Queenstown, NZ

From Franz Josef we continued south to Queenstown where we could base ourselves for the next few days. We knew that rain was forecast for the next two days so we were hoping for some down time to check in at home and do a little preparation for our next jaunt into Asia. After a long drive we pulled into Queenstown late in the afternoon and found a place to stay. The town is on a lake surrounded by hills and in the winter is where many kiwis come for a ski holiday. Though ski season hasn't quite started here yet, it is an adorable town with plenty of restaurants, cafes, shops and backpackers. Due to the high volume of tourists Queenstown also has all the necessities such as booking outfits, internet cafes, and super markets that we might need in order to catch up for the next two days.

We've booked a ride and a sail into Milford Sound for later in the week and are planning to jump on a couple of horses and tour the beautiful surrounding area. We also have met some great locals here who are helping us out with a place to stay. More updates to come soon!
CLick HERE for a video about Queenstown.

Franz Josef Glacier Walk, NZ

After our exhausting hike through Abel Tasman we decided we had earned an easy morning and treated ourselves to breakfast in Nelson before heading out of town toward the Franz Josef Glacier. Given our late start we knew we wouldn't make it all the way in one evening so we decided to stop over in Greymouth along the west coast of the island. NZ's west coast is one of the most scenic drives with cliffs meeting ocean in a dramatic way which made our time spent in the car a delight. We made it to Greymouth early that evening and found a camper site to plug into for the night. We've taken to using van sites regularly in the south island as it is much colder (down to 2-3 degrees Celsius some evenings) and the sites allow us to plug in a heater which runs through the night. Parking at a site also gives us access to hot showers and a communal kitchen. Every site has its own uniqueness and amenities - not to mention levels of cleanliness. This evening in Greymouth we were in a clean spot and thrilled to have access to a kitchen. Once we settled, Matt made up a mean stir fry and then we hit the hay.

We left early the next morning for the rest of the drive to Franz Josef and had another pleasant drive through the mountains. We pulled into the Franz Josef township mid-day and went directly to the tourist information center to find out about booking a hike up. Once we arrived we discovered that rain was forecast for the next two days so we decided to quickly jump onto a tour that would leave that afternoon for the glacier. While we weren't planning on hiking that afternoon the idea of hiking on the ice in the rain (very very cold rain) was not all that appealing. We quickly went back to the van and pulled out our warmest gear (long undies, sweaters, hat, gloves, fleece, rain jacket, wool socks) and headed to the meeting spot where we would get additional wool socks, pull over pants, jacket, hats, and boots with ice talons. Pretty sweet. After completing our outfits we boarded a bus for the ten minute drive to the Westland Tai Poutini National Park where our group would depart for the glacier.

A quick but essential lesson on NZ's glaciers is necessary here. NZ is home to over 3,000 glaciers which is defined is an ice mass of at least 100 metres which is slowly flowing over a land mass. They are formed from compacted snow in an area where snow accumulation exceeds melting. The Franz Josef Glacier is unique as it cuts through a glacial valley and rests in the middle of a rain forest. It is approximately 7,000 years old and extends 12 kilometres from its three feeder glaciers in the high snow fields of the Southern Alps. They are formed from a combination of hot and cold wind as well as the extreme moisture of the area. The snow fall on them is compacted into ice which actually appears blue.

The Franz Josef glacier is quite stunning and the blue ice made for great photos. We had to get used to the new ice talons attached to our feet along with the steep stairs carved into the ice by our guides. The views, however, were remarkable and we were allowed to dredge through a couple of crevasses and glacier puddles. Super cold but well worth the hike.

Exhausted after another day of hiking and cold, we booked into a hostel again that evening and made use of the heater and kitchen. At the Rainforest Motor Lodge we encountered some of our first Americans (number four and five to be exact) since leaving the States. We had a good time swapping stories and playing cards with Jay and Dane. The next morning we would head further south to Queenstown for some more activity. Time seems to be flying by!!
Click HERE for more pics and HERE for an online video of the glacier experience taken by someone else.

