All good things must come to an end..

 

Soon we will be back in the USA.  We decided to splurge and fly the 12 hours back in first class.  Because of the international date line we’ll be home the same day we leave.  Alan says he’s looking forward to his own bed.  I am looking forward to reconnecting with my family including my new grandchildren, Sloane and Rex.

So what’s next?  I’ll probably spend more time on environmental issues.  My hope is that my grandchildren will get to explore and discover the same beautiful & healthy planet that I have enjoyed.  

Do you wonder if I’ll now have this wanderlust out of my system?  Of course not! There are still amazing  places on my bucket list..

Citizen of the World 🌎 

It was an amazing journey

 

Some people do not see the need to travel, they say; you can just experience the country in books and on media.  I firmly disagree.  It is said; 10 steps in another country is worth 10 books about that country.  There’s no substitute for being there!  

The question people ask me the most is “which is the best place”.  That’s a really hard question to answer.  Some places had extremely kind people, others were gorgeous and others were fascinating.  There were wonderful things about every place we visited.

I also enjoy telling my stories through my photography.  I hope my photo’s have captured our feelings, shared our discoveries and made you feel a part of the journey… because it was an amazing journey. 

Dream, Explore, Discover…

 

As the years go by people are more disappointed by the things they didn’t do than what they did.  So sail from the safe harbor, catch the trade winds and dream, explore, discover…

Rainbow Falls

 

This is Rainbow Falls and the connecting trails by Kerikeri.  The waterfalls and the hiking trails were so beautiful it made me teary. I’m not sure if it was because they were so magnificent or because we are leaving it all in a few days.

It’s easy to fall in love with New Zealand

 

We drove up the coast and stopped in the Doubtless Bay then continued to the northern most tip of New Zealand.  It was a long drive but worth the effort.  There were lush cliff sides that zigzagged down to silky sand beaches.  

Also as usual there were very few people..

Te Awa Lodge

 

We are staying at the Te Awa Lodge with our cottage facing a raging river.  It has a lovely zen sound day and night.  The only lights at night are from the stars. It’s the perfect place to decompress.

The owners of the lodge are; Adilson & Martin but really their sweet poodles; Whittaker & Coco run the show.

If you are visiting the bay of islands this is where you want to stay!

The ferry to Russell Island

 

There are over 140 islands in the Bay of Islands.  We took the ferry to Russell Island and hiked to the highest peak.  I loved the path, with the thick bush and exotic birds it felt like a jungle.  But the good news is there were no snakes because there are NO snakes in New Zealand…..NONE!  One more reason to love New Zealand!