Kiwis and Fairy Bread

16 December 2023 Our alarm was set for 4:45am. The sky was already turning pink as we set off on our assent of Mount Mauganui, also known as Mauao. Mike had discovered a professional photographer who recommended several of the places we will be visiting during this trip. She said that the sunrise at Mount Mauganui is one of the easiest hikes to one of the most spectacular views in all of New Zealand. We have to agree. The hike wasn’t what I would call easy. By nature, getting to the summit of an extinct volcano could not be. But… Read more

15 December 2023 Our day started off with a beautiful drive on a windy road through rolling hills and farm land. The road led us to Hobbiton. Yes, it is real. Back in 1999 Peter Jackson found this working farm and turned it into The Shire for his iconic Lord of the Rings trilogy. And then restored the land back to how he had found it. When the time came to make The Hobbit Trilogy (which didn’t need to be a trilogy and was really not very good, but that’s not the issue here) Hobbiton was built again. But this… Read more