A few months ago, we published a checklist for finding a good, or at least acceptable, hostels. Although helpful, this list fails to differentiate between a good hostel and a great hostel. To be fair, all that can be expected of a typical hostel is cleanliness, specifically in regards to the beds, kitchen(s) and bathrooms. [...] [...more]
First off, sandflies in New Zealand are not actually sandflies. Rather, these pesky little bugs are female black flies more thirsty for blood that a dehydrated vampire. If you plan on going outside, or opening a window, in the Westland region of New Zealand’s South Island, you will encounter sandflies. True, they are more prevalent [...] [...more]
After enjoying a sunny day of tramping (hiking) and geo caching around Fox Glacier, Justin and I woke up to find a drizzly and overcast day. Although a bit discouraged, we ate breakfast and headed over to meet our Ice Climbing Guide. Only after we were 100% geared up (ice boots, pants, jacket, helmet, gloves, ice [...] [...more]
There are only two reasons to travel to the Central Otago Region: Adventure Sports (bungee jumping, canyoning, paragliding, ect.) and Vineyards. I am a bit of an adrenaline junkie but I can find most of the Queenstown area adventure sports in Colorado. Vineyards on the other hand are always a one of a kind experience. I [...] [...more]
Being on the road again means more microbreweries to visit. A few weeks ago I heard about Wanaka Beerworks, a brewery located in Wanaka, just north of Queenstown. When it comes to beverages, the quality of water can make or break it. Three words; Pure mountain water! Anticipating our visit to sample the 3 different [...] [...more]
