For those of you from Colorado, here’s a good laugh. When I talk about visiting Denver this summer, I am often asked, “Are you guys buried under snow out there?” (Pardon my outburst of laughter) Umm, no it’s summer time and nearly 100 degrees. Unfortunately there is also a drought.

If you are looking for the white fluffy stuff in Colorado, come in February or March and even then might have to travel up the mountain to find it.

Growing up as Muslim women we are taught from very early age that we are forced to choose our life partner according to his religion: he must be a Muslim[1].

Besides, we Muslim women notice that men can marry women from different religions but women can not do that under any circumstances.

Until now no convincing reasons have been explained. I read Quran many times and it states clearly the equality between men and women when it comes to relationships. Quran also states quite clearly that both need to believe in God and never mentioned directly embracing Islam as a religion.

I’ve always hated men in Sexistania. I know Pinocchio was from there but after him I decided I will never date a Sexistanian man or from other Muslim country because they were so misogynistic to me and I was obviously liberal for this society.

My friendships with men in Sexistania made me more and more convinced about this decision because it made me see how Sexistanian men were looking for the figure of “good wife”: virgin, obedient, good at cleaning and cooking, doesn’t talk to other men, and most importantly can get along very well with his family because in Muslim societies you don’t marry only your partner but literally every single person in his family as well. Apparently, none of these characteristics applied to me and everyone used to tell me when I fall in love I will be as every “normal woman” should be and thank God this has never happened so far.

Since I was a kid, I always wanted to leave to another country. As I grew older I realized if I move to the West, I will face a big problem because it would be more than probable I’ll meet a man who is not Muslim. But I took the risk anyway.

Now the question is why would anyone be forced to convert to Islam to be with me? Can we live together and raise children with two different religions? I don’t know the answer for the first one but for the second question I think it’s almost impossible to have a drama-free life this way.

But, also at the same time I must confess I love God. I try my best to pray five times a day regularly and fast during Ramadan. Will any non-Muslim man accept to live in the same house where I do this? I hope so.

This is a serious problem thousands of Muslim women worldwide face. Rebellious women who marry non-Muslim men are abandoned by their families and in some countries are either murdered or get death threats. But Muslim men who marry non-Mulsim women live happily ever after. Why? Because they have a penis, I guess.

This whole issue makes me wonder what would  Sexistania be like if Civil Marriage existed for Muslim women?

We ended up at the Anne Frank Huis late in the day, and had a short line to get in. This is the building where Anne Frank, her family and the Van Pels hid from the Nazis in a secret annex above a warehouse starting in 1942. As we wound our way through the building, gradually working though the layers of the structure from the warehouses and offices which were used for regular business while the families were in hiding, to the secret entrance behind a bookcase, to the sparse rooms where the families lived for 25 months, we gradually built up a feeling of how it must have been for them.
After the Nazis found them, only Otto Frank survived the envelopment of the Holocaust. One photograph of him standing in the building after the war made tears well up. The Anne Frank Huis is one of the most poignant places I’ve ever visited.
At Keuken van 1870 in the Nieuwe Zijde we ate some traditional Dutch “stick to your ribs” Mash (mashed potatoes mixed with other ingredients), one with endive and sausage, the other with onions, carrots and beef. I also let Barb, who is not a fan of beer, try my Kreik, which is a Belgian lambic beer brewed with cherries. She liked it so much that for the rest of the trip Kreik was her preferred dinner beverage.
Walking back to our hotel that evening we passed through Dam Square, with its National Monument and historic buildings. Shops ran the gamut from the chains to stores selling only Dutch souvenirs (think clogs and windmills).
On a windy day with spotty rain we visited the largest collection of my favorite painter, the Van Gogh Museum. The layout of the museum follows his works chronologically, from his early paintings like “The Potato Eaters,” through the vibrant “Sunflowers” to the dark (in subject) “Wheatfield with Crows”. This is really a collection that can’t be missed.
We had dinner at a cozy Indonesian restaurant in the Museum Quarter, Sama Sebo. They of course had the requisite rijstaffel (rice table), but we weren’t going to stuff ourselves so we ordered nasi goring and bami goring (fried rice and fried noodles). These were served with chicken, beef satay and pickles and hit the spot.
After dinner we visited De Zotte (Drunken Fool), a bar with a huge assortment of excellent Belgium beers. We limited our samplings to two each (many Belgium beers have a higher alcohol content than American beers); much more and we might have been poster children for the place.
The next day was sunnier than the previous ones, and we took a tour by canal boat. These are low in profile to fit under the many small bridges spanning the canals. Houses in solid walls lined the canal streets, with a nice variety of brick and stone facades. Many of the houses had a unique feature: a projecting beam near the roof that is used to haul things to the upper stories. Almost every railing, tree and lamppost by the canals had bikes chained to them in a tangled jumble. Passing into the harbor area near Centraal Station gave wider panoramas of the city before we plunged back into the canals, under the famous Magere Brug or Skinny Bridge. Shafts of sunlight painted an argent sheen over both the water and city.

