to North Platte, Nebraska. But it will take almost twice as long.

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    Along the River Danube: Ancient Fortresses and Fearless Kings

    October 6, 2015

    Kunkels in Kaikoura: the End of the Line

    March 19, 2024

    Seek and Ye Shall Find (Antlers)

    May 12, 2023
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Traveler, Reader, Writer

Hi! My name is Maddie. I am a traveler, reader, and writer. Pages to Planes is where I catalogue stories of my (history-obsessed) adventures and write reviews of my favorite books. Welcome!

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