As we wrapped up our 9-day trek of New Zealand, we rolled through Kaikoura. We intended to go whale watching, but instead stuffed ourselves with out-of-this-world Indian food and crashed for the night. Then I woke up to these mountains. There’s nothing like sliding open the window in your toasty bunk, inhaling a crisp breeze, seeing this view, and realizing you’re living Life on the Road.
Priest’s Pools, Guam
Priest’s Pools is one of my favorite sights in southern Guam. The Pigua River cascades along terraces of basalt lava as it heads toward the ocean. The water is cool and somewhat clear. Back when the Spanish first arrived on the island in the 1500s, the priests would bathe in the cool fresh water. The river meanders in the typical volcanic hills and tall sword grass found throughout the south.
Sunset in Hokitika, New Zealand
What can I say in words that these pictures don’t more eloquently express about the beauty of New Zealand, its skies, and its beaches? This set is from the small seaside town of Hokitika, a pitstop on our southerly journey to Franz Josef glacier all the way from Auckland in North Island. Here you finally see the campervan that was our home (and sometimes our burden) in the 9-day road trip.
Rotorua, New Zealand: Te Puia Geothermal Park
Te Puia, a 60-hectare valley with more than 500 geothermal wonders, is absolutely mesmerizing in its beauty, power, and otherworldliness. Where else can you feel like you’re both on the Moon and a Swiss alpine lake? This landscape was begging for an impromptu photo shoot, so I hurried back to our campervan, changed, and twirled my way through the park, undeterred by the curious Chinese tour group cueing up around us. If a heavy rain had not swept in, I never would have left. Truly a magical day.
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Review: Kauri Villa, New Zealand
We awoke to a stunning view of rolling green hills and the sounds of sheep and goats greeting us as we peered out the large bay window. Incredible. We took our coffee, tea, toast, and local jam in the majestic dining room along with a couple from Australia. Our hosts introduced themselves, the farm, and even let us feed the animals. Can you believe this house was transplanted from Auckland?
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Top Dive Spots in Micronesia
While Guam is full of great dive spots, divers living here are also lucky to be just a short plane ride away from some of the most amazing diving spots in the world
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5 Things You Must Do in Cairns, Australia
Cairns city center is a hip metropolis jam-packed with shops and cuisine of every kind. Walking around downtown Cairns affords opportunities to shop, dine, and even swim in the manmade lagoon (the sur
Three Perfect Days in Borneo
Borneo is home to more species than anywhere else in the world. Armed with that piece of knowledge and little else, my husband and I traveled from Guam to Hong Kong to Bali then to Borneo to explore this biological hothouse for ourselves.
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Exploring Extraterrestrial Guam
Exploring southwestern Guam in a dune buggy for Jungle Rules Adventure Tours has got to be one of the most fun photography jobs I’ve had. I took care not to spill out of the car as we raced over red dirt hills alternating between gorgeous sea views and otherworldly ‘lunar scapes.’ If the clay hadn’t been red I would have suspected we were on the moon, the earth looked so extraterrestrial — a sort of lunar desert, but with trees. The hubby drove with aplomb and we even threw our hands up (camera between legs) as we took hairpin turn after turn and caught air over blind dunes.
Shark’s Cove: Guam’s Most Secluded Beach
The trek to Shark’s Cove feels a lot like being a castaway. My wild imagination had me calculating survival techniques and glancing nervously at my diminishing cell battery. (Times like these I thank God I married a MacGyver type.)