From River Towns to Mountain Passes

NZ Road Trip – South Island – Day 7 Murchison – Reefton – Christchurch Friday 27th – Saturday 28th February 2026 We reluctantly left Murchison and headed for Reefton and instantly loved it. Reefton has that proper West Coast charm.  Historic buildings, relaxed pace, proper small-town warmth. We stopped for coffee and cake (obviously) and…

South Island – Crossing the Cook Strait

NZ Road Trip – North to South Island – Day 6 Wellington – Picton – Murchison Friday 27th February This wasn’t just another short drive or change of scenery. This was us leaving the North Island. We watched Wellington shrink behind. The hills wrapped around the harbour, the skyline slowly fading into the distance. The…

From Paekākāriki to Wellington – Sea Air to City Buzz

NZ Road Trip – North Island – Day 5 & 6 Paekākāriki – Wellington Thursday 26th – Friday 27th February 2026 Leaving Paekākāriki the next morning felt like pulling ourselves away from somewhere we’d only just discovered but already loved. But the road south was calling.  The drive into Wellington is short but dramatic. The…

Tūrangi to Taihape to Paekākāriki – From Mountains to the Sea

NZ Road Trip – North Island – Day 4 & 5 Tūrangi – Taihape – Paekākāriki Wednesday 25th -Thursday 26th 2026 Leaving Tūrangi, we swapped volcanic drama for open roads and big skies. The morning light stretched across the central plateau as we headed south, the landscape slowly softening from raw alpine terrain into rolling…

Hiking the Tongariro Alpine Crossing aka Mount Doom

NZ  Road Trip – North Island – Day 3 Tongariro National Park Tuesday 24th February 2026 We didn’t come to Tūrangi just to admire the scenery.  We came for one thing.  To hike the legendary Tongariro Alpine Crossing.  In fact probably one of our main reasons for visiting the North Island. The Tongariro Alpine Crossing…

Kia Ora, Auckland 🇳🇿

NZ Road Trip – North Island – Day 1 Sunday 22nd – Monday 23rd February 2026 Auckland There’s something surreal about watching New Zealand appear beneath you from the plane window. After days of travel, Scotland to Heathrow, then to Guangzhou’s neon glow, more hours in the air than I care to count, suddenly there…

Neon Skies & New Year – 24 Hours in Guangzhou

Guangzhou, China 20th & 21st February 2026 After what felt like a small lifetime in the air (11 hours exactly), stepping out into Guangzhou’s warm evening air was surreal. Scotland had been winter-grey with what felt like endless rain since the start of January. Guangzhou was glowing. This was meant to be practical, a pause…

And So The Adventure Begins:  From Scotland to the Other Side of the World

19th February 2026 After months of planning…well to be fair… since late December 2025 🙈 (and counting down!), we’re finally heading off on a four-week AND 1 day (who’s counting) adventure to New Zealand. The journey itself feels like part of the experience, travelling from Edinburgh to Heathrow, then on to Guangzhou in China for…

Bergen, Norway

December 2025 Just before Christmas, we escaped to Bergen for four days and 3 nights in search of a little festive magic and some calm before the big day! We flew from Aberdeen airport for the first time.  This proved to be a fully relaxing experience as it was such a quiet airport, highly recommended!…