The Rijksmuseum was undergoing renovations, but when we were there displayed all of its most famous works in an exhibit titled “The Masterpieces”, highlighting the Dutch Golden Age. Rembrandt’s “The Night Watch,” Vermeer’s “The Milkmaid,” magnificent Delftware and an intricate dollhouse are just some of the highlights. There was a long wait to get in, but more than worth it to see the treasures inside.
We spent some of the late afternoon walking around Jordaan, which has a Greenwich Village/Soho character to it. There were quirky shops on the narrow brick-paved streets, and plenty of cozy cafes to sip a cup of coffee at a window seat and watch the rest of the world go by.

At Spanjer & Van Twist, a funky restaurant in the Western canal ring, we sat on the second floor at the windows overlooking a canal. We had guinea fowl and sea bass, and like all the meals we had on our trip they were good portions without leaving us overfilled. For those who like to linger either before or after dinner, there is a nice bar downstairs.
Early the next morning we headed to Centraal Station to catch the train to Bruges. The first leg is on a high-speed line, with a transfer at Antwerp to a regular train. The hour wait in Antwerp is enough time to buy a tasty waffle and admire the beautiful train station (famous from the “Do-Re-Mi” flash mob video).
Bruges is like stepping back into medieval times. The architecture, the narrow winding streets, the Tommy Hilfiger outlet… many of the shops at street level are anachronisms in this city, but not really distracting from the feeling of traveling back through time. It being a holiday weekend, the streets were packed with humanity from all over Belgium, flitting into the numerous chocolate and lace shops. We followed them and the delicious scents, sampling mouth-watering treats and picking up gifts.
Venturing down a little alleyway we found De Garre, an old pub. The tables were full, but a Belgian couple invited us to sit at their table. Over sandwiches of ham, cheese, sliced eggs and pickles we enjoyed one of the chats that make traveling so special: getting a relaxed look into the lives of the people who make their daily way in the places we pass through.
There are two main areas of dense interest in Bruge. The first is the Markt, or central marketplace. Step-gabled guildhouses envelope the square, most with green canopied restaurants lining their ground floors. Towering over all this like a stone colossus is the Belfort, or belfry.

The second is the Burg, a short walk from the Markt. It’s a square surrounded by a mélange of magnificent historic buildings representing seven centuries of architecture, dominated by the 1376-1420 Stadhuis. Gilded ornaments shone from the building sides and steeply pitched roofs, and stone figures in relief stood one above the other. An arch between two buildings leads to Blinde Ezelstraat, a narrow, charming street.

Back at our hotel, the NH Brugge, a converted 17th century monastery, we relaxed before dinner in our lovely large room. Looking out the windows we could see the cloisters where monks once meditated. The hotel fronts on the Zand, an open space with a fountain and large whimsical statue.
We took a cab that drizzly evening to dinner. In the twisty streets the driver had a bit of a hard time finding the restaurant, Table Folle, not the least because it had changed its name from what was in the guidebook. But it was more than worth the confusion. We dined on fawn, Flemish hare, a salad with Serrano ham and homemade ice cream, and were of like minds that it was the finest meal of our trip.
Next morning we headed back to the Markt to climb the Belfort. Progressively narrower, the deeply worn stone stairs wound clockwise up the tower, with frequent landings showing exhibits relating to the Belfort and Bruges. At the top, 366 steps later, we were greeted by a broad panorama of the city. Brick-red and slate grey roofs packed close marched off to the trees that encircled part of the city, punctuated by the occasional towers and spires of churches.
And for a last relaxing moment we took a stroll along a canal at Steenhouwersdijk. The foundations of the houses (one sporting the date 1608 in large numerals) were the sides of the canal, with doors just above water level allowing access by boat. As we walked along, hearing the water lapping below and admiring the moss covered brick bridges, we knew this trip had been special.
If You Go
Where to stay: in our shopping for good quality hotels we ended up in three different NH Hotels: NH Amsterdam Centre, Stadhouderskade, 7, 011-31.20.6851351, rooms from $197.
NH Schiphol Airport, Kruisweg 495. 2132NA Hoofddorp, 011-31.20.6550550, rooms from $127.
NH Brugge, Boeveriestraat 2. 8000 Brugge, 011-32 50 449711, rooms from $156, all NH Hotels: http://www.nhhotels.com
Where to eat: Keuken van 1870, Spuistraat 4, 011-020.620.4018, http://www.keukenvan1870.nl, entrees $13-$22.
Sama Sebo, P.C. Hooftstraat 27, 011-020.662.8146, http://www.samasebo.com, entrees $23-$42.
Spanjer & Van Twist, Leliegracht 60, 011-020.639.0109, http://www.spanjerenvantwist.nl, entrees $10-$21.
Table Folle, Walstraat 11, 011-050.33.0089, http://www.tablefolle.be, prix fixe $23-$35.

