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Travel Guide

Travel Guide: New Zealand Road Trip – South Island

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After a week on the North Island of New Zealand, which included Auckland, a few days on the road, and a final stop in Wellington, my friend Sharon and I arrived in Picton, a tiny town with a ferry terminal.

We picked up our new car, a red Toyota Corolla that I immediately named Roxanne, and then had a good meal, walked the one commercial street, and went to a phenomenal bakery for breakfast. And then off we went!

Our next stop was Nelson, which was really exciting because a friend and former colleague was living there! Along with another school family, we had plans to meet her upon arrival in Nelson, which was really nice. Nelson reminded me of a larger version of the town where I grew up. Cute streets to walk down, a pretty church, benches by the river. Nelson also had really beautiful flowers.

The primary reason for our stop in Nelson was to visit Abel Tasman National Park, which was an absolutely magical day. The weather was phenomenal for sea kayaking, hiking, and a dip in the sea. We even saw seals lounging on the rocks! Each lookout from the cliffs was more beautiful than the last and the views took my breath away again and again.

Abel Tasman remained a highlight of the trip for me and it also stands out as something I’d do differently next time. I’d pack differently, plan differently, and camp for a night. That would allow for a longer kayak trip as well as a longer hike. The stars throughout New Zealand were the biggest and brightest I’ve ever seen and I can only imagine what it would have felt like to see them there.

Next, we headed to Punakaiki to spend New Year’s Eve on the beach. The drive was beautiful . . .

. . . and left us very excited for our night on the beach. We ate cheese, crackers, and fruit and drank wine sitting on the rocks. It grew cold as the night deepened and we greeted 2019 under the Milky Way.

As our first activity of the new year, we decided to hike a 12km loop through a rainforest with streams, up a cliff, and onto a working farm with horses. We met very few people along the way and were glad to start the day in a beautiful place with our bodies moving.

On the way back to the car we took a quick detour to see the pancake rocks and blow holes that Punakaiki is known for.

That afternoon we drove to Franz Josef Glacier, which was my bucket list item for our trip. I first learned of Franz Josef when I was living in Malaysia and planned a trip then, which I didn’t take because I couldn’t afford it. It was really special to see that dream through, but the weather did not cooperate at all. It was pouring when we hiked the glacier the next morning and our guide, Lisa of Glacier Valley Eco Tours, could not have been happier. This was a very typical West Coast day, she assured us, and we’d be able to see the waterfalls that are only visible in the rain.

As we walked, Lisa told us more about plants than I’d ever heard and it was a real joy to learn from her. Though it would have been nice to be able to see the glacier a little more clearly, I was just so happy to be there. Getting soaked to the skin was less joyful but I learned an important lesson – when a tour company asks if you’d like to rent wet gear, you say yes.

The sun came out in the afternoon and we couldn’t resist going back out for another hike. We didn’t go back to the glacier but everything looked completely different!

The next morning we picked up a pair of hitchhiking German siblings and brought them as far as Lake Matheson. This was the only lake that we visited that was small enough to actually walk all the way around, which we were more than happy to do.

The landscape completely changed as we continued on our drive to Lake Hawea. What had been glaciers became mountains and deserts; rainforest gave way to tougher plants and grasses.

I’d read that Mount Iron in nearby Wanaka was a good place for a hike, so we drove a bit further in that direction. As promised, it afforded beautiful views of the mountains that were everywhere.

The next morning before getting back in the car we hiked along Lake Hawea itself. The day grew hot quickly and we were glad to be out and about early.

We stopped for on the road for yet another picture of mountains . . .

. . . and then in quaint Arrowtown for lunch on our way to Queenstown. I’ll take you around Queenstown and Milford Sound in a separate post so bear with me while we skip ahead three days. . . .

And then we arrived in Lake Tekapo! Lake Tekapo was our last short stay and our last real road trip stop. The landscape grew more desolate as we drove.

We were excited to learn that Lake Tekapo is located in an International Dark Sky Reserve. I spent some time walking on the beach when we arrived late in the afternoon.

We spent the night in a cabin on a campground and though I had to wrap myself in all of my layers and a blanket to stay outside, I was determined to see the stars come out. It was silent and dark and I greeted the Milky Way again. Such a perfect way to conclude our road trip around New Zealand’s South Island.

In our two weeks on the South Island, we spent much of our time on the road but stopped for a few days in Queenstown and Christchurch. Posts on both places are in the works. Stay tuned!

New York

Finding a Secret

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It’s been a while since I’ve gone hiking. It was last year, in fact, when I visited friends in Southern California over December break. I love hiking and exploring nature and breathing clear air, so I immediately said yes when a coworker suggested a walk through Silver Lake Preserve in Westchester County last week. We had a heat wave, too, so it really was summer for about three days, which is as good a time as any to seek shade and relief from humidity by wandering through trails and trees.

The vast majority of the trail was deserted and I’m not sure many people actually know Silver Lake Preserve exists. It’s beautiful, so I’m not quite sure why that is, though parking was a challenge so maybe that’s a deterrent.

Every so often, however, we came across signs that others had been there. And we felt strangely like we were documenting our own version of the The Blair Witch Project.

