Author Archives: mikeandmonica

Well, it’s been grand. We started in Auckland three months ago, and we are returning to Auckland tomorrow. In between, we rolled down the middle and the east coast of the North Island, then crossed the Cook Strait to the South Island. There, we rolled down the east coast and up the west coast. WeContinue reading “Farewell to New Zealand”

First of all, it is pronounced like yappity, or yoppity. And second of all, it is one of New Zealand’s sanctuary islands, a world with its own history, separated from the mainland, and an inspiration and hope for that separate world. New Zealand has long been one of the world’s pioneers and leading thinkers inContinue reading “Kapiti Island”

The biggest quandary we had during our five days at Pohara Beach was whether to stay home and walk and sit and watch the tide come in and go out on our beautiful beach, or to head out in the car and explore the region and see other places. We stayed in a little beachContinue reading “Golden Bay and Abel Tasman National Park”

Otis Redding could have been thinking of Nelson when he wrote Sittin on the Dock of the Bay. The city is nestled into a major bay at the northern tip of the Southern Island. It is surrounded on three sides by mountains, and Abel Tasman National Park lies just to the west. The park isContinue reading “Nelson”

Pancake Rocks is a limestone formation on the ocean, on the northwest coast. We passed by on our way from Hokitika to Nelson, and stopped to see them. There is a short loop trail carved through the rocks that takes you out to the ocean for some great viewpoints. These formations are unique and stunning.Continue reading “Pancake Rocks—A Geologist Dream”

The West Coast of the South Island has long stretches of remote mountain forests and wilderness, cascading rivers flowing down from the glaciers of Mount Cook and other peaks, a few small villages tucked into the valleys, and a glimpse of what New Zealand used to be. We drove from Wanaka to Hokitika. We crossedContinue reading “The Wild West Coast”

“The North Island is beautiful, but the South Island is majestic.” “The North Island is lumpy, but the South Island has real mountains.” “The North Island is nice, but the people on the South Island are much friendlier.” “So, which island do you like better?” We’ve heard these things from South Islanders, and that finalContinue reading “The Heart of the South Island”

Lake Tekapo It is thrilling to be out at night and gaze at the Southern Cross. This constellation is one of the most recognized sights in all the world, and is easily visible from everywhere in the Southern Hemisphere. It has been used throughout the millennia as a navigation anchor, and it is filled withContinue reading “On the road to Tekapo”

Oamaru is a tiny town on the coast, south of Christchurch, home to a colony of Little Blue Penguins. These penguins are endemic to New Zealand. (NZ is the only place in the world where they are.) Only about a foot tall standing, they are the smallest penguins in the world. There are several coloniesContinue reading “Oamaru”

It’s hard to overstate how badly Christchurch was devastated by the earthquake in February 2011. There was an earlier quake the previous September which structurally damaged a lot of buildings, but all in all did not cause much harm. Then, at noon on February 22, the city was hit hard. The epicenter was five milesContinue reading “Christchurch——Devastation and Rebirth”