Mar 9, 2022

How far we'll go

Three years ago, shortly after moving into our current home, we spent a two-week holiday in New Zealand. It was an excellent time to go as we had a contractor renovate our house before the new furniture arrived.

Our vacation was a beautiful experience, and we look forward to returning someday as there is so much nature to see and activities we enjoyed together.

Lonely Planet travel guide

We began in Auckland and took a ferry to Waiheke Island to enjoy the microclimate and wineries they had to offer! For dinner that night, which also happened to be Edward’s birthday, we ate in the revolving restaurant in the Sky Tower, where we had unparalleled views of the city.

From there, we flew Air New Zealand to Taupo, a lovely town situated on a crater-formed lake. Parts of the Lord of the Rings trilogy were created with the scenery around Taupo. We also hired a guide to take us to Hobbiton, where The Hobbit movies were filmed.

Island hopping

Next, we set off to the South Island to stop in Christchurch. Our hotel was close to our favorite fast-casual restaurant, Nando’s! It was remarkable to see the recovery from the devastating earthquake eight years before our visit.

The architecture was inspiring to see. Our last stop was a few days in Queenstown, where we took in some exhilarating adventures such as the luge, ziplining, and riding the river rapids! Fun fact: Taylor Swift filmed her “Out of the Woods” music video there!