Back by the popular demand of 2 faithful readers, I shall carry on with my posts on International Living! :o)
Sightseeing....well....let me tell you....this country was made for sightseeing! I was reading an article yesterday about people who have immigrated to NZ (a
staggering 80,000 a year!!!!!), and I can completely relate to this statement made by one of the people interviewed: "I feel like I'm on holiday all the time." It's true. All I have to do is drive to one of the 15 beaches that are within a 20 minute drive from our house, take my camera, and start snapping pictures to feel like I'm on vacation.
I could post hundreds of pictures of things that we see everyday that you would look at and think 'they're on vacation again'. From the vast array of palm trees, to the spectacular flowers constantly in bloom,
to the brilliant blue sky, to the lush green covered volcanoes (about 18) throughout the city dotted with sheep and cattle; to the numerous clean, endless, empty beaches, covered in seashells and sand, with torquoise water glistening and islands dotting the horizon, to the sailboats, kayaks and ferries that fill the ocean landscape, to the 
unique pukekohes and the noisy tuis (and occasional parrot!) that flock in the neighbourhoods, to the eclectic mix of people from every nationality imaginable, to the penguins, dolphins and occasional whale that is spotted in the bay, to the street buskers who entertain throughout the city, to the rich Maori culture and arts, to the beauty that is captured in many motion pictures. It's neverending.
We now know why it's such a destination for people, and a lure for the explorer, the wanderer and the adventurer. The government offers a working holiday visa, whereby you can spend one year here, travelling throughout the country, and working at odd jobs along the way. There are countless 'ba
ckpackers hostels' throughout the country that are clean, affordable and safe places for young and old alike to stay while they explore this unique country.
We've been incredibly blessed to have had a lot of people from Canada come visit us since we moved here in 2007. I love to put together plans for places to go and see that suit the company. Kevin's cousin's family came with their 4 boys and we did all the crazy adventure things, like bungee jumping, quadding, luging, water rafting, etc. It was fantastic! My parents are coming next week, and I've researched numerous gardens where I will take them. A waterlily garden, a rose garden, a sculpture garden, a very old garden, an indoor winter garden housed
in a glorious turn of the century Victorian building. There is 
definitely something for everyone here!
We recently experienced why people have said that New Zealand is God's geographical experiment when we did a trip to the South Island. In a short 5 hour drive we saw geographically what we would have seen driving from Vancouver Island to Calgary, and then some. We saw the ocean, the mountains, glaciers, prairies, fields, rivers, volcanoes (none of those in BC/Alberta :O), waterfalls, lakes, sheep, cattle, horses, snow, frost, grass, sun, rain, clouds, fog and blue sky. It was very amazing!
So there's a bit about sightseeing in NZ. It's never ending. There is always something new to see and experience. I've spoken with people who live here and they are still finding and exploring new places. If you're a hiker/tramper that opens a whole new world of exploring as well.... there truly is something for everyone!
(Have I convinced you to come visit yet?! :o)
Sightseeing....well....let me tell you....this country was made for sightseeing! I was reading an article yesterday about people who have immigrated to NZ (a
staggering 80,000 a year!!!!!), and I can completely relate to this statement made by one of the people interviewed: "I feel like I'm on holiday all the time." It's true. All I have to do is drive to one of the 15 beaches that are within a 20 minute drive from our house, take my camera, and start snapping pictures to feel like I'm on vacation. I could post hundreds of pictures of things that we see everyday that you would look at and think 'they're on vacation again'. From the vast array of palm trees, to the spectacular flowers constantly in bloom,
to the brilliant blue sky, to the lush green covered volcanoes (about 18) throughout the city dotted with sheep and cattle; to the numerous clean, endless, empty beaches, covered in seashells and sand, with torquoise water glistening and islands dotting the horizon, to the sailboats, kayaks and ferries that fill the ocean landscape, to the 
unique pukekohes and the noisy tuis (and occasional parrot!) that flock in the neighbourhoods, to the eclectic mix of people from every nationality imaginable, to the penguins, dolphins and occasional whale that is spotted in the bay, to the street buskers who entertain throughout the city, to the rich Maori culture and arts, to the beauty that is captured in many motion pictures. It's neverending.
We now know why it's such a destination for people, and a lure for the explorer, the wanderer and the adventurer. The government offers a working holiday visa, whereby you can spend one year here, travelling throughout the country, and working at odd jobs along the way. There are countless 'ba
ckpackers hostels' throughout the country that are clean, affordable and safe places for young and old alike to stay while they explore this unique country.We've been incredibly blessed to have had a lot of people from Canada come visit us since we moved here in 2007. I love to put together plans for places to go and see that suit the company. Kevin's cousin's family came with their 4 boys and we did all the crazy adventure things, like bungee jumping, quadding, luging, water rafting, etc. It was fantastic! My parents are coming next week, and I've researched numerous gardens where I will take them. A waterlily garden, a rose garden, a sculpture garden, a very old garden, an indoor winter garden housed
in a glorious turn of the century Victorian building. There is 
definitely something for everyone here! We recently experienced why people have said that New Zealand is God's geographical experiment when we did a trip to the South Island. In a short 5 hour drive we saw geographically what we would have seen driving from Vancouver Island to Calgary, and then some. We saw the ocean, the mountains, glaciers, prairies, fields, rivers, volcanoes (none of those in BC/Alberta :O), waterfalls, lakes, sheep, cattle, horses, snow, frost, grass, sun, rain, clouds, fog and blue sky. It was very amazing!
So there's a bit about sightseeing in NZ. It's never ending. There is always something new to see and experience. I've spoken with people who live here and they are still finding and exploring new places. If you're a hiker/tramper that opens a whole new world of exploring as well.... there truly is something for everyone!
(Have I convinced you to come visit yet?! :o)
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