ramblings of a Seattle travel, food and photography hound
At a viewing area along State Highway 80, where the tour bus made a temporary stop, there was a breathtaking vista of a portion of the Southern Alps. Without a doubt, the snow cover made for a most dramatic effect. The tallest peak is Mount Cook (Aoraki, in Maori), the highest in all of New... Continue Reading →
From Queenstown, it took the bus tour four hours to get to Milford Sound, reputedly the most visited tourist spot in all of New Zealand. The boat cruise, once we got there, lasted almost two hours, by which time we got a closer look at the majestic fjords that can tower out of the water... Continue Reading →
From Franz Josef, we hopped on another all-day bus ride to Lake Wanaka, a resort area that serves as the gateway to Mt Aspiring National Park. With an afternoon arrival, it was all we could do to check in to our hotel (Oakridge Resort Grand Mercure) and walk into town before sunset. It was the... Continue Reading →
If you're not a diehard adventurer into extreme sports, one of the most extraordinarily exciting guided trips you can take is to Franz Josef Glacier along the west coast of the South Island. Available in half-day and full-day packages, the hike takes you onto the glacier itself, past crevasses and rivers of melting water pure... Continue Reading →
At first, I thought it was my imagination. I first noticed it in the local Christchurch supermarkets. Then, I noticed it even in small restaurants and bakeries ... and then on our vacation in the Southern Alps. Gluten-free. Everywhere you go, menus offer gluten-free alternatives. Public awareness is obviously much higher here than in the... Continue Reading →
Ever since we discovered NZ sauvignon blanc (SV), which was a few years ago, we were immediately drawn to its distinctive lime, grapefruit and tropical fruit flavors, backed by a crisp acidity. And, to make matters even better, they (along with Gewurtztraminer) pair well with seasoned, even spicy Asian food, of which we are very... Continue Reading →
America and New Zealand share the King’s English, but it’s always interesting how we develop our own colloquialisms and expressions. One of the first expressions we heard was “take-away,” where we’d say “take-out” here for food we want to take home. What are called flip-flops, clickers or zori are called “jandals” in NZ. Yep, it... Continue Reading →
The current exchange rate is about NZ$ 0.7 to a US dollar. So, you would expect that things would be somewhat cheaper here for us as Americans. Not so. Our first introduction to this was when our daughter informed us that a new Honda Accord sells for NZ$ 60,000 (about $42,000 US). Here it is,... Continue Reading →
Some of the most spectacular scenery in the islands can be seen along the coastline of southeast Oahu. Past Diamond Head, you’ll begin to notice steep sides of Koko Crater’s caldera on the left and on the right, rugged lava and sandstone cliffs overlooking beautiful beaches and pounding surf. This is the area of the... Continue Reading →
The Honolulu Saturday Market is, without doubt, one of the best farmers markets in the country for foodies. It has its share of produce stalls; they mainly benefit the locals who come here for fresh fruits and vegetables. But, I’ll wager that the vast majority of visitors come here for the incredible selection of prepared... Continue Reading →
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