Jet Boating in Christchurch

The story of the jet boat is a traditional, Kiwi story with its roots in the Mackenzie Basin of the South Island. Bill Hamilton, a local farmer, found he was in need of a type of a boat that was able to navigate the shallow, braided rivers of the area where he lived. In 1954, [...]

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Teaching English in Spain: An Interview with Cat Gaa (Part 2)

Cat Gaa, a Chicago native, graduated from The University of Iowa in May of 2007 after studying Journalism and Mass Communication and Spanish. Cat scratched the idea of the 8 – 5 job and instead moved to southern Spain in October 2007 to teach English. Other than a couple extended trips home to visit family [...]

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Monday Escape: Chios, Greece

Today’s Monday Escape takes you to Chios, Greece, found just off the coast of Turkey in the Aegean Sea. Chios is the fifth largest of the Greek Islands and is home to just under 50,000 people. As it’s very often overlooked by tourist companies operating from Athens, it’s a terrific island to visit if you [...]

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Auckland On a Budget

While Auckland isn’t New Zealand’s capital city, it is the largest with a population of just over one million people. Auckland has a great reputation throughout New Zealand, so long as you don’t leave … well, Auckland. Venture too far outside of the city, and it becomes overly apparent that Auckland and Aucklanders have a [...]

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Teaching English in Spain: An Interview with Cat Gaa (Part 1)

Cat Gaa, a Chicago native, graduated from The University of Iowa in May of 2007 after studying Journalism and Mass Communication and Spanish. Cat scratched the idea of the 8 – 5 job and instead moved to southern Spain in October 2007 to teach English. Other than a couple extended trips home to visit family [...]

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Monday Escape: Mount Ngauruhoe (Mount Doom), New Zealand

Today’s Monday Escape takes you to Tongariro National Park on New Zealand’s North Island – about two hours south of Lake Taupo. The Tongariro National Park was New Zealand’s first national park and is home to three volcanoes – two of which are the most active in the world. Mount Ruapehu erupted in 1995 and [...]

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A Local’s Perspective: Edinburgh, Scotland

Today’s guest post is written by Nicole Graham. Nicole recently graduated from Edinburgh’s Napier University and studied Tourism Management. Nicole’s travel experience includes mainland Europe, the US, Nepal, Australia, Peru, Kenya, Thailand, and New Zealand. She also happens to be my girlfriend and enjoys planning our next trip, reading, and exploring New Zealand in our [...]

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Monday Escape: Raglan, New Zealand

Each Monday, I’ll post a travel photo with a brief description of the area. Through this feature, you’ll hopefully get a small taste of a fascinating destination. Today’s Monday Escape takes you to Raglan, New Zealand – a small, surf community located about three hours south of Auckland. You’ll know you’re in a surf town [...]

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Experiencing Franz Josef Glacier

If you ever find yourself in Franz Josef Village, on the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island, you’ll be there for one reason – and one reason only. You’ve come to see Big Franz – Franz Josef Glacier. Franz Josef Village (population, 300) exists solely because of the glacier found just outside of town. [...]

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Three Edinburgh Pubs You Can’t Miss

After spending nearly a year in Edinburgh, I came to realize a number of things about the Scottish – namely, the fact that they love to drink. Needless to say, I fit in well. One of the many things I miss about Scotland is the pub culture that exists within the Scottish society. The pub [...]

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