Did you go to NZ? How was it?

Yes!!

We left on Dec. 2, returned on Dec. 18. It was awesome.

We drove from Queenstown to Nelson by way of the west coast. The scenery is not to be believed. We biked through wine country, kayaked in Abel Tasman, hiked in Queenstown and Hokitika, went glamping in Wanaka, did some gin tasting, rode luge carts, cruised the Milford Sound, and visited a glow worm del. It was very safe. We asked how we should lock up our ebikes during our wine country tour, and the vendor said there was no need to lock anything. We saw no crime, no homelessness, no rowdiness, no problems, no guns.

That was the perfect time to go -- right after Thanksgiving and before Christmas. It felt like we had the whole South Island to ourselves. We learned that there would normally be a lot of Chinese tourists, but zero Covid was still in effect so there were none. We literally had a beach pretty much to ourselves for four days.

The only difficult thing about NZ South Island is that there is little public transportation outside of the cities, so you have to drive. I found the driving on the wrong side of the road to be stressful, so my son-in-law did it.

I'm a fan and would love to go back and visit the North Island. Yes, it's a long flight (six hours to SFO, then about 13 overnight to Auckland), but flying is a lot easier now given that you can bring your own TV and movies. I binged things I had been meaning to watch, got some sleep, and when I woke up we were almost there.

I'd encourage everyone to go, especially if you like an active vacation.

Tentative plan for next Christmas: Thailand!

It sounds absolutely wonderful and how great you were able to go as a family. We have talked about going and renting an RV so we don't have to pack and unpack and can just follow our whim. It looks like this winter, however, we are going to go to Costa Rica. If I don't have a nervous breakdown about the horses being left in a neighbor's care when it is 40 below zero!

Loved Costa Rica. Went a few years ago. Rented a car and went to rainforest and … maunuel something. Do hire a guide to walks and hikes. We even did a night hike. That was really special.

There were lots of camper vans in New Zealand, but it wouldn’t work for six of us. They were pretty expensive, as I recall.

You might do better renting a small car you can maneuver and staying at rental homes. Prices for lodging were quite good.

Just be sure you can handle the driving in NZ, as it was no joke. Total brain overload. I had to stay on the left. Handle backwards traffic circles. Negotiate a zillion one lane bridges. Read the road sign for right of way on bridges. Look left for your rear view mirror and right for your side mirror. The position of the wipers and signal are reversed, so I constantly turned on the wipers when I meant to signal. Road signs and google directions in kilometers. It takes one lapse in concentration to have a crash.

I was driving an 8 passenger van when I am used to driving a Mini Cooper. It was nerve racking.

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maunuel

Manuel Antonio Beach State Park - monkeys galore!

Re: driving on the left side of the road, I agree it takes some getting used to. I never, ever felt truly comfortable unless I was on a divided street (like one with a median in the middle), which is common in Canberra but far less common elsewhere. Wrong-way roundabouts were terrifying.

My biggest reminder if you're in a left-hand side of the road country as a tourist is to look BOTH WAYS before crossing the street. Religiously. We had a friend who was killed by looking the wrong way before stepping into the street, in front of traffic. I noticed lots of intersections in London had "look both ways" stenciled on the concrete at the curb (or kerb).

Going to Costa Rica in March for a much delayed honeymoon.

Went years ago and stayed at an eco lodge on the OSA peninsula. Loved it.

This time probably staring at La Paz, a luxury resort in the middle of its own wildlife and waterfall refuge.

https://waterfallgardens.com/l...z_waterfall_gardens/


J