Hello and welcome!  Thank you all for joining me and RBD on our second trip to New Zealand.  

We depart on Saturday, December 16th and arrive two days later.  We’ll travel for roughly 30 hours, departing JFK here in New York, connecting through LAX and Auckland, and finally arrive in Queenstown late Monday morning.  The time difference is +18 hours from EST.  It plays with your brain and concept of time to think about.  Like, as I write this in the dead of night, it’s Monday evening there.  People are gathering about to eat dinner after a day’s work, and the sun won’t set for roughly three more hours.      

We’ll spend a week bopping around the South Island.  Highlights include The Doubtful Sound (which isn’t a sound), Stewart Island (which is actually an island), and wine .. perhaps even a bungee jump or two.  Just don’t tell our moms.  RBD is quite excited about a Live Kiwi Encounter while on Stewart Island.  Personally, I’ve never been interested in birds — flightless or otherwise — but I look forward to a summer’s midnight hike under the inky dark skies of the Southern Hemisphere.    

Christmas Day we fly to Wellington.  Plans there include The Weta Cave, botanical gardens, zoo, Space Place, and more wine.  A colleague of RBD’s is touring New Zealand north to south on her honeymoon; we might have lunch. 

Afterwards, we drive to Tokaanu and stay at The Tongariro Lodge.  While known as a fishing destination, we plan to hike.  Two walks, the Alpine Crossing and Huka Falls, are close by.  The Crossing — which we booked a guide for — is a world famous hike you just HAVE to do (they say), that is if you like hiking.  I have purchased enough clothes from REI to believe I’m some type of outdoorsy guy who climbs mountains and glaciers a mile and a half a mile above sea level, so this seemed like a good idea.  

In the first days of 2018 we continue up the road north to Rotorua, a hotspot in the Earth’s crust.  RBD planned a day at the Wai-o-tapu Thermal Wonderland — complete with mud baths and springs heated by volcanic activity.  We’re also touring Hell’s Gate, which I can only assume is the entrance to Hell.  Good to know for future reference; I suspect I’ll be spending a lot of time there in the eternity to come. 

Lastly we stop in Auckland before departing home.  Highlights here include Waiheke Island and wine.  We fly home on Saturday, January 6th, just in time to catch the NFL playoffs. 

As in trips past, I’ll be sending pictures along with accounts of the day.  The pictures are small for email’s sake, however as a thank you for reading I’m happy to send a full-size file electronically or a physical (cost varies depending on framing and options) print upon my return.  Just let me know which you’d prefer.  

I’ve rented a medium format camera, which is a geek-speak for “camera with a lot of pixels you pay more for.”  Double the pixels, typically, of consumer DSLRs with much more advanced image sensors.  This means colors are more colorful, the shading has more shades, and the image itself can be blown up very large with minimal loss of acuity.  In a country like New Zealand, you need all the pixels you can muster.  For those who came along to Italy with us, it’s a similar camera, just moderately cheaper.  Thus, RBD is “just moderately” less annoyed with me for renting it.  A win-win .. I think .. 

There are some questions we need to answer on this trip.  Is New Zealand a place we could retire to part or full time?  Do we move here later in our careers, after our folks are gone?  If we do move, do we also change our careers?  What would life be like on the bottom of the world?  Is it serious to consider immigrating to a new country in your 50s?  

I suspect this will be our final trip to New Zealand for many years to come.  As our nephews grow into toddlers, Christmases will become very family-centric for a period of time.  Young children do that.  Thus, travel over the holidays will be less likely.  

I really do appreciate you all coming along.  It helps me in a variety of ways.  For one I stay in observation mode when I report to people back home; it helps keep my senses sharp.  Secondly, self expression needs an audience.  I am a better photographer and writer when I know people are watching. 

This concludes our test.  If you did not get this message, please let me know.