The Goods are an American family that moved to New Zealand about 6 years ago from LA, 
enjoying a bit of early retirement and a nice change of pace while they finished raising their kids. They now only have their youngest Emily still at home who is now 15 (their two older kids Will and Rose are back in the US studying and working). Unfortunately, on this trip, Rob was back in the US, but we did have a wonderful time hanging out with Nancy and Emily and a handful of other guests and family members who happened to be visiting at the same time. What we love about the Good's home is that it's one of those places where everyone feels welcome and comfortable...in fact, our 2 days there soon turned into 4 because it was so hard to leave since we enjoyed our time there so much.
enjoying a bit of early retirement and a nice change of pace while they finished raising their kids. They now only have their youngest Emily still at home who is now 15 (their two older kids Will and Rose are back in the US studying and working). Unfortunately, on this trip, Rob was back in the US, but we did have a wonderful time hanging out with Nancy and Emily and a handful of other guests and family members who happened to be visiting at the same time. What we love about the Good's home is that it's one of those places where everyone feels welcome and comfortable...in fact, our 2 days there soon turned into 4 because it was so hard to leave since we enjoyed our time there so much. Their house is set in a little paradise overlooking the Shotover River and surrounded by mountains. They have started their own
vineyard, so there are vines on 
either side of the property and we were lucky enough to sample their first vintage, which was fabulous! The have built a lovely guesthouse which is quite luxury compared to our camping and hosteling. We spent our days hanging out and catching up on life - chatting over dinner or a cup of tea, or taking a walk by the river. We also had plenty of time to read, journal, do computer stuff, and make a variety of calls back home since they have a monthly phone plan to the US. And Eric was so excited to find out they got the Superbowl on their TV so we even got to see the awesome game between the Giants and the Patriots...it's the small pleasures in life. :)The day before we departed, we did a day trip to Mt. Aspiring National Park and hike
d up to the Rob Roy Glacier. It was a spectacular hike with great views of the valley, numerous waterfalls and the glacier. And it ensured we didn't become complete couch potatoes! Finally, we sadly said our goodbyes to everyone and headed East to Mt. Cook National Park.Mt. Cook is the highest peak in New Zealand and also home to a number of glaciers and great hikes. Taking the advice of a friend of the Good's, we climbed one of the steep mountains up to Muller Hut for stunning views (once again) of the
glacial region and surrounding valley and lakes. We even got to witness a number of avalanches coming off the glacier (no worries, we were on the opposite mountain facing the glacier that didn't have any snow on it). That was awesome. On the way up the mountain - which I might add gave no reprieve from the continuous uphill climb - we met a couple really cool Americans from Oregon named Sarah and Jeremy. After chatting at a resting spot for about a half hour, we decided to continue the hike together. The boys raced up ahead and us girls indulged in some much needed girl talk. Eric is always happy when I find girl friends along the way to chat up a storm with and "get it out of my system" as he says...it gives him a break from my constant chatter during hours of driving. It's a girl vs. guy thing, as I'm s
ure many can relate. There is just a certain bond when you find another girl traveler and you can immediately bond, open up and talk about life with and just gossip about senseless things boys aren't always as interested in discussing. :)After our 7 hour hike, we snuck into the YHA hostel where Sarah and Jeremy were staying (we were camping) and took a much needed shower. We then shared dinner, wine, conversation and a game of cards. It was a great end to the day. The next morning, we packed up camp and picked up our new friends and headed to see another glacier in the region and do a short hike before we parted ways and headed East once more towards Christchurch.
After 5 hours of driving (in which Eric konked out), we got to Christchurch and the home of our friends Sim
on and Katrin. I had met Simon while studying in New Zealand and we've stayed in touch over the years, so it was great to get a chance to come stay for a couple days before we head to Samoa. His girlfriend of 3 years, Katrin, is from Germany and they also share a love of world travel so we have many stories to share and lots to talk about. Our first night, we went out to dinner at a fabulous Italian restaurant which was such a treat since it's been awhile since we've eaten out
. The next evening, we went for dinner and drinks downtown and also met up with my friend Tim from university in Dunedin and his girlfriend Lee. It's so wonderful to keep in touch with friends you meet and be able to visit again around the world and catch up. And it was also fun to have a good night out...though our wardrobes are certainly lacking in the "trendy" night out department. :)
on and Katrin. I had met Simon while studying in New Zealand and we've stayed in touch over the years, so it was great to get a chance to come stay for a couple days before we head to Samoa. His girlfriend of 3 years, Katrin, is from Germany and they also share a love of world travel so we have many stories to share and lots to talk about. Our first night, we went out to dinner at a fabulous Italian restaurant which was such a treat since it's been awhile since we've eaten out. The next evening, we went for dinner and drinks downtown and also met up with my friend Tim from university in Dunedin and his girlfriend Lee. It's so wonderful to keep in touch with friends you meet and be able to visit again around the world and catch up. And it was also fun to have a good night out...though our wardrobes are certainly lacking in the "trendy" night out department. :)After a couple loads of laundry and a reassessment of what we can realistically fit in our bags (we've kinda expanded our "stuff" since we've had a car the last month), we will fly out Sunday night to spend a couple weeks in Samoa and Tonga before flying to South America for our final 3 months of travel.
Our time in New Zealand has been a blessing. We have so enjoyed the phenomenal natural beauty, the hiking, the camping, the boating, the driving...and of course, the people. It's been great to catch up with old friends and meet some new ones. And since culturally it's not so drastically different from what we're used to, it's truly felt like a vacation from our travels. Don't get us wrong, what we love most about travel are the variety of cultures, new experiences and different kinds of stimulation, but after a number of months on the road, it can be really refreshing to have several weeks in a country that feels a bit more like home. In New Zealand, we have also rediscovered our love for the outdoors and feel confident that we will make more of an effort when we get home to explore our own surrounds and go on some fun camping trips. Plus, we'll be so poor when we return that camping will be the only way to go for awhile! Ha ha ha. In closing, we'd like to say thank you to our friends who made this month so much fun and give thanks for a great first month to our honeymoon.
And stay tuned for new adventures coming to a blog near you...
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