The world was our readers’ oyster this year as they explored everything from the museums of Amsterdam to the temples of Thailand and glaciers of Alaska.
This week, a Santa Cruz couple is sharing their adventures and travel tips from a recent trip to New Zealand. Read on for details, then find more travel inspiration at www.mercurynews.com/tag/wish-you-were-here/.
Wish You Were Here
NEW ZEALAND: Santa Cruz residents Patty and Mike Ruymen’s describe their three-week trip to New Zealand as “a bucket list trip that surpassed all hopes.” They arrived in early March, which is the end of summer there, stayed in Airbnbs and rented a car to explored the sights, including Taupo, “where we hiked two miles along the river to Huka Falls (pictured),” Mike says. “Everywhere we stayed had spectacular scenery. We kayaked at Abel Tasman Park — my favorite — went on a 20-mile bike ride through a rainforest in Hokitika and soaked in four different sulfur hot springs along the way. We came back home happier and healthier.”
TRAVEL TIPS: “Stay at each location for three days, so you can slow down and experience each location.” On the North Island, they recommend the surf town of Raglan, Rotorua and its hot springs, Taupo, which has the largest volcanic lake, and Ohope Beach for boogie boarding and swimming. A five-hour ferry takes you to the South Island where you can kayak and hike in the Abel Tasman area, bike in Hokitika and take “a lovely scenic train ride” from Greymouth to Christchurch.
“Our No. 1 travel tip is to prepare to drive on the left side of the road,” Mike says. “It took some time to feel confident — we hit the windshield wipers every time we wanted to signal — but luckily the New Zealand roads are uncrowded, and no one is racing to get there faster. You will come to love all the roundabouts.”
Related Articles
Wish You Were Here: Adventures among Italy’s Aeolian Islands
Wish You Were Here: Cycling through Portugal and Spain
Wish You Were Here: Exploring the Galapagos
Wish You Were Here: Atop camels in the Sahara Desert
Wish You Were Here: Exploring the ancient treasures of the Adriatic
Join the fun! Send a photo of yourself on your latest adventures — local, domestic or international — to jburrell@bayareanewsgroup.com. Tell us where you are, who everyone is and where they’re from, and share a travel tip or two to help fellow readers go there, too.
For more travel coverage in the Bay Area and beyond, follow us on Flipboard.
