By James CookEvery city on the planet requires water. The reason for this is simple. No water, no life. When the area that is now present day Melbourne was discovered there was an abundance of fresh water, due to the Yarra river. Whose gentle flow and lazy currents still...
By James Cook[caption id="attachment_2751" align="aligncenter" width="590"] The Buddhist Meadow[/caption]When I first came to New Zealand I spent a night at a Buddhist Retreat. My friend Dan and I came across it when we were looking for a cheap place to camp. It was the...
By James CookIn Maori mythology when Maui, the legendary Polynesian hero, came to Aoterara his canoe was the South Island. When he fished the North Island out of the sea he anchored his canoe. Stewart Island or Rakiura is that anchor. The third largest of New Zealands...
By James CookThere are two ways that you can see Albatross in New Zealand, and both of them centre around the Royal Albatross centre located at Taiaroa Head on the Otago Peninsula. The first way is you can take a shuttle bus to their facility and look down at them from...
By James CookDue to hosting issues, the comments for this article were lost. We apologize to anyone whose comment was lost, and we thank everyone who has taken the time to leave a comment.The Fox Glacier is the largest glacier in New Zealand. It is also extremely fast...
By James CookWe just had a overnight stay in Greymouth. The Stray bus picked us up outside our hostel and we were away to the Franz Joesph Glacier. Our first stop was a picturesque lake. It is famous for the dolphins that swim up from the sea to feed. We unfortunately did...
By James CookJade and I do not normally take tour buses. Instead we choose to hitchhike or at a push get a regular bus that just goes from point a to point b. For our current trip around New Zealand however, we are on a bus tour with the Stray bus company. We are trying out...
By JamesWellington is the cultural hub of New Zealand. There is always something fun to do here, and it can be an extremely cheap day out as well. This weekend was no exception and with New Zealand hosting the rugby world cup and the All Blacks playing in Wellington Stadium...
By James Cook As I write this I am looking out my window and there is not a cloud in the sky, birds are singing, people are out and its warm. Last Tuesday it was not warm. In the early afternoon we experienced a freak hail storm, followed by thunder and lightning. The...
By James CookIf you are in Wellington Matiu/Somes island is the perfect place for a day trip. The small island has a rich history. Legend has it that the mythical navigator Kupe discovered the island over 1000 years ago and named the island Matiu, after his daughter.The...