Abel Tasman National Park Tramp, NZ

The two of us and our Ezy Cruza campervan (now known to us simply "The Cruza") took the three hour Interislander ferry from Wellington on the north island to Picton on the south island. Upon arrival and a quick bite to eat we headed straight for the beach town of Nelson. Nelson was an ideal spot for us to sort out our itinerary for Abel Tasman National Park. We went to the nearest i-spot (tourist guide spot found in every city and staffed with people who will help you book trips, provide you with weather details, help you find a campervan site, etc. etc. - NZ is the easiest place to travel!!!) and decided after talking with the DOC (department of Conservation) guide that we would spend two days exploring the park, the first day we would do a full day kayak trip and then camp for the night at a hut before hiking back the following day. We grabbed groceries in Nelson and then drove to Marahau (30 minutes north) for the night so that we would be ready for the 8:30 departure.

After waking up to a spectacular sunrise over the Tasman Bay we met up with our kayak group (two Austrians, one swiss, and Garreth our local NZ guide), jumped into our tandem kayak and headed out to sea (Brian - early rudder problems again much like Bar Harbor-you would have been proud). After about ten minutes of calm paddling the winds picked up drastically and our guide asked us to bring all 3 of our boats together (ours was the middle boat) to do a bit of sailing. He tied a sheet to the end of two paddles for the back right and left, had two people on the front right and left hold the other ends, we were tasked with holding all the boats together and as soon as the sail went up we were off! We started zipping ahead, cold water splashing everywhere - it was very cool. After 10 minutes the Austrians boat got loose and we almost lost them for good before one of them threw their paddle just in time to keep them from capsizing. We had to cross a section called 'The Mad Mile' and Matt was charged with sitting in the back and steering, while Jaci set the pace up front. This difficult section (6 foot waves) left us with soar arms but we somehow were able to negotiate all the rocks and waves ending up in Te Pukatea Bay (stunning) for lunch. We did some hiking from our lunch spot and then hit the water for a few more hours of kayaking were we were able to coem up close and personal with a group of fur seals sunning themselves on the rocks and playing in the water rigth off our boats. Eventually we made it all the way to Bark Bay and our hut where we would be sleeping for the night.

Bark Bay hut is typically where hikers of the Abel Tasman Coastal Track would sleep after their second night of hiking (or tramping in New Zealand). The entire track can be done in 3-5 days depending on your pace and desire to explore. The hut is impressive with a large living/cooking area and 2 sleeping rooms (bunk style - sleeps 40). About 100 feet off the beach (which vanishes at high tide) and the lagoon behind a long sand peninsula. It's also 14 miles from Marahau and we woul be hiking the full distance the next day. We enjoyed some dinner and great conversation around a "heater" with folks from the Czech Republic, Austria, Sweden, and a couple from Santa Cruz, CA (they accounted for the second and third Americans we have seen the entire trip! ). After a bit of sleep we headed out early on the track. In the high season, it is early to see how busy this track would be. the views of the beaches and outcropping rocks along the way are postcard photos in the waiting. But since we were tramping in the low-season, after leaving the hut, we saw no one for the first three hours of our hike enjoying the natural wonders around us and the pleasant, cool mountain air. The terrain is draped with NZ Silver Ferns and rock walls covered in glowing green moss. All streams are bridged but there are tidal crossings which can only be crossed within a few hours either side of low tide. Mistakenly, Matt pushed for us to cross about a half hour to early at the Torrent Bay Crossing and we came up on a "hidden river" which we had to wade through in bare feet. It was a bit cold and muddy but we survived. We lovedt he hike and incredibly finished in 5.5 hours and although tired we drove back to Nelson so that we could get a jump start on our drive over to the west coast of the south island in the morning. Everyday we wish we had more time to explore this incredible country.

Click HERE for more pics!

Wellington, NZ

After Lake Taupo we were eager to head to Wellington, NZ's southern most city and the country's capital. The fishing trip was exhausting but a good lunch and espresso kept us moving. In Wellington we were able to book a room at an in-town hostel with off-street parking (unheard of) for two nights which meant we could take our time arriving int otown. The drive from Torangi to Wellington would be our longest so far but we were determined to arrive in Wellington that evening. As many of you know, Matt is a dedicated Liverpool FC soccer fan and his team would be playing in the final game of the EuropeanChampions League tournament against AC Milan the following morning at 6:30 am NZ time. With so many Europeans and English soccer fans around we couldn't pass up the opportunity to watch a game with the die-hard fans.