Our journey has been filled with ups and downs, stress, joy, friends, family and most importantly—learning. Although we haven’t lived very long in a country requiring a new language (Germany for a few months) we have had to learn new cultures. With the UK and Australia being English-speaking countries you would think it would be easy to acclimate. It is amazing how long it takes to learn how things work, where to buy things, popular culture and so on. After eight years in England we were really feeling like it was home. Here we are three years in Australia and we still laugh about things we are learning. It feels like each day something new pops up we have never heard before—whether that is a person, a word or a little fact about Australia. I won’t even go into the different accents and slang and everything else we coped with living especially in the UK. Steep learning curve for language!!

We have had the privilege of travelling extensively over the past eleven years of living abroad. It was easy to travel when we lived in England, especially when we lived outside of London. We had so many options to get over to Europe—plane, train and ferry. Travel is a priority in our lives so we make the most of it. We don’t spend money on much, saving for our next holiday. Moving to Australia posed a bit of a travel problem for us. I was pregnant with Alex when we moved here. Travel with two kids made things a bit more difficult, as well as the distances. Australia is much bigger than I had imagined. After Alex turned two it was much easier to do some travelling. We have travelled to several cities around Australia as well as some South Pacific islands and New Zealand. Now that he is about to turn three and Sofia is five we can do about anything–with restrictions due to Sofia’s school schedule.

We have met some amazing people along the way. It has been hard here in Australia to see friends come and go as they come to Sydney for work and then move on. It tends to make you protective about friendships. I haven’t learned to let that down after all of this time. That said, I have met and continue to meet some wonderful people.

We don’t know how much longer we will be in Sydney. A year? Three years? Who knows? I do know there are still plenty of things we want to do and see here before we move on to the next adventure. It has been an interesting eleven years and I can’t wait to see what the next eleven bring us!

One is that the two best restaurants are:

Cassariano — superb little Italian place with a few vegetarian things in the cute little downtown area.

Upper Crust Bakery — terrific breakfast spot

As for things on the water or near the water…The Crow’s Nest has a downstairs pub area that’s just the sort of dive-y little weird place the husband and I like to check out on vacation. The food cannot be called healthy, but after running my butt off at the hotel gym, I wasn’t feeling guilty about it. Also, Cigar City Jai Alai IPA on draft.

As for places to stay, I think I looked at all of them online before settling on the Ramada. Sounds mundane, but ended up being quite the score. It’s been recently remodeled so on the outside it’s the quintessential Florida vacation hotel complete with poolside bar and kids squealing in the shallow end. On the inside, it’s all Hilton-esque linens and decor.

Perfect relaxing getaway.

Oh, about seven miles from the Ramada is a little “park” where you can walk around in the swampy scrub lands until your face melts. If, however, you head off the main paths toward the creek that leads to the river, you’ll probably run across some wild boars who use it as a watering hole. My phone decided to reset itself around this time, so you’ll just have to take my word for it that baby wild boars are ADORABLE.way.

Not too much to see or do or explore nearby, so we mostly had to chill, which is not something either of us does well. My friend, who went with us, chills far better than I do. (She had entirely too many piña coladas while I was running.)

