All my bags are packed, I’m ready to go…
The day has finally arrived. I can hardly believe it. And thank goodness the world didn’t end yesterday. I would have been very mad if it had ended right before I went to…
New Zealand!
Beautiful, gorgeous, stunning New Zealand!
Yup, our bags are packed, the house sitter is coming, and my anticipation is mounting. I just want to get on the flight tonight and doze off so when I wake up I’ll be in New Zealand! (Or, actually a Fiji layover, but from there it’s only another three hours to New Zealand. Woo-hoo!)
As for those bags, let me tell you, packing for a trip to New Zealand is not an easy task.
Between the kayaking, glacier hikes, Fjord cruises, city exploring, and wine tasting we have planned, I felt like I needed a variety of outfits and shoes for different terrains and weather types. Speaking of weather, it’s their summer right now, but summer is like San Diego in the winter. Around 70 degrees during the day, which as all good San Diegans know, can mean just a few degrees away from needing a sweatshirt vs. needing shorts. Plus it drops to 40-50 degrees at night. So, though I typically pride myself on being a very light packer, this trip finds me with a lot of clothes in my bag. Tom keeps weighing my bag to make sure I’m not over the limit and looking at me like I’m an overpacking lunatic.
Though Tom and I leave today, we don’t arrive in New Zealand until Christmas Eve, which seems so strange as our flight is only about 15 hours long. I feel like I’m going to be time traveling. Our first adventure after we arrive is going to be kayaking.
Stay tuned for an update on that adventure coming soon plus more New Zealand stories over the next two weeks…
I'm a travel marketer and travel writer. My husband, Tom, is getting his MBA and never stops studying. We have two cats. We have a mortgage. We have a passion for traveling. We have limited vacation time and funds.
Our friends and family wonder how we travel so much.
Here's how I balance it all and maximize travel time and getting the most out of a destination when time is short.
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Have a fantastic time….New Zealand is still my all time favorite country.
Wait till you fly back! I left from Australia in the afternoon, and arrived in California the same day but in the MORNING!
CeCe recently posted..Visit A Cheetah Sanctuary
Thanks CeCe! I got back last night and catching up on the blog. Traveling there and back felt like time traveling.
Can’t wait to read all about it. You are going to have an amazing time!!!!!!!!!!!
Erik recently posted..New Zealand- Chapter 22- From Taupo to Rotorua (pt.2)
Thanks Erik!
Hey Gina, congrats on this trip! You are going to love NZ, and it being summer there is probably no better time of the year! Not sure if you’ll be traveling in a camper ban, but if you do make sure it’s a Hi-top – they make travel sooo much more comfortable! Merry Christmas!
Federico recently posted..Going Outdoors in Oahu: The Diamond Head Hike
Hi Frederico, we didn’t do a camper van, rented a car instead. We saw a lot of camper vans though! Hope you had a Merry Christmas, too!
Hope you had an amazing trip!
Camels & Chocolate recently posted..Give Back: Support Education in East Africa
You’ll enjoy it! I was born in New Zealand and its a beautiful country. If you go past Kaikoura be sure to go seal swimming, its amazing!
Thanks for the tip, Ally! We saw lots of seals, but didn’t do any seal swimming. Next time.