2023 New Zealand

Travel Bytes from our 2023 trip to New Zealand

New Zealand Wine

February-March, 2023: Sauvignon Blanc is the star of New Zealand Wine. But there is much more here. And the Kiwis keep the best to themselves!

Golden Bay

February 17, 2023: Golden Bay, tucked away in the remote northwest corner of the South Island, hides several remarkable natural sights.

Wild Wharariki Beach

February 17, 2023: Wharariki Beach takes the prize as the most beautiful beach in New Zealand, if not the world. Absolutely stunning.

The Abel Tasman Track

February 15, 2023: The Abel Tasman Track delivers beautiful views and isolated beaches in an easy day hike. This kind of walk is why outdoor enthusiasts love New Zealand!

February 11, 2023: Our little blue bach in Punakaiki felt far from civilization. We had only the waves, weka, and bloodthirsty sand flies for company as we admired the blue horizon of the Tasman Sea.

The World’s Fastest Indian

January 27, 2023: We found The World’s Fastest Indian not in a museum. Rather, the legendary motorcycle was in the most unlikely of places… at E. Hayes and Sons Hardware in Invercargill, far and away on the southern tip of New Zealand.

New Zealand Road Trip The Catlins Nugget Point LIghthouse

The Catlins NZ

January 26, 2023: Our New Zealand Road Trip took us from Dunedin through the Catlins along the wild southeast coast. This remote area rewards the trek: it hosts petrified forests, Niagara Falls, and stunning coastal views.

Burns Night in Dunedin

January 25, 2023: Dunedin: We joined the party and celebrated Burns Night in Dunedin, New Zealand! Complete with kilts, bagpipes, whisky and of course haggis, it was quite the Scottish soiree.

The Moeraki Boulders

January 20, 2023: South from Oamaru enroute to Dunedin lie the bizarre Moeraki boulders, lying on the beach like petrified dinosaur eggs.

New Zealand Road Trip Oamaru Little Blue Penguins

The Oamaru Little Blues

January 20, 2023: The road trip stop at Oamaru gave our first close encounters with New Zealand’s unique wildlife: the world’s smallest penguins, the little blues.