We followed the masses of red Liverpool (LFC) jerseys in the early, dark morning in Wellington till we found ourselves at the Sports Cafe, off Courtney Street in downtown amongst probably 300 other LFC supporters. Our support was not enough however as we went on to watch our club lose 2-1, as AC milan avenged a Champions League final loss to Liverpool 2 years prior. They played a strong game but conceded a tough goal the end of the first half that broke their spirits after watching many of their own efforts not find the back of the net. Even a late 89th minute goal wasn't enough to fulfill the comeback after falling down 2-nill. It was a good run though for the club and the atmosphere at the Sports Cafe was as the Brits would say, "Brilliant".
After the game we returned to Rowena's for a rest and then headed out later that afternoon to walk to city. Wellington is surrounded by beautiful hills scattered with homes overlooking the city center and Lambton Harbour. We took the afternoon to explore the beaches and board walks. Wellington seemed to be much more diverse than our experience in Auckland but the wind seemed to be a significant draw back (even to the locals). That night we found, Kai, a traditional Maori restaurant owned by a local Maori family. It was a great meal and a great end to our day in Wellington before catching the early morning ferry for the South Island.

Click HERE for more pics.

Lake Taupo & Turangi, NZ

We left Rotorua and headed for Lake Taupo - NZ's largest lake. It was another beautiful drive (a bit rainy) and we arrived in Taupo with plenty of time to arrange a few activities (weather permitting). The town of Lake Taupo is where many visitors base themselves before heading a few km south to hike Mt. Tongariro - one of NZ's nine Great Walks. Taupo is a quaint lake town with tons of lakeside cafes and restaurants, board walks, and resort accommodations. We arrived and decided to splurge for lunch at a cafe on the water and enjoy some time observing the surroundings.

We had a few things we wanted to explore during our stay in Lake Taupo and knew we wouldn't have time for them all. We wanted to get started right away so we headed for Torangi, a few km south along the lake, which would allow us easier access to activities. Once we arrived in town we headed straight for the Information Center to make some bookings. We quickly discovered that weather conditions were going to prevent us from participating in our first choice - hiking the Tongariro Crossing. The hike is a full day tramp starting from base at 7:30 am. The next day called for winds of up to 85 km/hr and the professionals decided to close the path. It also didn't look good for the day after that as well. We're both certain it was a smart move on their part but were disappointed about not being able to do the hike.

There are many activities to do in the Lake Taupo area but with rainy weather and limited time we decided that it was time to sedate Matt's constant itching to fly-fish since setting foot in NZ. The Tongariro River is home to some of the best trout fly-fishing in the world. It didn't take long for us to decide to hire a guide for a half-day trip up the river and our first lessons on fly fishing!! (Aud, we've got some tips to share!). The next morning we were picked up by John Summerville and taken to the Tongariro River. About this time of year the trout from Lake Taupo start swimming up the river to spawn. John took us to a fantastic area we waded through four feet of water a few times to get to a nice spot for fly fishing training 101. For other novices like us, fly-fishing is an extremely technical sport, and after 2 hours of hands on training jaci and I were proud to say we had mastered none of it (but learned a lot!). Our casting was showing signs of improvement and the foundation for a long fishing career had begun. Within an hour Matt had caught and lost both a 4 pound and 2 pound trout. Getting the fish on the hook is only one small part of this craft. With one of them a foot from the river edge, it made one last gasp for freedom and off the hook it went. Another lesson learned...never think you have them. So a few hours and no fish later...we were both proud of our efforts and Matt has decided all Christmas and birthday gifts from here on out should be fly-fishing related....oh dear.

There are so many activity options in and around Taupo (not to mention the rest of the country) it is simply impossible to fit everything. In Lake Taupo we got the first taste of what will certainly be a recurring anxiety: not having enough time. That evening we had our first conversation (of many) about when we would be able come back to NZ. Anyone interested?? On to Wellington...

Click HERE for a few more pics.

