Monthly Archives: February 2019

Today we spent chasing various more and less obscure movie locations. It’s as good a reason as any to get off the beaten track and see some things that we would otherwise miss! Our first stop was Ithilien (aka 12 … Continue reading →

On the spur of the moment yesterday, we opted to do some horseback riding. The horses were lovely (unlike the ones we rode last summer in glacier) and our guide, upon seeing that there were only four of us and … Continue reading →

I’m pretty sure we’ve finally found middle Earth. We spent the last two nights at an amazing hostel in the tiny hamlet of Kinloch. (known to some as the start of the routeburn track, but for us, it is the … Continue reading →

Yesterday we completed the 12 mile Tongariro Crossing… Apparently one of the world’s most popular hikes. It was a stunning point to point that took us around the volcanically blasted landscape of Mt. Ngauruhoe aka Mt. Doom. It was pretty … Continue reading →

Today we went to Hobbiton. I know it’s just a movie set, but it felt extraordinarily like coming home. I confirmed for myself what Linnaea has told me for a lot, that I am, in my heart, just a simple … Continue reading →

Our first full day involved a leisurely stroll down this valley dubbed “the world’s newest geothermal site”. The scent of the air wafted between redolently tropical and the pungently sulfurous depending on the exact direction of the breeze. The warm … Continue reading →