Today we’re headed to New Zealand. Today’s post is going to be me mostly just reminiscing about how wonderful New Zealand is.

We visited New Zealand for a few weeks around New Year 2015. Upon arriving in New Zealand the first thing we did was eat local, fresh New Zealand oysters. This set a good trajectory for the trip.

We then saw in New Year’s Eve in Aukland, followed a long week driving around the South Island in a camper van.

New Zealand is the most beautiful country I have ever visited. It’s also a country where it is completely impossible to find bad coffee (or wine). I honestly cannot wait to return one day.

One of my all-time favourite and serendipitous travel moments occurred when we were driving up the coast road North of Greymouth. We pulled over to admire a beautiful beach in the late afternoon sun. We ended up talking to a Kiwi couple in their early 60s who were catching mussels and cooking them on an open flame on the beach. We traded iPad technical support in exchange for the absolute tastiest mussels I’ve ever eaten.

I am not a talented enough writer to do justice to how wonderful New Zealand is, so instead, I’m going to take the easy route and simply share a few holiday photos. Enjoy. Oh, and apologies for my burnt nose.

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I'll never forget the Hooker Valley track. We set off early in the morning to the from our campsite at the base of the Hooker valley accompanied by the rumble of distant avalanches. In early summer the start of the track passes through lush meadowland with dense patches of beautiful white flowers. This garden-like scene quickly gave way to dense glacial moraine punctuated by milky lakes and rapidly flowing rivers.

After a two hour hike we reached the end of the track: the rapidly retreating Hooker Valley glacier. We sat on the lake side and ate our hastily prepared ham sandwiches as the clouds cleared to reveal a pristine view of Mount Cook.

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