My final day here. Sigh. I woke up this morning to discover that my sun burns were doing much better; yay! The sheets on the bed no longer felt like sharp knives and the shower water no longer stung. I credit my Syrian blood, the New Zealand Cancer Society aloe vera gel, and the long... Continue Reading →

What. A. Day. Let's just start from the beginning. I slept like crap last night. It was hot, the little bed and pillows were super uncomfortable, and every time I moved I'd wake up in pain from the scratching of the sheets on my sunburned limbs. No bueno. I woke up tired, hopped in the... Continue Reading →

My body hates me. I couldn't fall asleep until 3am last night because I was so amped up still and because the pain of the sun burns on the sheets made getting comfortable damn near impossible. When I woke up at 5am (I've been waking up every morning at that time, usually able to get... Continue Reading →

I am sun burned, I am wind burned, I am in pain, I am tired, my entire body is spent, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Except for the sunburn, that part sucks. Today, I completed the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. I thought it was just a long hike with some elevation, I had... Continue Reading →

I started out today by not knowing what the heck my plan was for today. I hate that. I did some research last night and dog-eared some items but never actually made a solid plan. Thankfully I woke up naturally at about 6am. I made a cup of tea (it's starting to make more sense... Continue Reading →

Today has been a mixed-bag. Some highs, some lows, some oohs, some blahs. I started my morning with a visit to Hell's Gate for another geothermal trail, a mud bath, a dip in a sulphur spa, and a traditional mirimiri massage. This was a 3 hour outing (not counting driving time) and largely a waste... Continue Reading →

Well thank god today was better than yesterday! It's been a LONG day, left Pukekohe just before 7am and didn't get back to my place in Rotorua until about 9:30pm. Which, I should quickly add, is quite lovely. Not the gorgeous views I had last night but a lovely little cottage that I am happy... Continue Reading →

So I have to confess, I hate idle travel. I am not cut out to be a nomad. I love traveling but by god I need an itinerary or at least some pretty solid plans in my head. I was going out of my comfort zone leaving this trip so loose and now I need... Continue Reading →