We did our best to follow the Heritage Trail around the lake but were not very successful following the trail markers, which also contributed to an uncanny Blair Witch sensation. We were pretty sure we wanted the blue trail, but saw an equal number of yellow, red, and white squares and groupings of circles painted on trees. But we must have done something right because here I am telling you about it!

It is not an exaggeration to say that we couldn’t hear or see any cars or any signs of civilization for most of our time in the woods. I felt a sense of peace and quiet that surprised me; I didn’t realize how much I missed places like Mendon Ponds Park back home in Rochester. I felt light and free and enjoyed myself without thinking too hard about it, jumping on rocks and logs and smiling at the sound of mud squishing underfoot. My new Tevas did not disappoint!

And then, of course, there was the lake itself. Water is my happy place. No doubt about it. I love the way it looks, sounds, and smells. I love throwing my head back and opening my whole body to absorb as much of its energy as I can. It makes me feel alive, each and every time.

I’ve been remiss in not really venturing anywhere in Westchester County aside from school. I’m glad to know that places like Silver Lake Preserve exist, especially when I spend so much time in the noise, crowds, and concrete of the city. The good company and very welcome change of scenery left me with a feeling of relaxation that carried me through the rest of the week. I’ve learned that there are other parks in Westchester and I’m looking forward to exploring them, too!

In nature nothing exists alone. – Rachel Carson

Travel Guide

Down by the Lake

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Happy Labor Day to all those celebrating here in the US! I used the long weekend to drive down to Starrucca, Pennsylvania with my friend Ally and a couple of her friends from college. Another one of my high school friends joined us for on the second night, too! It was a lot of fun to be in a completely different environment from the city, meet new people, and reconnect with people who I have known for almost half my life. This weekend was rejuvenating and I needed it.

The largest town near Ally’s family’s lake house is actually just over the border in New York State so there’s really nothing around. That’s what made it incredibly relaxing. I had zero cell service so my phone remained on airplane mode for the weekend and acted merely as my camera, which was a much-needed break from my current preoccupations.

Other than visiting a farm stand to pick up some corn and peaches . . .


. . . and a smoke house to buy delicious cheese and check out the selection of smoked meats and fish . . .


. . . we opted to spend the weekend eating, drinking, laughing, and playing on the water.

Wouldn’t you?

Both the air and water were chillier than we were hoping, so we voted for boats instead of swimming. Island Lake is so named because of a small tree island towards the center, which I explored with the aid of a canoe. I haven’t canoed since summer camp as a kid and had never been responsible for a row boat, which we also took out. If you’ve followed this blog for a while, you already know that I adore boats and anything to do with being on the water. I was very much in a happy place.

When the sun went down, we entertained ourselves over a 550-piece puzzle! We remained surprisingly focused throughout and completed it in about 4 hours. If anything, the margaritas that we made to go with our tacos were quite the asset to our puzzling. The margaritas and the “all the hits” radio station that played all weekend long. They literally meant all. There were eras of hits.

The second night was the warmer of the two and we made a fire and roasted s’mores after dinner. My favorite part was looking up at the sky and seeing nothing but stars. (I will never forget our school trip to Battambang, Cambodia last January when that’s the first thing the students commented on when we arrived. I heard their voices in my head and felt their excitement.)

The cloudless sky over the water made the world seem so much bigger and emptier than it did during the day. It was a stark reminder of how small we all are in such vast space. Simultaneously, however, mesmerized by fire as I always am, I was reminded of how interconnected we are as a collective humanity. It was a strange juxtaposition that I continued to acutely feel and notice until we let the fire die and went inside. While it’s not new, the idea of being so insignificant and yet so integral to the existence of every other person is humbling and difficult to comprehend. I can still feel that weight in my heart.

What I appreciated most about the lake was not the break from the city or the weekend with friends, though both were delightful. I was not expecting the sense of peace that came over me when I went out on a paddle board for the first time on Sunday. I regularly make an effort to seek out and do things that scare me but I’ve always avoided paddle boarding out of fear of falling into the water, which is a bit silly since I’m a decent swimmer. (And what’s the worst thing that can happen when you fall into the water? You get wet.)

The silence I experienced in the middle of the lake took me pleasantly by surprise and I appreciated the opportunity to seek out serenity, alone with my thoughts. There’s a lot of uncertainty in my present daily life and it makes me uncomfortable. There’s even more in the near future that has me questioning everything I’ve ever wanted, anticipated, or dreamed about. Alone on the paddle board in the middle of the lake, I asked myself the hard questions that I usually avoid (mostly questions starting with, “What if . . .”) and let myself reflect on the very honest answers that I also usually avoid. (Are you sensing a theme?) The whole experience was eye-opening and, ironically, significantly scarier than first standing up on the paddle board.

Not that it matters, but I didn’t fall.

Summer is now officially over because I start with students tomorrow! I’m also moving next weekend and eagerly anticipating a change of pace. The personal goal that I am setting for this fall (I have seasons now!) is to continue asking myself hard questions and, more importantly, being honest about the answers. Hopefully I’ll be able to continue finding the peace that came to me on the paddle board on Island Lake.

I hope it’s been a wonderful weekend, wherever you are. As always, thanks for reading. Thank you for journeying with me.

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