Just back from two weeks in New Zealand with Alfred, Kat, Michael, Jessie, and David – and I’m still unpacking it all, literally and emotionally. We wound down the South Island, where NZ revealed itself as California’s grander, more dramatic cousin – sheep everywhere, skies wide open, mountains showing off. Queenstown was peak mischief: paragliding and the Shotover Jet were both sold out (spring break, I see you), so we pivoted to a two-hour hike up Ben Lomond with Lake Wakatipu shimmering below and fall colors blazing – easily one of the best hikes of my life. Dinner at Saigon Kingdom sealed it with what I’ll now insist, unprompted, is the best pancake on the planet.
The middle stretch slowed me down in the best way. Impossibly blue lakes – Hayes, Dunstan, Pukaki – then the tiny Church of the Good Shepherd on Lake Tekapo, where a single plate-glass window frames the lake and mountains like a quiet prayer. An Air Safaris flight over Mount Cook followed, then dusk in Timaru watching the world’s smallest penguins (40 cm!) waddle home. Christchurch gave me a glorious rest day -Botanic Gardens, a solo cocktail at Gin Gin, and a line from Serene Hodgman at the Art Gallery that’s been living rent-free in my head: “Maybe the moments where we think we’re doing the least actually add up to making the best of what little we think we have.” Eight days and 890 miles later, we flew north for five more days and another 543 miles.
Tauranga and Rotorua were pure joy – obscenely large rib plates, a geyser erupting on cue at Te Puia (a stunning living home of Māori arts), a 15-month-old kiwi chick that nearly undid me with cuteness, and 41°C thermal pools at Waikite Valley that melted the world away. At the Agrodome, David got plucked on stage to milk a cow and earned a “Certificate of Udderance” – deeply earned, minimally enthused. We ended in Auckland, where between the Sky Tower and marina I finally visited the resting place of my dear older brother George – not by blood, but in every way that mattered. His wife WW drove us through pouring rain to get there, and just as we arrived, the sun broke through. I could almost see George’s old smile in it. A chapter I’d left open too long, quietly closing. New Zealand gave me kiwifruit, feijoas (aka pineapple guavas), alpine lakes, penguins, and a little peace – and I already know I’ll be back.
April 19, 2026 – These past few days have not been easy – fever this morning, yet we pressed on through downtown Auckland, strolling the marina, climbing the Sky Tower, letting the city unfold beneath us.
Auckland holds a special place in my heart. My dear older brother – not by blood, but in every way that matters – once lived here. I didn’t know our gathering in California in 2018 would be the last time I’d see him. Cancer came in 2020. He was gone by 2021.
Today I stood before his resting place and the tears came without restraint. His wife WW had driven David and me through pouring rain to get there. I quietly prayed the sun would break through by the time we arrived. It did. In that moment, I felt George beside me – looking down, wearing that smile he always had.
He was a big brother to me in every sense. Movies, ice cream, small ordinary things that over the years became something far greater. He was family.
Afterward, WW showed us the real estate projects she and their older daughter JY are now managing together. Their younger daughter KY is finishing college, headed toward graduate study in cello. Seeing them flourish brought its own quiet comfort.
Visiting George today closed a chapter that had stayed open too long. I know I will return to Auckland. And I know I will see him again.
Rotorua to Auckland
April 18, 2026 – On our way back to Auckland, we stopped at the Agrodome — a highlight of the journey. We caught a lively farm show, toured the property on a tractor-drawn trailer, visited a kiwi hatchery, and foraged for fallen feijoas (pineapple guavas) along the way. The show’s standout moment came when David was called up on stage to milk a cow. He even walked away with a “Certificate of Udderance” — though it was plain to see he hadn’t exactly warmed up to the task!
Tauranga, Rotorua & Taupo
April 15, 2026 – Eight days and 890 miles later, we said goodbye to the South Island and touched down in Auckland. A 2.5-hour drive brought us to Tauranga — and a peaceful lakefront apartment that felt like exactly the right place to stop.
April 16, 2026 – Rolled out of our lakefront apartment and straight to a kiwifruit farm — though the harvest was already done and dusted. We still snagged a dozen freebies, unripe but free is free. Okere Falls delivered stunning waterfalls and daredevil rafters for our viewing pleasure, followed by the most obscenely generous plate of ribs I’ve ever faced. Kiwis don’t mess around with portions.
Okere Falls
Te Puia was the highlight of the afternoon — a living hub of Māori arts where the next generation learns to carve and weave using centuries-old and modern techniques. The motto on the wall said it best: “Where there is artistic excellence, there is human dignity.“ And as a bonus, the grounds treated us to a spectacular geyser eruption. Rotorua’s geothermal drama, front and center. Chills — of the non-volcanic kind.
We ended the day in a darkened room cooing over kiwi birds — a 15-month-old chick stole every heart in the room. Honestly, it’s no surprise someone looked at that little fluffball and inspired a stroke of marketing genius: renaming the humble Chinese Gooseberry after this adorable bird (in the late 1950s). Best rebrand ever.
Who doesn’t love a kiwi — bird or fruit?
April 17, 2026 – A day built for simple pleasures – hikes, waterfalls, lake-side stroll and the quiet indulgence of thermal pools.
In Waikite Valley Thermal Pools, we melted into open-air baths warmed to a dreamy 41°C, steam curling lazily into the air as the rest of the world got on without us.
