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Dizzy and Delighted in Kaikoura
Kaikoura is one of those places that I didn't imagine could exist before I arrived. What I mean by that specifically: I had never before imagined a place where snowy mountains met the sea in such a combination of wild coast and snow-capped crowns. Nor could I have possibly imagined swimming in that ocean the morning after a frosty night ushered in a fresh layer of snow for those toothy mountains.
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The North of the South: Picton to Golden Bay
Crossing the Cook Strait between the North Island and the South Island felt like embarking on a completely new adventure. Perhaps it was the high expectations. Afterall, nearly every person I've spoken to, kiwi and traveler alike, told me the South Island was the best island, that it would blow my mind, that it was far more beautiful. All of these expectations bubbled in the back of my mind like a boiling pot even as I tried to suppress them. High expectations often lead to disappointment.
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Circling the Coromandel Peninsula in Winter
The Coromandel Peninsula is deceptively small on a map of New Zealand's North Island. It juts from the land mass on the east side, across from Auckland. On summer Fridays, the roads are jam-packed with cars streaming out of Auckland and headed to the Coromandel's beaches. With only a few roads running through the peninsula (one of them closed due to slips), and most of them as twisty-turny as my small intestine, I was glad to visit during the New Zealand winter.
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A Hidden Paradise in Whiritoa, New Zealand
On Google Maps, Whiritoa looks like a beach town at the very bottom of the Coromandel Peninsula on the east coast. As I drove in through 16 kilometers of windy S-curves and 180-degree switchbacks, and then entered the town, I realized that I had been wrong. This was no town. Rather, it was a collection of a few hundred houses clustered around the beach. A single cafe provided snacks and a few staples (bread, butter, milk), but anything beyond would require the twenty minute trek into town. I wondered where the hell I had just based myself for the next month. The answer:
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WWOOF: The Seaweed Queen of Great Barrier Island
Great Barrier Island was formed from ancient volcanoes, like most of New Zealand, and it rises dramatically from a wave-rumpled sea. With mountains swelling from the blue water and native forests draped like a blanket over every visible surface, it looks wild. Untouched. I can imagine Polynesians paddling up to it, and the same wild and untamed view greeting them as greets me today.
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Colorful Camden: Sea Winds, Mountain Views, and Lobstah!
The last stop on our weeklong trip to Maine was the coastal town of Camden, Maine. We rolled into Camden after a long day of driving through inland Maine. We were too hungry to park at our hotel and walk, so we drove downtown. It was dark, but we could smell the sea off to our left and see the rows of cute shops and restaurants.
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To the Main! –Heading Inland like the Fishermen of Old
My parents and I greatly enjoyed our time in Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park, and I would return in a heart beat to climb the Iron Ladder Trails and explore along the rocky coast like kid explorers again. However, there is so much more of Maine to see, so we departed from Bar Harbor early one morning--and headed to the main!
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I love ME…I mean Maine!
After a busy month of work, hunting, and visitors, my parents and I jetted off to enjoy the easternmost state in the Union. We choose Maine because none of us had been before, and the idea of rugged coastlines, mountainous forests, and stunning fall foliage sounded like an excellent way to spend a week. Even as the plane circled the coast above Portland, I could see hints of reds and yellows in the trees.
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A Gem in the German Alps: Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Springtime
2022 European Adventure: Part 5 of 6 Garmisch-Partenkirchen (along with being a mouthful of a name) is a beautiful town nestled in a valley in the German Alps. When deciding where to go after the lovely town of Heidelberg, all it took was one picture before I was hooked on Garmisch-Partenkirchen (just scroll down and you’ll probably feel the same). With low hanging clouds, jagged peaks, traditional Bavarian architecture, and a long history, this is the perfect European mountain town. Getting to Garmisch-Partenkirchen was another adventure, as train travel often seems to be (no splitting trains this time, which is a shame because we were ready!), but several long delays…
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Highway to Heidelberg: a Must-See Stop on the Way Through Germany
2022 European Adventure: Part 3 of 6 Heidelberg is red-roofed, green rolling hills, river running through it magical. The next stop on my European Adventure is Heidelberg, Germany! I picked this place–I’ve been dying to go for ages. Actually, there are very few places in Germany that I don’t want to go. However, this one has been on my list since my Study Abroad program. And the reason I wanted so badly to visit Heidelberg is because of the beautiful castle looming above this town. However, this post isn’t about the lovely castle at all (the next one, here, is entirely about the castle!), but about the other amazing things…