Flight
Because of work schedule, instead of taking the comforting direct flight from Singapore to Manado by SilkAir, I decided to fly to Jakarta via Jetstar and to Manado via Lion Air. I was skeptical about Lion Air since the reviews are not too favorable in terms of flight delays and aircraft quality. Right before my flight, news that another Indonesian domestic airline just crashed landed made me even more worried about Lion Air. I always do this to myself: booked the cheap flight and subsequently feel worried about it! However, the flights turn out to be decent! Both flights (to and fro) were on time and seats are comfortable.

The greedy tourist in me decided to book the midnight flight departing Jakarta at 1am. I therefore needed to spend 5 hours after my international flight from Singapore wandering around Jakarta airport. The airport was rather large and crowded, but seemed well operated and safe. The shuttle bus bringing passengers between terminals runs every 10 minutes and pretty convenient. Waiting area and departure halls are clean and spacious. As I’m traveling alone, I chose to quickly check in to my domestic flight and went directly to the departing hall before settling down on a comforting long chair to sleep. For tourists who wonder if it is ok to sleep over at Jakarta airport, it is pretty much possible!

Manado

When I first visit a new place, I tend to follow the common path which is to do the popular tourist stuff. On the other hand, I prefer not to run a marathon trying to “check” all the activities and places just for the sake of list-checking. I love to spend quality time enjoying the present with my travel buddy(ies) whenever possible.

Did a fast loop of Crystal Lake Park and Busey Woods.

Stopped to photograph the swaying lower trunk of the sycamore I like at the entrance to Crystal Lake Park.

Photographed the Labyrinth but didn’t stop to walk it, partly because two people were sitting on a nearby picnic table and partly

because I really had to get going.

Loved the canopy over Coler Avenue next to the west edge of Busey Woods.  Peeked at the prairie garden at Lincoln Bindery: saw a few spiderwort.

Got a photo where the road curves at the top of the hill and divides the cemetery and Busey Woods.  My mind played the sentence, “This is not a good place to stop!!” loudly.

Speeding down the hill was the expected and always enjoyed little rush.  It was Rhododendron‘s first trip down the hill, and, yes, it was fast!  Made me think of what I’ve been reading about proper bike fit:  “When the fit is exact, the bike disappears.”  Rhododendron came closer to disappearing than I remember dear Discovery, or even Blue, doing.

Got a distant shot of the Crystal Lake outdoor pool in progress.  Well, there are slides.  Hope very much that it’s open before the end of

the summer!

The geese are doing well, from the looks of things, at Crystal Lake itself.  An adult goose led the way, honking protectively for this group

including pretty small (yes, cute!) goslings.

And home again.

Rode on Vine street, then took the small and then a counter-clockwise big loop of Meadowbrook Park.

Just a little way past the rabbit bridge on the south edge of the loop, a group of three herons, flying overhead and pointed WNW caught

my eye.  Often I see single herons flying early in the morning, and usually they are going to the east, so they made me stop and look until they flew out of sight.

The blue flag irises were blooming, the bloom still on the increase.  Wished I had the camera, but without it there was much less temptation to slosh in the water and “trespass” to see them.

More, many spiderwort were blooming in much of the big loop.  The Penstemon also were widely distributed, but mostly still in eager bud.

Saw two deer just the other side of the path and a little south of the Freyfogel Overlook, seemingly the same ones that were there yesterday.

Saw people walking around the park I hadn’t seen since last fall, back with the sun.  Like the blue flag iris, the spiderwort, and the Penstemon, they had returned for this new season to magical Meadowbrook.

Seen in Italy

Seen in Wales

Seen in Italy

Another travel piece accepted by Way Beyond Borders that treats readers to an eclectic Oaxacan buffet. On the menu: everything from lizard legs to grasshoppers!

So, you have your vacation booked, you are packed, and now you are thinking about how you will entertain your child in the car or on the plane! 

Long trips are even longer when you have children who are fussy and bored!  We traveled to the beach each year by car, and took the occasional flight when our children were young.  I had quite a few tricks up my sleeve to keep everyone content (at least mostly content) on the way.  Early on we learned that the trip to and from our destination had to become part of the “vacation”.  In other words, we had to have that vacation mentality and enjoy that part of the trip too!  You can have fun driving with a carload of kids I promise!

