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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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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Shipwrecked! A story of 4 souls, 3 stages, 2 vehicles, and 1 weekend of festival on the only covid free island
I felt a little guilty. The world was closed, Covid was running rampant in most countries besides NZ, and here we were going to a music festival. New Zealand had closed their borders quickly and shut the entire country into lockdown when they had only 12 cases and no deaths. One of my favorite quotes…
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An Adventure to The Shire of Middle Earth (video)
Catching Crayfish & Freediving in New Plymouth (video)
Joli Clan Blitz to the North – Queenstown to Wellington
After planning for months to make it to North Island and looping back to Queenstown three times, we decided it was finally time to head north with the full crew in tow. Joli Clan had made a plan and we blitzed it to the Marlborough region in a day, and spent a few days relaxing,…
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Stewart Island, New Zealand Photo Gallery
Rakiura Track, Stewart Island (+vlog)
The Rakiura Track located on the southern banks of Stewart Island, is one of the Great Walks of New Zealand with good reason. Commitment is the first step in completing this track, as a foot ferry is the only access to the island and often the seas are treacherous at 47 degrees south. Luckily trekking…
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Stewart Island – Wild Kiwis and Cold Diving (+video)
Stewart Island was a week full of first times. It was the closest I have been to Antarctica, my first time seeing a wild kiwi, my first time seeing a carpet shark or an octopus in the wild, and my first time using my new GoPro, which ended up with some very tripping free diving…
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Wandering Wild 