So you’ve come to Fiji. You’re staying at a lovely resort overlooking the warm blue water, enjoying the relaxation you’ve so desperately yearned for. You’re probably near Nadi (pronounced Nandy), since that’s the major airport. Heck, you might even be staying on Denarau Island, a private enclave hosting several resorts and a bunch of luxury…
If you’re like me, a trip to Fiji largely means a long stopover on Fiji Airways. That in turn means Nadi (pronounced Nandy) on the western coast of the country, an area famous for warm waters, small islets in the coral reef, sunsets, and resorts. Sounds pretty great. But if you’re like me, a week…
As I mentioned in my Ultimate Guide to Wellington (click here to read that), people seem surprised that I spent time in New Zealand’s cities instead of just the pretty natural places. This skepticism of being able to have a good and meaningful time even seems to apply to Auckland, by far the country’s largest…
Few things bring a country together quite like sports. And few sports bring a country together quite like rugby here in New Zealand. This sport, and the national team, have defined culture in New Zealand perhaps more than anything else. They have brought people together, and become a shared point of connection all across the…
What does it mean to be a bicultural society? What are the implications, and what are the opportunities? Those were questions on my mind as I explored Auckland, New Zealand’s by-far-largest city. Like many who come to this beautiful country, it was my hope - and my plan - to discover Maori culture, and to…
Nine times out of ten, my favorite food memories from my travels are small, casual, local sorts of places. Chicharron on a sidewalk in Santo Domingo. A shop in Tokyo that only did eel and rice bowls. Goat stew from a market stall in Curaçao. I could go on. For fine dining to be included…
Lying on a beanbag chair in the afternoon sun, I am a happy guy. Batch Winery, the highest in elevation of Waiheke Island’s more than two dozen vineyards, has a number of them set up on a grassy hill beneath a tree, and the sun lights up the bay and the Auckland skyline beyond. It…
I arrived at Velskov, about a forty minute drive outside of downtown Auckland, excited. Here, on a piece of land that was once pasture and is now - slowly - recovering as native forest, Mamakan Velskov treats visitors to a unique experience that she calls forest farming. She has planted 45 species of edible native…
New Zealand’s North Island doesn’t get the love that the South Island gets when it comes to natural beauty. The region around Auckland especially doesn’t seem to attract too many tourists. Those stay in the city, and leave it for a few special things: a glow worm cave perhaps (amazing experience, by the way, although…
Let’s be honest here. Most people who come to New Zealand don’t do so for the cities. And those who do tend to stay in Auckland. (This makes sense since it is the international gateway and largest city by a considerable margin.) New Zealand’s other cities are seen as pass throughs, or places to be…