• Home
  • About
  • Subscribe
Pages To Planes Pages To Planes

Adventure Awaits…on Foot and in Books

Pages To Planes
  • Start Here
  • Book Reviews
    • Fiction
    • Book Lists
  • Travel Journal
    • Asia
    • Europe
    • Middle East
    • Oceania
    • The Americas
  • Guides & Resources
  • Start Here
  • Book Reviews
    • Fiction
    • Book Lists
  • Travel Journal
    • Asia
    • Europe
    • Middle East
    • Oceania
    • The Americas
  • Guides & Resources
  • Plane Travel

    Laid-Back Laos Loses My Vote

    / No Comments

    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.

    Read More

    You May Also Like

    steep stairs and colorful houses of Annecy

    A+ for Annecy and the Alps

    February 7, 2020

    1 Year of New Zealand Selfies: July & August

    July 29, 2023

    Seek and Ye Shall Find (Antlers)

    May 12, 2023
  • 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.

    Read More

    You May Also Like

    My Pinnacles Experience: Hiking to Great Heights

    September 5, 2023
    Ants-eye view of the glowing Eiffel tower at night

    Paris à Pied: Exploring the City of Love in 30 Hours

    March 8, 2020

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

    May 21, 2022
  • Plane Travel

    The Kunkel Clan Arrives in New Zealand!

    / No Comments

    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.

    Read More

    You May Also Like

    The Magical Milford Track and the Invention of Sandflies

    February 11, 2024

    Highlights of the Road South: Methven to Omarama

    October 28, 2023
    Peach clouds at sunset over the Côte d'Azur

    La Côte d’Azur: Sunshine, Flowers, and Spring-time!

    February 14, 2020
  • Plane Travel

    Photos from New Zealand Christmas and New Year

    / No Comments

    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.

    Read More

    You May Also Like

    The Zugspitze at dusk

    A Gem in the German Alps: Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Springtime

    May 25, 2022

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

    December 19, 2023

    The Red-Stone Ruins of Heidelberg Castle

    May 22, 2022
  • Plane Travel

    Crashing through the Catlins + Cool Coastlines

    / No Comments

    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…

    Read More

    You May Also Like

    1 Year of New Zealand Selfies: November & December

    November 5, 2023

    World of Waterfalls in Blue Mountains National Park

    April 28, 2024

    A Quarter of a Century Old in Sydney, Australia

    April 24, 2024
  • Plane Travel

    Stewart Island: The Island of the Birds

    / No Comments

    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.

    Read More

    You May Also Like

    1 Year of New Zealand Selfies: September & October

    September 22, 2023

    Nice Carnival: Battle of the Flowers

    February 15, 2020

    Haere Rā: Farewell, New Zealand

    April 14, 2024
  • Plane Travel

    Highlights of the Road South: Methven to Omarama

    / No Comments

    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.

    Read More

    You May Also Like

    A Kaleidoscope of Rotorua and Taupo – Central North Island of New Zealand

    September 18, 2023

    1 Year of Travel Selfies: May & June

    July 2, 2024

    Stewart Island: The Island of the Birds

    December 20, 2023
  • Plane Travel

    Home on the (Mountain) Range

    / 1 Comment

    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,…

    Read More

    You May Also Like

    A Hidden Paradise in Whiritoa, New Zealand

    September 3, 2023

    Aix Marks the Spot: Exploring my Temporary Home

    January 25, 2020

    A Sloppy, Sweaty Trek in Sapa, Vietnam

    June 13, 2024
  • Plane Travel

    Akaroa in the Spring, New Zealand

    / No Comments

    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.

    Read More

    You May Also Like

    Kusadasi: Seaside Getaway with a Hidden Face

    March 28, 2019

    Circling the Coromandel Peninsula in Winter

    September 6, 2023

    Photos from the Kaimai Range

    September 21, 2023
  • 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.

    Read More

    You May Also Like

    Highway to Heidelberg: a Must-See Stop on the Way Through Germany

    May 22, 2022
    awestruck in the arctic aurora borealis

    Awestruck in the Arctic: an Aurora Borealis Gallery

    April 15, 2023

    Crash Course: All the History I Need to Know about New Zealand

    July 4, 2023
123

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!

Subscribe

Sign up to receive notifications when new posts drop!

Tags

Art Asia Beaches Castles Cities Covid Europe Fairytales Fantasy Fiction Food Historical Fiction History Middle East Mountains Multiday Hikes Mythology New Zealand North America Oceania Quotes Recipes Roman Ruins Science Fiction Selfies Semester Abroad Small towns Snorkelling Time Travel Volcanoes Waterfalls Weekend Trip Working Holiday Visa Young Adult

Categories

  • Guides
  • Page Travel
  • Plane Travel

Banner Ads

Awesome and completely free WordPress WooCommerce themes to take your Blog website to the next level.

2025 ©