A visit to the South Island in New Zealand is a must. It’s truly ridiculous how stunning the scenery is. I used to tell people to go stay in Queenstown, the adventure capital of the world, but now I say you must visit and stay in Arrowtown. Before I get too carried away and only make this blog about Arrowtown (spoiler alert, decided to make that topic a separate blog) lets talk about how you can make your way down the South Island and which coast to travel down. There’s no easy answer, either choice will provide stunning views.

Continue reading ➞ A visit to the South Island, New Zealand, Part 3 of 4

My top ten foods to try in New Zealand

What would you like to taste on your trip down under? New Zealanders enjoy a wide range of food – some good for you and some not so good! Many have their own gardens and eat healthy vegetables that they grow. Meat, cheese, seafood, pies, chips (fries), sweets and cafe food are a big part of the New Zealand (NZ) diet. Thai, Chinese and Indian cuisines are popular as well as NZ is a melting pot of cultures. Here’s my list of foods to try in New Zealand. Of course, my top food is anything that my Mum makes!

Continue reading ➞ Foods to try in New Zealand

Visiting the Capital City

Wellington is an adorable large “village” of more than 400,000 people that thrives on a cafe culture. It’s my favorite little city in the world. You will find it super walk-able as everything is accessible within a short distance and the stunning scenic harbor will often get the locals saying that “you can’t beat Wellington on a good day”. The suburbs of the Capital city are located on steep hills that add to a warm inclusive feel. Be warned though, Wellington can be very cold in winter and has a nickname of the windy city! Bundle up and leave the umbrella at home, the Wellington wind will devour your brolly!

Continue reading ➞ Visiting New Zealand in Winter – The Capital City, Part 2 of 4

A US summer (NZ winter) break

You’ve decided to head down under and visit New Zealand in winter. Completely understandable as you will have more time to travel during the U.S summer break. The one thing to remember is you’re visiting in New Zealand’s winter and you’ll need to dress for the cool weather, expect lows of 4-7°C (39 to 45 °F ) in the North Island and between 1-6°C (34 to 43 °F ) in the South Island.  I generally find it a bit warmer than the temperatures above and you can have stunning clear days (see photo below). Near the mountains ranges, ski-fields it will be winter weather cold!

Continue reading ➞ Visiting New Zealand in Winter – The North Island, Part 1 of 4

The excuse I hear the most often for not visiting is the fear of the long flight to New Zealand. “I just can’t handle that long of flight Liz”. Kiwis had to become accustomed to long flights to visit anywhere outside of Australia or the Pacific. For Americans any flight longer than the West to East coast flight is not greeted with the same acceptance, let alone excitement. I don’t blame you. It isn’t the easiest of flights, especially as we get older, but trust me it is so worth it! Let’s break it down as we look at my top tips on how to master the long flight to New Zealand.

Continue reading ➞ How to master the long flight to New Zealand

“New Zealand. It looks so beautiful. I will go someday“. My reply to that comment, after living 18+ years in the US is yes, it truly is stunning. You must go! My wish is by reading this blog you are motivated to leave the US and travel to New Zealand sooner rather than later.

This post is a quick high level guide to a few of the key questions I get asked when friends look to book this once in a lifetime trip. More in-depth blogs to come.

How do I get to NZ from the US?

The long haul flight from the US awaits! You will fly into Auckland, known as the City of Sails. Our largest city and built around a Harbor. You can fly from Houston, Chicago, San Francisco and LA on Air New Zealand (NZ) to Auckland. Other airlines options are Qantas, United, American.

Continue reading ➞ Visit New Zealand