Category Archives: new zealand

Plot Twist!

Posted on September 26, 2017 by juliamenn

Well, in an unpleasant turn of events, my New Zealand work visa has fallen through. I had been so hopeful that somehow things would work out so I’d get to stay here in this beautiful city I’ve made my home, … Continue reading →

Posted in Musings, new zealand, Travel, Uncategorized | Tagged action, america, beach, china, clouds, comfort, difficult, fight, fish and chips, hard, hurt, love, new zealand, paths, persevere, perspective, stability, Travel, usa, visa, wellington, weta, wisconsin, working | 1 Comment

Exploring Abel Tasman

Posted on August 20, 2017 by juliamenn

On what turned out to be the last day of good weather for quite some time, I did my first proper tramp – a chunk of the Abel Tasman Track; from Torrent Bay back down to Sandy Bay I drove … Continue reading →

Posted in new zealand, Travel, Uncategorized | Tagged abel tasman, beach, cleopatra's pool, golden sand, new zealand, pool, queen charlotte sound, sand, sandy bay, south island, tasman bay, torrent bay, tramp, trek, walk | 1 Comment

Southward, ho!

Posted on July 29, 2017 by juliamenn

I was catching the 8am ferry from Wellington to Picton via the Cooke Straight, so I drove into the outskirts of Wellington around 6.30am. There are two companies that make the crossing, InterIslander and BlueBridge. I opted for BlueBridge as … Continue reading →

Posted in new zealand, Uncategorized | Tagged blenheim, camp, cooke strait, explore, ferry, garden, marlborough, nelson, new zealand, picton, pinot noir, queen charlotte, solo female travel, sound, south island, track, wine | Leave a comment

Let’s Talk Rugby

Posted on July 8, 2017 by juliamenn

I have never been into sports. I never understood the appeal, and anytime I tried to watch American sports (football, soccer, baseball, basketball), I was bored to tears. I found them, on the whole, to be unnecessarily dragged out and … Continue reading →

Posted in new zealand, Uncategorized | Tagged all blacks, auckland, british and irish lions, football, game, haka, maori, new zealand, ruck, rugby, scrum, sports, test, tour, wellington | 2 Comments

North Island Road Trip – Part 2

Posted on June 18, 2017 by juliamenn

After leaving the redwood forests and thermal springs of Rotorua behind, I headed East. New Zealand is a wonderful country for many reasons, not least of which is the long roads and beautiful scenery. I love to drive, and NZ … Continue reading →

Posted in new zealand, Travel, Uncategorized | Tagged art deco, fur seal, gisborne, hawkes bay, lake, lord of the rings, martinborough, napier, new zealand, north island, wairarapa, wine, wine tasting | Leave a comment

North Island Road Trip – Part 1

Posted on June 5, 2017 by juliamenn

Living and working on Waiheke for the summer was great, but by the time March rolled around I was itching to get out and explore this beautiful country. I bid adieu and hit the road, with a tag-along companion in … Continue reading →

Posted in new zealand, Uncategorized | Tagged blue pools, cathedral cove, coromandel peninsula, Friends, hot water beach, mini golf, night market, redwood forest, Roadtrip, rotorua, spring, swans, zorb, zorbing | 1 Comment

Once in a Lifetime

Posted on May 28, 2017 by juliamenn

When I traveled to Asia for four months back in 2015, my mother kept saying it was a “once in a lifetime opportunity.” My combative nature and I were like, “Why does it have to be once in a lifetime? … Continue reading →

Posted in new zealand, SEA, Travel, Uncategorized | Tagged beach, cellar door, Island, job, new zealand, obsidian, oysters, sailing, summer, sunset, waiheke, waiheke island, wine, wine tasting, work | 5 Comments

My Kiwi Kristmas

Posted on March 6, 2017 by juliamenn

I’ve had many wonderful and unique experiences since moving to New Zealand, but one that was an absolutely novel delight was experiencing a SUMMER Christmas!

Posted in new zealand, Travel, Uncategorized | Tagged bbq, beach, carols, christmas, cricket, decorations, kiwi, new zealand, orphans, Travel | 1 Comment