Untethered

Hello friends! We completed our South Island tour with a bang.  We took a wine tasting tour in the Marlborough Region which produces wines that make our taste buds so happy!  Here the specialty is Sauvignon Blanc but we also found some beautiful Rose's and Pinot Noir's.  There are 66,000+ acres planted in grape vines in the Marlborough Region which is pretty incredible since this region just started producing wine less than 40 years ago.   Similar to other parts of the country, most of the vineyards are boutique producing fairly small quantities.  However, here you also find the familiar NZ large producer names such as Brancott, Wither Hills and Yealands.  On our tour, we visited 4 unique vineyards and came home with several nice bottles from our favorites of the bunch. On this trip, the Jackson's Estate wines were the winners.  We're hoping to enjoy a few more bottles while we're still in NZ as distribution in the US is very limited. Unique cella...

Greetings! We are fast approaching our final few weeks here on the South Island of NZ.  We spent several days in the famous Marlborough Sounds known for it's beautiful waterways.  Sailing, fishing, kayaking and tramping are just a few of the things to keep one busy.  The area's history includes a massive whaling industry that nearly decimated several species of whales.  Thankfully for the whales, we no longer chase them to kill but rather to study & admire them.  We took a boat tour skippered by a 6th generation local who spoke proudly about the perseverance of these whaling families.  Most have seen hard times more than once and yet they persist in living in this very remote corner of the world.  Now employment mostly revolves around tourism.  With international tourists gone due to Covid, tough times are back. Thankfully, Kiwi's are traveling a great deal in their own country so some areas aren't feeling the pinch quite as hard.  But in...

 Hello friends & family! We hope this note finds you doing well.  Our journey continues on the NW/Central side of the South Island.  We are in the region known as the Abel Tasman/Marlborough Region.  Regions are the equivalent of our states in the US.  The states are further divided into districts similar to our counties.  The Abel Tasman National park hosts one of NZ's "Great Walks" These "walks" are 4-5 day tramping trails considered to be a "must do" by any serious tramper.  Prior to hitting the trail, supplies can be secured in Takaka, a funky town filled with hippies, backpackers and freedom campers.  NZ seems to have a love/hate relationship with freedom campers.  These are folks who camp for free in any spot that allows it.  For years, many kiwis did their own share of freedom camping but now the locals seem to have grown tired of the constant challenges of trash and human waste left behind.  Perhaps years ago, the number...