As planned, we’re spending two nights at a comfortable lodge, relaxing. On a friend’s recommendation, today I bought ‘Tokyo on Foot: Travels in the City’s Most Colorful Neighborhoods,’ an unusual visual depiction of Tokyo far from the FOMO of the over-touristed world. I actually had to put it aside because it transported me to Japan too effectively; since I’m currently in New Zealand, I’ve returned to ‘The Luminaries,’ set in 19th-century New Zealand.
Category: Oceania
Return to the Queen Charlotte Track
A boat dropped us off at the spot where Captain James Cook first made landfall in New Zealand. This was Day 1 of our multi-day hike along the Queen Charlotte Track, marking our fourth time here. As these waterfalls show, we’re benefiting from the heavy rains that preceded our arrival.
Woke up in a magical place
Today is a rest day before we start our big hike tomorrow. Woke up to this view from our hotel room. First order of business: freshly baked meat pies for breakfast at a spot we scouted yesterday. Next, we took a beautiful hike above Queen Charlotte Sound, covering almost as much ground as we will tomorrow: we always seem to hike on our “rest” days. A late pub lunch quickly revived us.
A long way from Minneapolis
It’s been quite a journey, over 8,000 miles in total, capped off by a turboprop flight into Marlborough wine country. From there, we took a cab to Picton on the Marlborough Sounds. We’ll relax here for two nights before catching a boat to the start of our multi-day, inn-to-inn hike.
In the in-between
Found a fine spot between flights at LAX for refreshments. The glass wall is open at the top, so we get doses of fresh air and whiffs of aviation fuel. Our flight leaves tonight (Tuesday) and touches down in Auckland on Thursday morning.
New Zealand 2026
More journeys ≫
Closed Border
Air New Zealand cancelled our December HNL/AKL flights: it looks like the country won’t reopen to tourists until 2022. So, today, I cancelled a bunch of hotel reservations: we’re $0 out of pocket. We’ve saved over the years by buying only medical coverage
Bay of Islands, New Zealand
In Paihia, in New Zealand’s Northland, local kids were having a grand time being blasted with pigment. This is a nod to India’s Holi Festival. Just over three weeks ago we flew from New Zealand’s South Island to the north of the North Island. With the subsequent rapid spread of COVID-19, three weeks seems like…… Continue reading Bay of Islands, New Zealand
Post-Shower Selfie
Post-shower selfie airside at Auckland AKL. I didn’t take my backpack in the shower, but maybe I should’ve. Today we hiked a coastal path on Waiheke Island. Warm weather, steep gradients, and three layers of sunscreen made the shower a treat. Tonight we fly overnight to Honolulu.
Rangitoto Island
A 20-minute ferry ride brought us to uninhabited, volcanic Rangitoto Island. As we walked for miles on trails through this nature reserve, downtown Auckland seemed far away.