Dragon flies, aqua blue glacial streams, palm tree bases with fern surprise fronds at the top (my beloved tree ferns), an abundance of creek stones smoothed and on occasion splashed with shimmer, No SNAKES…anywhere, bee boxes randomly on the roadside. There is such energy and positivity in the air and in the people here. Relaxed and uncomplicated. Nothing heady, attitudinal, conjured. Straight forward and every ounce of everything is real. I am amazed at...

Wild camping was extinguished by kamakaze insects that sneak attacked from the brush bordering the beach. We fled and the next perfect place never seemed to appear. The Tasman Sea was to our right- deep blue with giant cliffs randomly rising up out of the water. To our left were patches of green with hydrangeal pom poms springing up bursting in indigo. Darkness fell upon us and miles of road before us with not even a shoulder much less a pull off. Winging-...

After pimping our ride with an air mattress in Greymouth we drive north to get a look at Pancake Rocks in Punakai. We really wanted to start driving south but the Maui guide touted Pancake Rocks as a top 100 things a local must do. The ride was stunning along the coast, the sun was shining, I had visions of these rocks being long flat monoliths randomly dealt out on a beach and perfectly suitable for climbing on and playing reptile. Laying on a rock nicely ...

The kids suggest Hanmer Springs where there is massage, hot pools and a water park. The hub and I want to start heading south. The kids emphatically insist. They see sign; I have never been one to suffer in silence. Perhaps it was the institution of a new penal code that led them to conclude my crazy had come out? The code was heinous and unthinkable- whoever ticked me off the worst that day would have to sleep with the vitamins. If I could capture an odor ...

The kids LOVE motorhome hatches and ladders, cloudy campground pools and sand filled playgrounds. On par with any club med chant they have made up a family camping unity song complete with hand gestures. While the echoes of their glee rings within our particle board walls, I wake a dozen times with serious pain and numb limbs. My back is grumbling loud from all the lugging of suitcases to date and now sleeping on the ultimate offense- a bunky board. My back is...