After a week of relaxation, we’re on the road again in traveling mode this time! We jumped on a plane in Tahiti around 6:15pm on Saturday and somehow landed in Auckland, New Zealand, after only 6 hours at 10:15pm Sunday. Crazy time change. We spent the night there and this morning, got up bright and early and hopped another plane to Queenstown, southern end of the South Island of New Zealand. It is sooo beautiful! Think: Lord of the Rings. Literally! Most of the movie was filmed on this island, right around where we are and will be! We just got here, parked our car, stumbled our way into a hostel with an open double room, and walked the short way to Queenstown–a town surrounded by mountains, on a lake, filled with good food and friendly people and–so far–good weather! Tomorrow we’re off to the Milford Sound by bus, then water, then bus again, and on Wednesday we’re headed to Shotover Canyon for a jetboat tour–should be frightening. Or exhilarating? We have eleven days to wind our way up to Auckland via rental car and then we’ll be off to Australia!

We’ve added moving to New Zealand or owning a vacation home here as one of our life goals.

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