The most awe-inspiring place I ever visited was the Waitomo Glowworm Cave, which lies beneath the rolling green hills in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand. There are 300 known limestone caves in this area, but only three of them are open to the public. To me the Glowworm Cave is … Continued
When I got on the bus in the morning, I had a backpack, an empty guitar case, and no idea where I would get off. Franz Joseph Glacier was an endless expanse of turquoise blue. The morning sun’s rays glinted off the ice like porcelain waves. The silver crampons strapped to my feet left pinpricks in … Continued
My phone buzzing around 7.40am is the call to arms. The text comes through “walking this morning?” Whether I go or not, every morning at 8.00am a group of not-so-young women meet at the Khandallah Park swimming pool and begin their ascent. We are no Hillarys or Tenzings but the climb up Mt Kau Kau … Continued
The Place Where Life Begins and Spirits Move On The thing about exploring new places, is that it is entirely up to you to make it the experience you want it to be. Of course there are outside factors that can influence or even derail your intentions. And ultimately, no matter how much you try … Continued
I was in familiar territory. In the words of our bus driver who was playing tour guide, on my left was low grass while much farther on my right was Mount Cook, New Zealand’s tallest mountain. “Now isn’t that a lovely view, ladies and gentlemen?” he asked over his microphone. Yes it is, I thought. … Continued
A Note to Mother By MaiLynn Stormon-Trinh Hello, Mother Nature. I am getting to know you well here in New Zealand and these two little pieces of land hanging off the bottom of your swollen body. You’ve taught me it is possible for all of your beauty and, occasionally, all of your tragedy to fit into … Continued
A pile of travel diaries sits on my desk. Most are mine, two are not. My grandfather’s 1937 and my mother’s 1951 diaries augment my stack. All New Zealanders of Scottish descent, it is 150 years since our ancestors emigrated but we have all felt the pull to Scotland. The cat jumps on my desk … Continued
Two bald headed men stood with their sisters on Bald Knob gazing out over the green New Zealand bush to the clear blue water of Lake Waikaremoana. Our family of four, all in our fifties, were holidaying together for the first time in 40 years while undertaking the four day three night Great Walk around … Continued
New Zealand New Zen The inspiration to travel was first beckoned by New Zealand. There isn’t a single one point that was the calling, but rather the entire entity of the spirit. Perhaps it was the incredibly intrinsic Maori culture hosting a melting pot of peoples across the world. After finally making the trip of … Continued
I was always lucky as a child. My family were huge believers in travel and from the day I was born my father had already began mapping out a family trip. Being half Filipino it was to first visit my Mothers family back home. However, no matter how many countries we traveled too when I … Continued