Taming the Beast

Melbourne, Vic, AU

Leaving Melbourne we found ourselves with the same situation we faced in Auckland.  How the heck do we get around?  Additionally, Australia is a vast and for the most part barren place devoid of human habitation…much less hotels.  Those hotels and hostels that are around charge exactly what you’d think they would when they are the only bed for the next 200 or so miles.

We found that, like New Zealand, long term travelers in Australia tend to purchase cheap cars or camper vans to get around and have a place to sleep at night.  Wanting to have the genuine Australian backpacker adventure and having just come off a very positive used car experience in New Zealand, we decided this was for us.

Our Kiwi car never got a name.  It just never seemed like it needed one.  However, the second we saw the 1988 Mitsubishi Triton that would become our own wheels down under we both looked at each other and knew this “ute” (Aussie for “pickup truck”) had a name,

Say hello to ‘The Beast’

Continue reading “Taming the Beast”

Kiwis (The birds, not the people)

From Tortoise orgies to custom made giraffe barns, the Great Kiwi Roadtrip makes it’s way to the Auckland Zoo!

One of the things that we absolutely had to see in New Zealand was an actual live kiwi

(Finally: the bird, not to be confused with the people by the same name)

Being as we were road tripping the length of the country these birds call home, we thought this was going to be relatively easy.  Turns out that it’s not…

Continue reading “Kiwis (The birds, not the people)”

Yeah, That Mount DOOM!

Mt. DOOM, New Zealand

20101212-NZ-road-trip-w-Ronni-27 - mount doom

(oh yes, there.  Right freaking there!  Life Achievement unlocked: Entered Mordor!!!)

The Great Kiwi Roadtrip continues!!

When you tell your friends back home that you’re in New Zealand, there is one reaction you’re almost sure to receive (especially if said friends are big fans of Science Fiction movies and some are actually known to posses the one ring) and question is, “Are you going to Hobbiton?”

Continue reading “Yeah, That Mount DOOM!”

In Search of Castle Kiwi

Auckland, NZ

Mount Eden and the Sky Tower, Auckland, New Zealand

Us: “No, mom, really what do you want to do while we’re in New Zealand?”

Mom: “Oh I’ll just do whatever you’re doing”

We’ve been down this road before with Greg’s mom.  She doesn’t want to intrude.  But we didn’t really think that getting eaten by a Sharktopus (Sharktopi?), canoe drag racing, or crawling up volcanoes were much her thing.  As we’ve said before, this “normal tourist” routine is a bit difficult for us to grasp without the aid of a 20 sided die. So this time we insisted.

Continue reading “In Search of Castle Kiwi”