I found myself hoping, perhaps a bit optimistically, that the mineral waters might calm the sandfly bites on my hands—the one small blemish on an otherwise beautiful journey.
Aratiatia Rapids Walk
Huka Falls
Waikite Valley Hotpools
Christchurch
April 14, 2026 – Hagley Park, the Botanic Gardens, Victoria Square, the Art Gallery, a little shopping, and dinner at King of Snake – a day that moved at an unhurried pace. At the Christchurch Art Gallery, I paused at a line by Serene Hodgman:
“Maybe the moments where we think we’re doing the least actually add up to making the best of what little we think we have.”
It stayed with me.
Convention Center
Serene Hodgman
King of Snake
Timaru to Christchurch
April 13, 2026 – Left Timaru in the rearview. The road back to Christchurch wound past Farmers Corner, where sheep and alpacas roamed like they owned the place. David – who’d left San Francisco jacket-free, trusting his iPhone over both common sense and his wife’s reminder – started to feel the flu close in, and finally surrendered to a merino-possum sweater from Marinomink. His first. Well-earned.
Lunch in Lyttelton, a slow drift along Te Ana Marina, then the city. With David and Alfred both under the weather, we checked in and declared a rest day. I slipped down New Regent Street alone and landed at Gin Gin, cocktail in hand, the afternoon dissolving into evening.
Simple, unplanned, perfect.
Lake Tekapo to Timaru
April 12, 2026 – We began the day at the Church of the Good Shepherd on the shores of Lake Tekapo. At the altar, a single plate-glass window frames the shimmering lake and snow-capped mountains – not as decoration, but as a quiet testament to the glory of God’s creation. It stopped us in our tracks.
From there, we boarded an Air Safaris flight and rose into a landscape that felt almost unreal – the glittering expanse of Lake Tekapo from above, ancient glaciers creeping between peaks, the majestic crown of Mount Cook, and the rugged spine of the Southern Alps stretching endlessly into the distance.
By evening, we reached Timaru, a charming coastal town known for its calm, sandy Caroline Bay – and for something more unexpected. As dusk settled, we waited patiently until the world’s smallest penguins, just 40 cm tall, emerged from the rocks, returning home after a day of fishing. Worth every minute.
A day like this leaves me deeply grateful.
With Captain Justin
Mount Cook
Queenstown to Lake Tekapo
April 11, 2026 – On our drive north from Queenstown to Lake Tekapo, we stopped at the Remarkables Market and happily stocked up on peach-sized apricots – fresh and dried – for the road. We cheered on brave souls leaping from the Kawarau Gorge Suspension Bridge, paused in awe at the beauty of Lake Hayes, Lake Dunstan, and Lake Pukaki, and watched freshwater salmon swimming through surprisingly murky water.
Lake Pukaki
Kawarau Gorge Suspension Bridge
Lake Hayes
Lake Dunstan
Christchurch to Queenstown: A Scenic Drive
April 7, 2026 — Arrived in Christchurch via Auckland, where I met up with friends Alfred, Kat, Michael, and Jessie before we set off toward Hokitika. New Zealand feels like California’s grander, more dramatic cousin — sweeping mountain backdrops, open skies, and sheep grazing contentedly along the roadside.
Castle Hill – ancient stones and endless horizons.Lake Pearson – still, quiet, and beautifully understated
April 8, 2026 — We settled into the Beachfront Hotel in Hokitika, wandered through town, then pointed the car south toward Queenstown. The rain came and went, but even under grey skies the scenery was hard to ignore.
Beachfront Hotel Hokitika Chinese Miner Memorial GardenRoss Tea Pot WallLake Lanthe WharfShip CreekBayroad Motels (Backyard)
April 9, 2026 — We woke up at the Bayroad Motel, tucked away in the middle of nowhere — which turned out to be the perfect setting for a proper homemade breakfast, courtesy of retired chef Michael and his wife Jessie. Well-fed and in good spirits, we hit the road under the best conditions yet: the sun had finally made an appearance. Alfred’s thoughtful planning kept us stopping often along the way south to Queenstown — soaking in the views, stretching our legs, and racking up serious steps in the process.
Roaring Billy Falls WalkThunder Creek FallsMount Aspiring National ParkLake HaweaLake Hawea Dam
Queenstown
April 10, 2026 – Queenstown delivered from the moment we arrived. We’d checked into a stunning lakefront 4-bedroom apartment the night before, ready to take on the self-proclaimed adventure capital of the world. Downtown buzzed with excited tourists and towering mountain backdrops — we fit right in. Ended the evening with delicious Thai food. Good start.
Morning brought the Skyline Gondola and sweeping views over the city. I was all set for paragliding – until I discovered the tickets were only sold at the office down below. Rookie mistake. We pivoted to a 2-hour hike up Ben Lomond instead, and honestly? No regrets. Lake Wakatipu shimmering below, the Southern Alps in the distance, fall colors everywhere – easily one of the best hikes I’ve ever done. (The full summit takes 5-6 hours and promises 360° views. That’s filed under reasons to return.)
Speaking of reasons to return: the Shotover Jet was sold out too, courtesy of spring break. Life isn’t perfect – which is what makes it interesting. We consoled ourselves with downtown shopping and dinner at Saigon Kingdom, a Vietnamese gem with, in my completely unbiased opinion, the best pancake on the planet.
