… because exploring is FUN! I find it challenging and intriguing, and a wonderful way to make new friends. I love photography, blogging and sharing my experiences with family and friends.
Sunday, April 13, 2025 Here we go again on two flights this time .... from Rotorua to Christchurch (2 hours) and then 40 minutes to Queenstown. Somehow, no one on this trip grasped how many flights this tour would entail! But the good thing about all this air travel .... it gives me time to …
Saturday, April 12, 2025 After our Hobbiton excursion, we had just enough time to walk down to the lake by the hotel. Picture perfect weather Beautiful black swans We took a quick drive to the Geothermal Village. Rotorua is quite an active area, with some homes even being heated geothermally (not sure that is a …
Saturday, April 12, 2025 We did not plan to visit Hobbiton as we didn't initially sign up for this excursion. But after talking to some of our fellow travelers, I changed my mind and signed us up independently through Viator. Wise decision. It took about an hour to backtrack north west of Rotorua, but the …
Friday, April 11, 2025 Today, we boarded a bus and headed south out of Auckland. We got out of town rather quickly as we were going against the traffic. About 90 minutes out of Auckland, we stopped at Hamilton Gardens. What a lovely place! It features 18 different gardens (Marty, you would have loved this …
Wed and Thur, April 9 & 10, 2025 Wednesday brought another travel day (flight #7) from Sydney to Auckland. I am SO GRATEFUL that I healed from most of my sickness before we left. My ears and sinus have handled the flying, but the cough is lingering. The Sydney Airport is basically a giant shopping …
Monday & Tues, April 8 & 9, 2025 Monday was mostly a travel day (again). Qantas offers a yummy snack, wine, and WiFi during the 3 hour flight. They also have very friendly flight attendants. And this seems silly to me .... we are gaining THIRTY MINUTES heading east to Sydney! We arrived just in …
Freebirds Frolic 