When I was a kid, a good chunk of my summers were spent up at Fraser Lake Camp near Bancroft, Ontario. While it was a Mennonite camp, it was also awesome with lots of fantastic activities to keep our pubescent minds safely (okay maybe not-so-safely considering some of the goings-on) occupied: sailing, canoeing, archery, arts & crafts and possibly best of all, horse back riding. Sure, they were more ponies than horses, but when you’re a kid a pony is a horse, and that’s all there was to it. I …

After all of the rainy weather on the West Coast (yes, I know — it’s a rain forest, it’s supposed to rain), it was great heading north to Marahau and Abel Tasman National Park, one of the sunniest spots in New Zealand. We arrived super late at The Barn, did in a much needed bundle of laundry, and crashed. This was the only night of the trip where I didn’t sleep well, the Sea Legs pills I was taking tended to knock me out pretty hard. But for whatever reason, …

After leaving Hokitika, we continued up the West Coast towards Karamea. One of Katherine’s favourite places in New Zealand, our plan was to spend a few days there kayaking and exploring the Oparara rainforest and caves, then walk the first bit of the Heaphy Track, one of New Zealand’s famed Great Walks.
The West Coast Road (aka State Highway 6) is rated one of the most scenic drives in the world, and for very good reason. Regardless of weather, the place is simply mesmerizing; I wondered if people ever got …

Fox Glacier helicopter flight! from Kelly Knights on Vimeo.
On the third day of our road trip, Kat and I took an AMAZING helicopter flight up to Mt Cook and Fox Glacier. On the way back down from the glacier I was super lucky enough to be seated in the front of the helicopter; this is the video of the flight down.

Karamea – Not sure how we got to day 5 already! The weather is still shit outside, although instead of being holed up in Fox Glacier (we stayed at The Ivory Towers Backpackers, which was lovely!), we’re holed up at The Last Resort in Karamea. Still, the café we are in is super nice (esp considering we are supposed to be “backpacking”, more like wine-packing!), and while internet is expensive, they have it, which is not something to take for granted out in the whup whups of the South …