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My Love for Laos Restored by Looms and Rice
A month ago, I read about Living Land Farm in a Lonely Planet Guidebook and immediately clocked it as something I wanted to do. I’d been looking forward to it for several weeks and it lived up to my expectations. At Living Land Farm I learned how to... Grow, harvest, and prepare RICE.
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Beginning in Bali: The Start of My Asia Travels
When I arrived in Bali, the heat and humidity fell over me like a bag of bowling balls. Waiting for my driver in the Arrivals hall was like standing in the dryer room at my mom’s laundromat while also taking a hot shower—sweat rolled down my face but there was nothing to wipe it with because my arm was encased in a layer of dampness and my t-shirt was, already, in a moist and sticky state.
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World of Waterfalls in Blue Mountains National Park
The fog was so low and heavy that I felt as though I were in a snow globe that started and ended at the ends of the block. Church spires rose like phantoms, trees were mere shadows. I could hardly get a feel for the town of Katoomba, much less what lay beyond.
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Spoiled in the Sand: Adventures in Abel Tasman National Park
The beach-side spoiling actually starts two days before Abel Tasman National Park when the bus pulls up to our AirBnB in Mapua, which is a small coastal town about half an hour from Nelson in the Tasman Bay. Not only is it beach front with a beautiful deck and soft sand, but it is so close to the Mapua Wharf...
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The Magical Milford Track and the Invention of Sandflies
A car. A bus. A boat. Finally, I arrive at the beginning of the Milford Track. One of New Zealand’s 10 Great Walks and often dubbed the Finest Walk in the World. So here I am. At the beginning of the Milford Track. Ahh, breathe it in. Take in the view. Snap a photo…
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Middle Earth Magic in New Zealand
I've never been one to obsess over actors, over sets, over costumes. I don't care about who played the character or where the movie was filmed or how the magic happened. I like the characters, the plot, the story. However, there is one film series that is a little bit different.
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Dueling Volcanoes and Fire Power in Tongariro National Park
What I imagined I would see when I reached Tongariro National Park was a battle ground: Open horizons. Scars of black rock, like charred ground. Rubble. Dry, choking air. A barren place. Hard. Void. Dark... Blame Mordor, I guess.
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Photos from New Zealand Christmas and New Year
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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Crashing through the Catlins + Cool Coastlines
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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Rainy Routeburn: My First Great Walk
To be perfectly honest, I was not feeling all that excited the night before I was set to do the Routeburn Track. Because of the popularity of these Great Walks, you generally have to book your huts far in advance, which means you have no idea what the weather is going to do. When I checked in with the DOC office the day before my big hike, the ranger told me to expect rain all day on Day 1 and to wake up to snow on Day 2.
