Here are all of our posts from New Zealand:
So Long New Zealand (for now)
Our last days in Auckland are somewhat surreal. Everywhere we go we are “welcomed” to New Zealand. When we explain that we are leaving after nearly 5 months of house and pet sitting, people are…
Not Just Another "Snickerdoodle"
Meet Ted! He is a 12 year old spoodle, and he reminds us a lot of puppy Monte (Monte being a spoodle / cockapoo mix). I fondly refer to such ginger, curly pooches as “snickerdoodles” - to cover all…
On the Road to Taranaki
We welcome the Kerikeri owners home and enjoy a lovely dinner with them while catching up on their trip, our time in Kerikeri and the antics of Paris and Monte. After savoring the last walk with…
Weka Weka
Weka! Not a kiwi, but we will always remember seeing it here in New Zealand with Emma. Terribly exciting! It is on one of our last days before Emma’s departure. After visiting the local farmer’s…
Paris, Monte Carlo, Bay of Islands, Abbey Road
And EMMA! Life IS good here in Kerikeri (pronounced keeri-keeri by the locals)! Between Paris and Monte, the dogs, and Emma, the daughter, we are busy. Paris may be little, but she definitely rules…
Treaty of Waitangi / Te Tiriti o Waitangi
We enjoy a lovely happy hour at the home of neighbors who are New Zealand natives. Upon their recommendation, Tim, Emma and I purchase tickets to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds in nearby Paihia even…
Cycling Along the Twin Coast Trail
Guest Post by Emma In honor of dad’s birthday this year (and the many birthdays I’ve missed in years past), we set out on a two-day bike ride along the Pou Herenga Tai, or Twin Coast Cycle Trail…
Kerikeri
Our new charges, Paris (the little 9 year old white Maltese) and Monte Carlo (the 7 month old cockapoo) watch their folks depart, but not before they all throw us a July 4th party with hamburgers, hot…
Wellington
WOW! Wellington - what a beautiful area! We spend a lovely few days here between our Dunedin and Kerikeri housesits. Our Airbnb on the Miramar peninsula affords us a clear view of the Wellington…
Moving On from Dunedin
Such loveable faces! Dogs, donkeys and chooks - oh my! After nearly 3 months in Dunedin, we leave with mixed emotions. We have become attached to these critters and will genuinely miss their…
Celebrating Dunedin Midwinter
In Dunedin, the Winter Solstice on June 21st brings a whopping 8 hours and 37 minutes of daylight! To celebrate, we take a wildlife cruise and attend the local Midwinter Festival. The Otago Peninsula…
NZed Facts and Food
All is well and everyone is healthy on this little “lifestyle block”, as it is called here in Dunedin. Fun fact, the city is known as “Edinburgh of the south” and the name comes from Dùn Èideann, the…
A Quiet Week
Being able to walk out your door for a long hike just feels better environmentally than getting in a car to do it! Week 9 starts off with us exploring the “track” at the dead end of our road. It…
"Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da"
“Life goes on”… When I was a disgruntled teenager, I remember my dad answering my complaints with the quote, “Life is full of heartache, sorry and disappointment.” Not what a teenager wanted to hear…
Farewell Lucy
We never expected to experience such a sad day here in New Zealand…
The Hard Bits
Our 5th and 6th weeks in Dunedin bring change and challenge. We recognize that when you house / pet sit for multiple months, life happens… Before we get too far into the thick of it, Tim and I hear a…
Dunedin Week 5 - Same, Same but Different
It is a routine week here in Dunedin - with much the same but always something new and different… The beach - we have been here every day, yet this week, we are surprised by large spiders crossing the…
Wild Birds in New Zealand
Birds are a big deal here in New Zealand! Recall that there were no land mammals (with the exception of a few bat species) on the island until they were introduced - first by the Polynesians or Maori…
Dogs, Donkeys, Chooks and Trains, Oh My
Week 4 in Dunedin is busy! First and foremost, in regards to our primary objective, animal care 101 continues smoothly. I am gradually learning what food scraps these chooks prefer - turnips not…
"Wild Dunedin" Week 3
It is literally “Wild Dunedin” week here - an annual Festival of Nature taking place the week of Earth Day. There are a myriad of activities and events celebrating nature and conservation at just…
ANZAC Day and Pacifism
During our third week in Dunedin, the national holiday, ANZAC Day, is celebrated. ANZAC Day commemorates the “Australia New Zealand Army Corps”, or ANZACs, as the soldiers in World War I were…
Dunedin Week 2
We are getting more and more comfortable in this house and with our animal roommates - waking up less often wondering “Where are we?” and feeling less inclined to exclaim to one another “WE ARE IN NEW…
Dunedin Week 1
This is it! We arrive at the Dunedin house which will be our home for the next 3 months. As we have experienced with all of our past house / pet sits, initial nervousness is quickly calmed once we…
Queenstown
Following Christchurch, we are somewhat shocked descending the bus into the tourist scene that is Queenstown. Still, we languish in the scenery, avoid the tourist areas (excluding the breweries and…
Christchurch
Our journey south toward our Dunedin house / pet sit takes us through Christchurch. Sunrise across the Pacific from our beachy Airbnb is beautiful. We are big fans of Airbnb for the local experience…
The Adventure Begins!
We are off! The preparations to live away from home for 4 months have felt overwhelming at times. Plenty of “are we really doing this?” moments. We sure hope that all those steps taken will make…
