Today marks day 100 of our travels thus far!
It’s been a wild ride. There are still days when I think, “I am standing on the side of a mountain in New Zealand . . . What?!”
Drew and I have learned so much since we’ve been traveling–about ourselves, other cultures, trusting God to lead us, learning to be flexible & spontaneous, etc.
As crazy as this big trip may have seemed while we were planning it, once we actually did it, it didn’t seem like that big of a deal anymore. It’s not nearly as big and scary as you think.
Here is a quick recap of the last 100 days.
Days 1-2:
Traveling into the future (since we crossed the International Dateline)
Days 3-10:
Lautoka, Fiji. We met some beautiful people in Fiji at the Personal Transformation Centre (a YWAM ministry).
Days 10-17:
Glen Eden, Auckland, New Zealand. Our first week in the Land of the Long White Cloud was spent with Karen at her Kiwi Heritage Homestay. We had plenty of time to explore the ‘supercity’ of Auckland.
Days 17-19:
Hahei Beach in the Coromandel. Such a fun weekend camping with Ashley & Justin!
Days 20-30:
Mangapai, Northland, New Zealand. An old converted boat was our bedroom during our stay with Grant & Louisa. We learned quite a bit about alternative living and building with recycled materials. It was here we also tramped in Bream Head Scenic Reserve.
Days 31-32:
Kerikeri, Northland, New Zealand. Louisa let us tag along while she taught classes at Kerikeri Yoga Centre.
Days 32-43:
Pukenui, Northland, New Zealand. One of our favorite stays! Karl & Cheryl were amazing hosts, showing us 90 Mile Beach and coordinating a tour to Cape Reinga for us.
Days 43-49:
Kerikeri, Northland, New Zealand. Dave, Kirsten, and little baby Hugh hosted us at their home-based Naturopathy clinic–Head to Toe. Climbing the Duke’s Nose proved to be quite the experience, but we loved our week here.
Days 49-51:
Paihia, Northland, New Zealand. We stayed at The Pickled Parrot hostel for a little ‘mini-vacation,’ where we were able to swim with dolphins!
Days 51-55:
Matapouri, Northland, New Zealand. It rained every single day we stayed with Chris & Julia in Matapouri, so we didn’t get to see much of anything here. Our hosts were out of town for a wedding half the time, but we had a very nice time with their 2 French interns (for their marine aid organization) and a visiting Canadian volunteer.
Days 55-69:
Torbay, Auckland, New Zealand. What a fun time helping Christian & Kirianne with their 3 year old twins, an organic shop & cafe, and walking to the beach (until, that is, we inherited our car)!
Days 70-73:
New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand. Julie & Dave were gracious enough to host us in New Plymouth where we were able to climb part of Mt. Taranaki.
Days 73-78:
Wellington, New Zealand. The rain could have dampened our spirits while we camped near Wellington, but we made some amazing connections there!
Days 78-85:
Mapua, Nelson, New Zealand. We washed quite a lot of dirty dishes at the Playhouse Cafe, but the amazing food and wonderful people made up for it!
Days 85-96:
Atawhai, Nelson, New Zealand. Rosemary & Mike were wonderful hosts at their beautiful cabin on the top of a hill. Can’t beat their view! We also discovered we really love the city of Nelson.
Days 96-100:
Stopping on the way for one more night of salsa dancing at the Playhouse Cafe, we are now at the Sandcastle Resort in Pohara, Golden Bay.
From here we will head down the West Coast of the South Island, then to Wanaka and Queenstown. Hopefully we will be able to stop by Invercargill (if only to say we’ve been to the bottom of the country!) before working our way back up the East Coast.
We’ve been offered a chance to pet- and hostel-sit at Anakiwa Backpacker’s near the Queen Charlotte Track for about a month starting mid-June, so we’ll be able to plant ourselves in one place for a little while. And this will mean I can bake more muffins!
Have you ever traveled anywhere for this long? What are your favorite stories from our travels? Share any your own stories in the comments below!
