Top 5 Things to do in Taupo, New Zealand
Taupo, a small New Zealand city known for its giant lake and great trout fishing, makes a great weekend getaway on New Zealand's North...
Photo Essay: How to Climb the Great Wall of China
If you're planning a trip to China in the foreseeable future, you're probably also planning a visit to the country's biggest star: The Great Wall....
Discovering New Zealand’s Coromandel Peninsula
Usually, when you come across people with shovels on a beach, they are very young people. You know, little kids building sand castles, or...
Looking Back: 2010 in Review
You're probably already tired of reading year-in-review posts like this. But too bad. 2010 was a big year for me, especially as far as...
4 Things You Should Do in Northland, New Zealand
Just before I was about to end my study abroad stint in New Zealand, my friend Andrea and I decided that we wanted to...
Hobbits For a Day: A Journey to the Shire – Part 2
Continued from PART 1. As the last strains of a pan flute solo faded away, we pulled up to the Shire’s Rest, the departure...
Hobbits For a Day: A Journey to the Shire – Part 1
The view out of the small plane window was largely unremarkable as we reached cruising altitude above the foothills outside Wellington. The aerial view...
The Pros and Cons of Travel
I am passionate about travel. Anyone visiting this site should be aware of this. But just because I love it doesn’t mean I’m not...
Walking the Paths of the Dead in New Zealand
“The way is shut. It was made by those who are dead, and the Dead keep it…” I'll admit it: I'm a huge “Lord...
How to Spend 36 Hours in Sydney
You have 36 hours to spend in Sydney, Australia. I know, I know — “That’s it?” you say, “That’s not enough time!” But you’re...
My Favorite Architecture in Dunedin, New Zealand
Dunedin may be best known for being home to Otago University and Baldwin Street, the steepest street in the world. But there's much more...
Climbing the Steepest Street in the World
“You mean people actually LIVE on this street? How do their cars make it up?” “Better question: How do their cars make it DOWN...
Where it All Began: It’s Carmen Sandiego’s Fault
I sat down not long ago and decided to try and pinpoint where it all began; to try and figure out what first sparked...
Milford Sound: Eighth Wonder of the World?
The day began early. Before 6 a.m., in fact, as myself and two travel buddies were picked up by a taxi and groggily deposited...
In Search of Seals: Hiking to Sinclair Head in Wellington
The morning was clear, crisp. A cool breeze whipped through Wellington's downtown streets – light for a city nicknamed “Windy Welly.” Deciding to take...
How to Deal with Travel-Wary Parents
So you've decided that you want to travel. Maybe on your own. Perhaps around the world. And now you have to break the news...
‘Ka mate! Ka mate!’ A Maori Haka History Lesson for Your Trip to New Zealand
Ka mate! Ka mate! Ka ora! Ka ora! I die! I die! I live! I live!Tenei te tangata puhuru huru This is the hairy...