Rotorua, NZ

We woke up the next morning to the most incredible sunrise ever and said goodbye to our Australian friends as we headed for the Lake Rotorua region. After a brief stop at the Kiwi fruit gardens where we tasted the locally grown fruit and wonderful kiwi shortbread cookies, we were on the road to Rotarua. Lake Rotorua is NZ's second largest lake and a hot spot of geo-thermal activity. We planned to spend one day at the lake on our way south. In Rotorua you can find anything from exploding geysers, to hot springs, to bubbling mud holes. Of course, all of this thermal activity is accompanied with the sulfor rich earth and a corresponding rotten egg smell. It took us a while to get used to the smell of the town (who are we kidding, Jaci was still scrunching her nose when we left) but we were eventually able to take in some of Rotorua's nature.

In Rotorua there are plenty of opportunities to see the bubbling earth for free as any of the local residences might have a steaming hole in their front yard. The steaming holes indicate a thermal spot all with varying size and depth. Kuirau Park is a free thermal park where we walked through dozens of hot spots. After the park we headed toward the lake to visit a Maori church and meeting house and possibly a concert or traditional hangi. Once we arrived, however, we discovered that these options are not only expensive but also very packaged. The church and meeting house were beautiful but we were disappointed not to find more Maori information and history here. We will have to continue searching for an authentic experience as we continue south.

After spending the afternoon wandering the town we decided take a break and headed straight for the Polynesian Spa. This spa puts Rotorua's thermal activity to good use and has dozens of outdoor natural pools for guests to sit in and admire views of the Lake. With temperatures getting a bit colder ths was a perfect activity for us as the sunset. We spent a few hours soaking in the tubs and all the steaming hot spots overlooking Lake Rotorua. After the pools we called it a night and walked two miles in the drizzling rain back to our camper. Dinner and planning awaited us before heading further south.

In the morning we hit the Buried Village of Te Wairoa. We wandered the grounds of the village and saw buildings that were submerged by the eruption of Mt. Tarawera in 1886. Of particular interest is the story of tohunga (priest or wizard) Tuhoto Ariki who, according to some, was blamed for for the destruction. The village walk included the buried hotel, homes, shops, and took us through a nice trout stream and sheep field. After a nice morning walk, we hit the road en route to Lake Taupo.

Click HERE for more pics.

Coromandel Peninsula, NZ

After finally deciding to explore the country in a camper van, we said good bye to the Surf & Snow hostel and its luxurious amenities and headed back to the Auckland airport to pick up our vehicle. We were lucky enough to share a cab ride with two guys from the UK who were happy to give us a crash course on driving on the left side of the road. After a couple of days observing traffic in Auckland we knew this was going to be a challenge and were in need of any advice we could get. We arrived at the rental spot and after piling on the insurance were all too quickly handed the keys to our new home on wheels. NZers give a whole new meaning to 'car camping' as the auto has absolutely everything you could possibly need. In addition to all the materials we knew about (such as pots/pans, sink, fridge, etc.) we were also happy to see a table for two, DVD player, fold out chairs, toaster, microwave, towel heater (?), and ample storage space. It might not seem like much but this has become our new home and we want to make sure the picture is painted clearly.

After ogling at the van for a few minutes, we hopped in with a few rough directions out of town and on to the LEFT side of nearest street. Matt took his hand at the wheel first with a few close calls (left sided roundabouts!) but succeeded in navigating us onto the motorway. We think we've mastered the new technique but still provide each other with a gentle "Left side!" reminder before pulling out into traffic.

Once we grew comfortable with the car, we were able to focus on the landscape unfolding before us heading toward the Coromandel Peninsula. The Peninsula is on the East Coast of NZ's North Island and has a spectacular combination of green rolling hills and misty ocean views. We weren't expecting such breathtaking views only one hour into our trip but were extatic to be so surrounded. This was also our introduction to the 'more sheep than people' myth about NZ which we've discovered to be entirely true. The photos of the Peninsula do it much more justice than a description and we'll leave it to both of you to click through the photos we took. The drive was definately the reward for all those roundabouts.

