Why the Abel Tasman Track Belongs on Your Bucketlist
I have had wanderlust for as long as I can remember, and for just as long I have had a picture of the Abel Tasman Track beaches fueling that wanderlust. This last week I was able to check that beauty off the bucketlist and now I get to spread the gospel of why everyone should…
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Penguin Safari at Pohatu Marine Reserve
After finally scratching our wine tasting itch, the winds died down and we booked a wildlife kayak tour. Pohatu Penguins had a personal connection with the family that keeps after the Pohatu Marine Reserve and we had the unique opportunity to observe a penguin up-close incubating an egg, witness rafting penguins in the open sea,…
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Swimming with Hector’s Dolphins in Akaroa, New Zealand (+video)
Some experiences I struggle to put words to so I make a video instead. I love to relive trips this way, moments, and bucket list experiences. Swimming with wild dolphins in Akaroa was one of those experiences. We booked our trip with Black Cat Cruises, as they came highly recommended by every travel blogger that…
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Cinematography
Capturing the perfect shot and throwing some music behind it, is one of my absolute favorite things to do while I travel. I wouldn’t say I’m a complete amatuer, but I certainly wing most of it and my style is always changing. Figuring out GoPro’s on the fly has become second nature, my right hand…
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I am Jess…
 … and this is my husband Oli. I am a proud Seattleite and in his own words he is from bang in the middle of the UK in Leicestershire, England. In June of 2019, we met on a polar bear expedition at 78 ° North in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, and no I am not joking.…
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Photography
Capturing the perfect shot that can transport me back to a memory or convinces you that you could step right into the photo has turned from hobby to passion to something I can now no longer control. Anyone who knows me knows that my Canon is usually attached to my right hand, though I do…
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Landscapes of New Zealand Photo Gallery
What I Mean When I Say I Live in NZ (vlog)
Murchison Rafting, Westport Birthday, & Blackwater Rafting
Now that it is pretty obvious that I am behind on writing, I’m going to list some of my favorite memories of my birthday back in Murchison, Westport, and Charleston Glowworm Caves. Once we set off from Nelson Lakes, we headed to Westport for some surfing. We had a stop off at an awesome waterfall…
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Why the Abel Tasman Track Belongs on Your Bucketlist
I have had wanderlust for as long as I can remember, and for just as long I have had a picture of the Abel Tasman Track beaches fueling that wanderlust. This last week I was able to check that beauty off the bucketlist and now I get to spread the gospel of why everyone should…
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Spearfishing in Tairua and a Surprise Encounter with Orcas (video)
Oli’s 30th birthday scavenger hunt extravaganza ended with a spearfishing tour out of Tairua. At the end of a successful day of hunting for kingfish, we were gifted a close encounter with a pod of orcas. Claire and I had gotten out of the water for a bit of a warm up break when we…
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New Zealand Lockdown – A Throwback Memory
Three years ago, on March 19, 2020 we landed in Christchurch, New Zealand with a year long visa – planning to sit it out until “covid blew over.” We landed with 22 hours to spare, and they closed the border right behind us. Our two week traveler’s quarantine was extended by four more weeks of…
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Queenstown & Wanaka, Our Pandemic Home Away From Home
During our 16-months of hunkering down in Aotearoa during the pandemic, we spent about 7 of them living in and around Queenstown and Wanaka at different points during our trip. Needless to say it became the heart of us while in Aotearoa and our kiwi built family resided there, so there is where we kept…
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A Dirty 30 Birthday Scavenger Hunt Through Mount Maunganui and the Coromandel Peninsula
Oli spent his golden birthday (29th on the 29th of March) in quarantine and lockdown. Though I made him a banoffee pie from scratch and hung cherry blossoms from the ceiling for a picnic under the blossoms, I knew it was still a bummer of a birthday. So for his 30th, I mayyyyyyy have gone…
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A Slice of Auckland & Canyoneering in Waitakere Ranges Regional Park
After spending a few weeks with friends we had earned a little alone time and decided some tasting menu date nights were in order. We also had a voucher from my birthday from my dad to go canyoneering in Waitakere Ranges Regional Park. Some food and some adventure. On the canyoning trip, the guide and…
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Waiting out a Tsunami in Taheke
After spending 8 days in tight quarters sailing through the Bay of Islands with our good friends Claire and Jonny, we decided to splurge on a roomy airbnb for a few days. We relaxed, watched movies, cooked in an actual kitchen, had glasses of wine on the porch, and truly rested after 8 amazing but…
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A Seaside Life for Me – Paihai, Russel, & Matauri Bay
Before we embarked on our 8 day sailing trip through the Bay of Islands, we spent a few weeks enjoying the Northlands, a truly magical place and probably my favorite in all of Aotearoa. Days were spent fishing, free diving, reading, living on the beach and off the sustenance that the ocean provided, and laughing…
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Wandering Wild 