New Zealand
Kiwi cuisine
Have you ever been to a restaurant that specialized in kiwi food? Ok, maybe you've been somewhere that's served New Zealand lamb, but a full menu dedicated to kiwi cuisine? I doubt it. And here's why: the 4 food groups of New Zealand. 1: Meat flavored chips. 2: Tongue 3: Ham (and … Continue reading
The rest of the South Island, New Zealand
At this point, we bid farewell to Corentin. With a one year visa, he had the freedom to travel slower than those of us with the standard 90 day visas. Five of us rented a tightly packed car and headed to the southern tip of the South Island. The Catlins Beaches, lighthouses, tree climbing, … Continue reading
South Island’s west coast, New Zealand
There were two reasons why I loved the South Island as much as I did: it's basically one huge playground in terms of outdoor fun and I got to share it all with my three steady travel companions, Angela, Corentin, and Guillaume. Queen Charlotte Trek Hiking and camping 71 kilometers in only mildy rainy … Continue reading
North Island, New Zealand
In the interest of time and with the reality of more cycling looming on the horizon (lucky me!), I'm going to abbreviate my New Zealand posts. I spent about 10 weeks there at the cusp of 2013/2014 with the goals of hiking and generally playing outside. Paihia: Gentle hikes at the northern end of … Continue reading
New Zealand National Road Championships
Hurray, the off season is over! And my first race of the year is the New Zealand road championships, meaning that Jack Bauer is racing! The atmosphere at the sign in was relaxed and casual. As is so often the case with cycling races, I had great access to the riders and many … Continue reading
Routeburn Track, New Zealand
The Routeburn Track is one of New Zealand's Great Walks, a series of popular multi-day hikes which require hut or campsite reservations booked well in advance. Several months ago, I booked my December dates to do the 3 day Routeburn hike but ultimately had to cancel when I realized I would have had to race … Continue reading
Fox Glacier, New Zealand
Just down the road from Franz Josef is the Fox Glacier where I spent a day walking on the glacier with my three travel buddies. Our first view of the glacier. Crampons! The walk wasn't strenuous but it was beautiful. There were lots of features in the glacier to check out. … Continue reading
Franz Josef Glacier, New Zealand
One of New Zealand’s big attractions is the south island’s Franz Josef Glacier. If you’ve got several hundred dollars, you can take a helicopter to the glacier and walk around on it. Or, if you’re like me and my three travelmates and on a budget, the alternative is to walk to the lookout about 500 … Continue reading