We drove almost the full Peninsula on our first day and decided to find a camp spot in Tairua. During the Summer months this is a busy beach town but we arrived to a much quiter scene and many of the listed sleep spots closed for the Winter. This being our first night out we weren't too certain of what this might mean. We knew we could keep driving but were really looking forward to using our cute stove and cooking some dinner. Luckily we happened upon a lookout spot where a few other campers had gathered and we pulled in to get some advice. Turned out that everyone was there to camp (for free) for the night and watch the sun set over the ocean. The other campers happened to be two older couples from Australia traveling north from the South Island. They were finishng up a month long holiday together in NZ and we spent the evening swaping advice (mostly receiving) on where to camp, scenic driving routes and very useful camping tips.

We finally made a chicken sandwich dinner and pulled out the bed. The first day/night of our trip felt like a complete success and we couldn't wait to wake up with the sun and do it again.

Click HERE for more pics.

Auckland - Arrival in New Zealand

After a three hour flight we arrived in Auckland on Friday afternoon and had to quickly adjust to a new temperature. New Zealand is entering its winter and, unlike Fiji, NZ's temp actually changes each season. After taking care of some outgoing flight arrangements, we headed out of the airport and pulled out our warmer layers. NZ is set up perfectly for tourists and there are a lot of cheap options available for transport to the city centre. We hopped the AirBus and took a quick 20 minute ride to our hostel (booked from LA) called the Surf & Ski. We had no problem checking in and the facility provided access to laundry machines (greatly needed after the beach and frequent bug spray applications), a full kitchen, travel services, Internet access, and a welcoming double bed. We felt like we had been out of touch for so long so were excited about each of these amenities. We planned to use two days in Auckland as a place to check in with family, update the blog and make some travel arrangements for the weeks to come.

Our first evening in Auckland we spent strolling around downtown and orienting ourselves to the city. Auckland has a very cosmopolitan and European feel and we easily fell into window shopping, cafe hopping, and people watching. This was also our first introduction to 'Extreme NZ' as we found various options for testing our spirit of adventure. Within a one block radius of our hostel we had the option of free falling 500 feet from a giant swing or throwing ourselves over 300 meters off the top of the Sky Tower (highest needle on the globe). We decided to lay low, however, and save up our adrenaline rush for a little later in the trip.

The next day morning in Auckland we went to a great cafe called Vulcan for breakfast. The rst of the day was spent taking care of items back home and making arrangements for the rest of our stay in NZ. After MUCH investigation and deliberation we decided to rent a camper van in order to explore the rest of the country. Again, NZ is designed for tourists so there were a lot of options including packaged tours, back packer buses, a NZ version of Greyhound and others. In the end, we decided that we wanted as much flexibility and freedom as possible and the camper van would allow us to see as much of the country in the time that we have available. The camper vans also come fully stocked with a stove, fridge, heater, bed for two, linens, pots and pans and a few other camping necessities. The van will help cut costs as it can also serve as our accommodation.

After making our van decision and reservation we used our time in Auckland to explore more of the city. Auckland enjoys a tremendous harbour area lined with restaurants and a port full of sailing boats. Weekend nights are 'happening' in this area with numerous bars and cafes to sample any of NZ's excellent wines or beers. We had a nice meal on the water before turning in early for our early morning van pick up and the starts of our second road trip!

Fiji - Nanuyabalavu Island in the Yasawa Group

The 11 hour Air Pacific flight (Fijian Airline) to Nadi, Fiji was the best we had ever had. The Fijian staff on the flight are welcoming people, offering us socks to keep our feet warm, and warm hand towels to clean our hands before and after our meals. Upon arrival at Nadi Airport at 5:20am we had officially lost a day (left on the 8th and arrived on the 10th). When the sun began to rise though we both realized that Fiji is actually the first country to see the dawn of a new day - it was definetly an ideal place to start our international voyage. The Fijian people welcomed us with Bula's (hello in Fijian) and bright smiles. We exchanged money and walked across the street and at 7:15 caught a bus to the Marina, at 8:30 caught the Yasawa Flyer boat for a 3 hour trip past the Mamanuca Islands and up into the Yasawa Island Group, arriving at 11:30am on the island of Nanuyabalavu and the Manta Ray Island Resort.

