Alex has a little sister (Victoria) and I've always thought, "It sure would be cool if I could do a trip like that Australia trip with her." Taking 2 months off is not a luxury one gets too often. No, I am not taking 2 months, but I am taking a little over 2 weeks: I leave my current job on Monday, fly down to NZ the next day, get back on a Friday, and start a new job on the Monday.
He was 2 when we went around Oz, she is 3. While her older brother can't skip that much Middle School, I'm pretty sure she won't fall too far behind in preschool.
Unlike the previous trip, which was planned to minute detail months ahead of time, this flight was booked 8 days before departure. Look for more improvisation. The only things that are booked are the flight, car, and 2 nights down in Taupo. From there, we'll go to the South Island, see what we can, and get back up to Auckland in time to fly home.
Why New Zealand? Well, it's gorgeous to start with. Unless you count changing planes, I've never been there. If you've read this blog, you know how much I love Australians - what would be the closest to Australians? Yeah, I know, you're not supposed to say that, but let's be real: If you had seen almost all of the US, loved it, and wanted more like that but entirely new, might you consider visiting Canada? Same here. Love Australia, heard nothing but good things about New Zealand, so let's check it out. I may leave that Australian Wallabies Rugby hat at home. I wanted a scenic place big enough to drive around for a couple weeks. All things being equal, it's best not to have a language barrier. To get wifely approval, it also had to be a relatively safe place - 1st world roads, medical system, etc. (ya know - kids). Plus, how often do you get to go to a country where the leader has almost exactly your name? For my many friends unfamiliar with Kiwi politics, the Prime Minister is John Key and yes, he's a conservative. I'll just make reservations under "J Key" and see if I get great service or have abuse hurled in my direction. Actually, I'll bet it resembles Australia in political terms in this way: In Oz the citizenry seem to have figured out that you can a) have strong opinions on politics, b) not bring it up when meeting strangers, and c) not view people through the lens of whether they vote for your person or "the other". They may argue with each other in private, but do not feel compelled to foist it onto you. Oh, and yes, I'll miss more than two weeks of Clinton/Trump coverage too. That's a huge ("yuge") bonus. Among the semi-finalists, Iceland and Costa Rica are just a little too small for half a month. Finalists Ireland and Central Europe are coveted for future family vacations by the wife (and their weather will likely be worse than NZ, which will still be pretty rainy).
So on October 11 we're off into the great wide open.
He was 2 when we went around Oz, she is 3. While her older brother can't skip that much Middle School, I'm pretty sure she won't fall too far behind in preschool.
Unlike the previous trip, which was planned to minute detail months ahead of time, this flight was booked 8 days before departure. Look for more improvisation. The only things that are booked are the flight, car, and 2 nights down in Taupo. From there, we'll go to the South Island, see what we can, and get back up to Auckland in time to fly home.
Why New Zealand? Well, it's gorgeous to start with. Unless you count changing planes, I've never been there. If you've read this blog, you know how much I love Australians - what would be the closest to Australians? Yeah, I know, you're not supposed to say that, but let's be real: If you had seen almost all of the US, loved it, and wanted more like that but entirely new, might you consider visiting Canada? Same here. Love Australia, heard nothing but good things about New Zealand, so let's check it out. I may leave that Australian Wallabies Rugby hat at home. I wanted a scenic place big enough to drive around for a couple weeks. All things being equal, it's best not to have a language barrier. To get wifely approval, it also had to be a relatively safe place - 1st world roads, medical system, etc. (ya know - kids). Plus, how often do you get to go to a country where the leader has almost exactly your name? For my many friends unfamiliar with Kiwi politics, the Prime Minister is John Key and yes, he's a conservative. I'll just make reservations under "J Key" and see if I get great service or have abuse hurled in my direction. Actually, I'll bet it resembles Australia in political terms in this way: In Oz the citizenry seem to have figured out that you can a) have strong opinions on politics, b) not bring it up when meeting strangers, and c) not view people through the lens of whether they vote for your person or "the other". They may argue with each other in private, but do not feel compelled to foist it onto you. Oh, and yes, I'll miss more than two weeks of Clinton/Trump coverage too. That's a huge ("yuge") bonus. Among the semi-finalists, Iceland and Costa Rica are just a little too small for half a month. Finalists Ireland and Central Europe are coveted for future family vacations by the wife (and their weather will likely be worse than NZ, which will still be pretty rainy).
So on October 11 we're off into the great wide open.
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