I needed a break from working. As an experiment in talking a walk instead of indulging in a dose of coffee or social media, I visited this small reserve, about a block from our house. (Yes, I tried the swing!)
Medical Costs
During our trip, we’ve had the opportunity to test various medical systems for non-emergency issues in Turkey, Sweden, Iceland, Costa Rica, and here in New Zealand. In our experience thus far, medical care has been more affordable and personable pretty much everywhere compared to the USA.
Rainy Day Bouncing
The current weather in Auckland reminds me of our month in Ireland – rain, sun, rain, sun, repeat. As I overheard in Ireland, “it’s a beautiful day between the clouds.”
I had promised Theo that if it wasn’t raining, I would take him to the beach after preschool, so I packed a picnic lunch and some impromptu beach toys (mostly random plastic containers.)
Devonport Library
I have to admit that I judge a city in part by how well it supports its libraries. The Devonport library is a sunny, relaxing space with views of trees and water. (Oh, and it has books too.)
Whales and Dolphins in Hauraki Gulf
The weather is suddenly quite lovely in Auckland. I celebrated with an afternoon in Hauraki Gulf with Auckland Whale and Dolphin Safari.
Auckland: Perhaps Not The Real New Zealand, But Still Pretty Great
We’re about to head out of Auckland and into the New Zealand countryside for a week-long holiday. I’ve been told several times that the countryside is the real New Zealand. (I was also told this about the cities vs. countryside of Ireland, Sweden, Iceland, Costa Rica, and Argentina.)
Considering how much of the population they hold, I feel like cities are probably pretty “real” too, even though the ways in which they hold the flavor of a region might be subtler.
Anyway.
Continue reading “Auckland: Perhaps Not The Real New Zealand, But Still Pretty Great”
NZ Holiday Part 1: Farmstay
We spent the weekend at a farmstay in Ruawai, New Zealand where our awesome hosts did their best to integrate us into their lives for a couple of days, from making cheese to riding horses to milking cows. Theo has been sick off and on since Friday, making it a little bit of a rocky start to our holiday, but we still visited animals (and large trees) between trying to rest and recuperate.
NZ Holiday Part 2: Being Tourists in Rotorua
When we mentioned Rotorua to New Zealanders, we were told it was very set up for tourists. They didn’t seem to mean this in the way that someone who isn’t a fan of the Las Vegas strip (say, me) might declare it “touristy.” Instead, people seemed genuinely happy that we were going to this place with attractions that are so easy for tourists to access.
… and, we thought Rotorua was great!
Continue reading “NZ Holiday Part 2: Being Tourists in Rotorua”
Where We’ve Been And Where We’ll Be
Our one year travel anniversary passed in August fairly uneventfully. While we’ve had a few hard moments, our day-to-day life while traveling has not felt significantly more challenging than our day-to-day life at home. (Though, admittedly, we haven’t yet found a way to A/B test our lives.)
Flowers, Flowers, Everywhere
Even the lattes have flowers on them in Bali. (Photos of actual flowers will be added in future posts.)