At Manta Ray, our bure (sleeping hut) lined the shoreline only steps away from the beach. The bure is built to let in the cool seabreezes and is fitted with open plantation shutters which let sunlight filter in. The bure was a basic accommodation equipped with the essential mosquito net which we slept in every night. We booked seven days at the Manta Ray Resort before we left LA. Once we arrived in Fiji we discovered how easy it would have been to hop around the islands since we had plenty of time and easy access to boat transfers. This trip, however, we were content to stay on one island and get as relaxed as possible.

Our Manta Ray days all had a similar haze to them associated with true relaxation. We woke each morning to the sounds of the ocean waves on the beach and the fuzzy netting of our mosquito net. Walks on the beach until breakfast at eight o'clock. After breakfast were alternating hammock naps, sun bathing, reading, and snorkeling. Lunch was served at one o'clock after which we enjoyed an ocean activity (more snorkeling or kayaking) or more napping followed by a shower. Sunsets were around six o'clock and were always fantastic and flowed nicely into Happy Hour and an assortment of tastey tropical beverages. A delightful buffet dinner was served at seven o'clock followed by a few hours of socializing with other travelers. Repeat seven times.

One thing to note about Fiji and many of the island resorts is that it is a backpackers haven. At times it felt like there were hundreds of europeans making their way around the world and we had somehow landed in the middle of them all. We found this to be mostly nice since the typical european RTW trip ends in Fiji on their way back home. This proved very helpful in learning certain travel tips we would need as we headed on to other places. We got lots of helpful advice and we had a great time meeting so many people from all over the globe.

As one might expect, Fiji has beautiful azure waters and offers many ocean activities. Manta Ray Island is staffed with Fijian natives who were happy to take us on various excursions. We went on a fishing trip where we learned to fish off a plastic real (no rod). Lulu, our guide caught a 16 inch beautiful ocean fish within minutes. We, on the other hand, were left with empty hooks and no fish. Lulu at one point asked us if we were actually fishing or just feeding the fish (haha).

We took a boat trip to hopefully find some manta rays who were just coming into season in Fiji and we were thrilled when we found one!! We were lucky enough to snorkel with one about 10 feet in size a few feet below us in the water. Manta Rays are found in tropical water, primarily feed on plankton, average 15-20 feet wide, have a tail but no sharp barb, are a gorgeous black, purple and white color, and are extremely graceful and harmless to humans. They are beautiful creatures and we were lucky to be so close! The snorkeling off the coast was also excellent with crystal clear water. At this point we don't know the names of all the fish we saw (and we didn't have an underwater camera) but we surely noticed bright blue star fish, the famous "Finding Nemo" clownfish and sea anemone, and numerous large colorful schools of other tropical fish. Visibility around the various reefs was unbelievable.

We took a day trip via boat to a Fijian village 20 minutes away from where we were staying. Most of the workers at our resort were born and raised in the village. The village we went to has 350 people living in it. It consists of a school, a church, the chief's house, many bures and homes, and farmland for growing crops. We walked the beautiful church (they are Protestants and attend church Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday each week), the school grounds, and had an opportunity to interact with many villagers. The experience was lovely and we enjoyed an escape from the resort for the day.

After seven days on the island we achieved a nice golden glow from the sun and felt sufficiently relaxed. We were definately ready to move on to the next leg of our journey and a bit more stimulation. We headed back to Nadi for one night before boarding our next flight three hours long to Auckland, NZ...
Click HERE for more pictures (there are 30 sunset photos at the end of the slideshow so you don't need to look at them all) - Email mattparrack@gmail.com if you cannot access any pictures. Venaka!

Be sure to click HERE for Manta Ray Video link.

Los Angeles - Suzie and Brooke

Before heading out of the country we stopped over for a night in LA to see one of Jaci's long time friends and one of Matt's cousins. We only had a night to spend in the city before our flight left at 11 pm the next evening but somehow we were able to cram in a lot of experiences in a short time. Neither of us have spent much time in LA proper so we were excited about anything we might get to learn about life on the other coast. Susie graciously picked us up from the airport and we got our first taste of LA when we hit the notorious rush hour traffic. LA traffic is somewhat of a marvel in that it is amazing people put up with it. It is truly part of the life style and we learned how to accommodate it into our plans. In the case of the airport we spent 45 minutes to go 3 miles. Yikes. Puts Atlanta to shame.

