The Tongariro Crossing is an 11-mile (18km) hike between two active volcanoes, one of which is Mount Doom from Lord of the Rings.
New Zealand
Video: Traditional Maori Haka Dance
During our third night of the bus tour, we stopped in Maketu for a bit of traditional Maori culture. We were entertained by a family’s music/dance show, and then the guys were invited to learn the Haka dance, while the ladies learned another type of dance. The lack of shirts was mandatory and it’s clear […]
Joining the Backpacker Bus Brigade
After paying a hefty sum for a bus tour with the STRAY company (new kid on the block to The Kiwi Experience), I almost missed my first departure. Yes, myself and 2 others were waiting in the right spot outside the hostel when time slowly ticked away and after more than an hour, I called […]
Dare #1 – Completed – Nose Pick @ Sky Tower
#1 – From Justin: I would come up with a sweet dare for you, except that, like you are soon to feel, my bank account has been poured into a not-too-narrow funnel. But if you pick your nose in front of the Sky Tower, I’ll buy you a beer. Reward: a tasty beer in New […]
Canyoning – Abseils, Jumps, and Chutes
I’d wanted to go canyoning since I first learned about it in 2005 while planning a trip to Costa Rica. It consists of maneuvering down a river canyon by combination of hiking, sliding down natural rock chutes, jumping off cliffs and waterfalls, and abseiling (rappelling). The Rough Guide referenced canyons a 40-minute drive west of […]
Goodbye Tahiti, Hello New Zealand
I spent my last night in Tahiti couchsurfing with Sam, though he actually gave me a spare bedroom to myself. With the open windows all the time, rather large roaches are not uncommon. Sam managed to squash two, and I surely injured a third before going to sleep. I didn’t sleep much though being that […]
