(Dusts off keyboard and blogging skills…it has been a while folks!)
Well the long awaited day has finally arrived and we are off to the other side of the world! Destination Auckland, New Zealand via Edmonton/Vancouver. This trip has been in the making since we met our dear Kiwi friend Will, who landed in Canada 10 years ago, and has been working on us since to make the trip to his homeland. In September 2018, while camping in Fundy National Park, Will’s mom Niccy was visiting and inquired “when are you coming to NZ?” And Jody responded, “2020!” Thus, the NZ2020 goal was set and planning began about a year ago, with discussions around booking treks, what we would see and how long the trip would be. We settled on one month (eek!), and it is all a little surreal that we are finally going!!
Our journey will take about 26 hours and have us arrive in Auckland early Monday morning, and as we cross the international date line, Sunday will in effect not exist! Our broad plan is to spend 4 days in Auckland, on the North Island, before flying south to meet up with Will, Michelle and Charlotte in Queenstown. We will spend the rest of our trip on South Island, trekking (Milford and Hump Ridge) and exploring the land! We are grateful for the opportunity to travel to New Zealand and have an expert Kiwi tour guide to help us experience it to the utmost!
In the words of the Lord of the Rings creator ” Not all those who wander are lost.” J.R.R Tolkien