The car time was well spent once we arrived at Susie's sweet pad in Beverly Hills. Susie (and her cat Winston) is studying film at UCLA and agreed to let us crash at her place for the night. We spent the rest of the afternoon catching up, eating the spiciest Indian food we've ever had, and gauging exactly how "LA" Susie has become in the last two years. She is around a 7 on a 1-10 scale which we found totally acceptable! We had some great conversations about the film scene in LA and learned about the 'behind the scenes' life of a director. Susie is quite obviously a star to be born and we will watch for her to come up in the years to come. Bark or Bite!

That night we met up with Matt's cousin Brooke who took us to some of the sights in Hollywood including Grauman's Chinese Theater, the Kodak Theater (home of the Academy Awards), Sunset Boulevard, and numerous famous spots where many celebs got their start. She is an excellent tour guide and seems truly at home in LA. Thanks, Brooke! And good luck getting into the biz!




The next day we spent walking the streets of Beverly Hills including Rodeo Drive. We really wanted to put shame to the myth that 'nobody walks in LA'. We had a great time window shopping and celeb spotting before meeting back up with Susie for our 'last supper'. On our way to the airport, we stopped off at Venice Beach and had an excellent greek dinner at Gaby's. Not very LA but sooo good. Then, said our final good bye and FINALLY headed for the international terminal at LAX. It seemed that we had been waiting for that very moment for so long and were anxious for it all to begin...
Click HERE for more pics!

Albuquerque, NM - Family, Balloon Ride & Green Chile

We made our way to Albuquerque, New Mexico via a five hour drive north west from Lubbock, TX. Jaci's mom Tarrae, step father Tom, and sister Emma all call Albuquerque home. As did Jaci over eight years ago. On the way to the city we always look to get green chile in our bellies as soon as possible even if it meant a drive-up Sonic green chile cheeseburger in Roswell, NM (yummmm). In Roswell, we saw no signs of alien life but plenty of UFO museums. From there, we drove through the Capitan Mountains, home of Smokey the Bear National Park (he/she really is from SE New Mexico). The winds picked up dramatically as we hit Carizozo and The Malpais (aka: The Valley of Fire/Badlands). Passing horse farms we eventually hit I-25 and headed north for an hour drive under big blue skies towards Albuquerque, NM.

At Jaci's moms house we have spent the past few days enjoying family, eating great food (Chef Tom), going to the dentist (Jaci), watching Liverpool advance to the Champions League final, kickboxing at Albuquerque Martial Arts Academy (go Emma!), working on the backyard, purchasing travel health insurance, finalizing some of our travel itinerary, and reuniting our two dogs, Zannah and Wyatt, after many months of being apart. Wyatt has begun to get acquainted to his new surroundings as well as to Tarrae's Catahoula Mountain Dog named Bella. So far so good.

One of the highlights of our stay in New Mexico was Tarrae and Tom's gift to us both: our first ride in a hot air balloon! As some might know, Albuquerque is the annual host of the Internationl Balloon Fiesta and home of the Anderson Abruzzo International Balloon Museum. Tom must have pulled a few strings because he got us a ride with none other than one of the museum's namesakes and world class balloonists - Richard Abruzzo. We spent a full morning hovering over Albuquerque and learning about Richard's ballooning adventures (including traveling from ABQ to the coast of Delaware in less than two days, crossing the Atlantic Ocean, and winning the Gorden Bennett race). The flight was amazing and we ended with a traditional champagne ceremony for people completing their first flight. There is a lot more to tell about our experience and what we learned about ballooning. Please take time to check out the International Balloon Museum website to learn about the incredible history of ballooning. Thank you so much Tarrae and Tom for helping create such a great memory.

Our flight to LA is set for May 7th and then to Fiji May 8th. I guess it's time for some more green chile before we leave...Thanks for everything Tarrae, Tom and Emma!!
Click HERE for more pics.