Recently updated on August 26th, 2022 at 09:29 am

We have officially been adventuring for one whole month. We wanted to share some stats and favorites from month one in New Zealand.

Countries Visited

1 – New Zealand (not counting the few hours in Australia during a layover)

How We Got Around

Best Meal

Steph – We got a great recommendation for Mr. Go’s in Wellington. Maybe it’s just so fresh in my mind, but the food there was amazing. We ordered wontons, their famous gua-bao with tofu and kung pao cauliflower. It was the best lunch I’ve had in a long time and reminded me that lots of small dishes are superior to one large dish.

Justin – I have to give my pick to the pizza we had at Fat Pipi’s in Hokitika. I know, picking pizza seems a little bit predictable from me. However, this isn’t just a sloppy piece of cheese on NYC style crust. This toothsome pie had a perfectly fluffed crust so flawlessly baked to a golden brown around the edges and finally slathered with a just-right ratio of coriander pesto sauce. Spiced roast pumpkin and caramelized onion sat atop that beautiful pool of goodness. And rather than a basic mozzarella rounding out the finish, the pizza cognoscente who created it decided to go with the only choice that fit, feta. To taste this magical slice, aptly named “The Punk”, is to finally taste food.

Coziest Spot

Steph – Our spot in Punakaiki was definitely the most relaxing and cozy. The bathroom overlooked the crashing waves with a huge bathtub right in front of the window. Words can’t describe the colors of the sunset. It was perfection. I could easily spend weeks there.

Justin – Punakaiki was absolutely the coziest. We were cutoff from the rest of the world but still had everything we could ever need. That allowed us to really unwind. The waves colliding so violently on the rocks right outside our windows provided a humble reminder of how small we are.

Our Peak

Steph – A moment that stands out for me is the moment we drove over a hill and you could see Lake Tekapo for the first time. Tears filled my eyes when I caught a glimpse of the color of the water. It was so early in the trip and it just made me so excited for what was about to come.

Justin – On such an expansive list of highs that this trip has already provided it is difficult to choose just one. Among the unparalleled hikes that have lead us to views unlike anything my eyes have ever seen and the sounds of the endless array of birds chirping everywhere we go there was that moment in Kaikoura when I first saw where the water ended and the mountains immediately skyrocketed toward the 8,556 ft peak of Manakau mountain. A place I could only previously imagine..

Our Pit

Steph – Sandfly bites. We escaped them during the time in the Milford Sound, but they introduced themselves to us plenty after that. Bites covered my ankles no matter what I did. It is a few weeks later and the bite marks are now purple and don’t seem to be fading. A constant reminder of those nasty little buttheads.

Justin – Sandflies… those rascals.

Grateful to have…

Steph – A waterproof day pack. We bought this pack for the trip and we have used it every day without fail. It’s lightweight and carries everything we need for hiking and just wandering. It has also been wonderful to have a fairly uneventful trip so far. No huge obstacles or surprises which I’m sure we will cross in the future.

Justin – I am most grateful for my shoes. After all, LT. Dan said, “Take good care of your feet!” I bought this pair of Merrell all-terrain shoes and they have been the best shoe I’ve ever worn. For the miles we are putting on, they are essential to my happiness. Also, I picked out really low-key stompers because I gotta still look good in the city, you know? I guess I am pretty grateful for my travel companion too. This could be a really difficult journey with anyone else. I’m talking Sam and Frodo difficult. Fortunately for me, Steph is better company than Sam.

Missing this…

Steph – I miss having a variety of pajamas. First world problems. I love lounge clothes. In all of our coziest mornings on this trip, I have missed not having a variety of pajamas to wear long after I wake up.

Justin – Embarrassingly, I am missing a good, comfy, fuzzy blanket that can wrap around me 3 times. When you are bouncing around as much as we are sometimes it can be quite challenging to settle in and relax at a place. One of our 7 x 7 fuzzy blankets from home could help that. Yes, I said “one of” as in we have several. Unfortunately for me, they take up a great deal of space and couldn’t make the cut.

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What’s Next?

We have another few weeks in New Zealand on the north island and then we are off to Bali.