Traveling by car allows you to see some great areas that you may not experience if in a hurry.  During our yearly trip to the beach we found small towns, festivals, touristy attractions, and great parks for picnics.  We soon learned that getting out of the car and enjoying the trip made it much more fun for everyone.  Lunch is much better in a park where everyone can run and play than sitting quietly in a restaurant!  Leaving early in the morning and stopping early in the late afternoon allowed the kids to play, swim, and become familiar with the hotel we were sleeping in that night.  We learned the hard way that pulling into a hotel after a long day of driving at bedtime only resulted in crying children and frustrated parents.  An early stop always resulted in kids settling in for the night easier and an earlier start the next morning.

Entertaining kids on a flight or in the car sometimes takes some creativity.  A mixture of new toys and old favorites usually works.  Some toys were “special” vacation toys that were only used on long trips.  We didn’t have the DVD players so common now, but our kids were very excited about the special travel toys we kept just for our long trips.  You might think about using your DVD player for that purpose.

Here are a few ideas that may work for you.  I found packing the toys in a bag and getting them out one at a time as needed worked well.  Sometimes even wrapping the new ones made it so much fun to unwrap and see the new surprise toy!  A trip to the dollar store or the Target Dollar Aisle is a great place to pick up some of those new items.

1.  Travel sized magnetic games.
2. Travel sized Magna Doodle or Aqua Doodle.
3. Sticker Books
4. Activity Books
5. Crayons and markers (remember to bring the crayons out of the car if it is warm weather…trust me they can melt and make a mess!)
6. Reusable stickers or “clings” that can be put on car or plane windows.
7. Wikki Stix or pipe cleaners
8. Painter’s tape (makes great “roads” on tray tables, fun to tear and stick, easy to remove, great for childproofing in hotel rooms!)
9. Finger puppets
10. New books and favorite books
11. Favorite music
12. Movies
13. Bubbles (fun to blow in the car!)
14. Small cars, favorite dolls, stuffed animals
15. Cookie sheet with magnets

Treat bags became a vacation tradition with our kids.  We always packed a few snacks, some healthy and some special treats.  To this day, I pack a “treat bag” even for my husband and me when we head out on a road trip!  Slow down, stop, let your child out to run and then provide a quiet activity once back in the car seat or on the plane.  Take a deep breath and enjoy having your family contained in one spot…something that, believe it or not, you will look forward to when your children are a bit older and busier.  Talk, sing, snack, and maybe even nap on the way…Family vacations are simply time together, time together doing something different….so be sure that your vacation begins when you leave your house.  The trip to and from your vacation CAN be fun too! What do you bring to make your travels more fun?  Share your ideas!!!

Take a breath, enjoy the joyful moments of each day, and remember you don’t have to be perfect to be the perfect parent.

Cindy

What I didn’t really think about was how much I prefer to be in the drivers seat and how last time I did a very quick turn around trip (to pick up The Hierophant from PDX) I messed up my hip quite badly. Badly enough for physical therapy. Which put me out of commission for working out for a few months, which extended to more than a few months because my go ahead to work out again was in January and this year was the cruelest most bitter winter of my existence.  So, obviously, I didn’t return to working out until just this spring when I realized I was having a very hard time fitting into my pants.

So I drove.  I do love driving.  I find it relaxing, although apparently my body does not.  I drive tense.  At least, that seems to be the only thing that accounts for how my body behaves as a consequence of lots of driving.  The very good news is that my hip hasn’t even squealed. See, I’ve been keeping up on my strengthening in that area.  Nope, this time it’s my neck and shoulder.  Both right side. Same side as the hip.  I blame this on the fact that I am right handed, which oddly means that’s my weaker side.  Why?  Two reasons.  I had a baby and I feel very uncomfortable without a drink in my hand.

See, I held my baby on the left hip with my left arm, because my right hand was needed for things like opening doors, cooking, holding cups, feeding said baby.  This coupled with my crippling addiction to beverages, which means I will carry untold weight on my left arm just so I can continue to carry a cup in my right, means my right side is incredibly weakened.  It’s unsettling.

So, after arriving in Reno, you’ll know it as The Biggest Little City, I knew I might be in some trouble.  I spent Friday morning stretching for a half an hour. I took preventative ibuprofen and drank (a  lot). I was good.  Until Saturday Morning, when I hadn’t stretched, was bloated so bad I couldn’t get my ring over my knuckle and then Dracula sneezed into my right elbow.  And then almost couldn’t brush my teeth my neck seized so badly.

Reno was a relaxing blast, other than the whole neck issue.  Katie (the upcoming bride) and Jenna (her upcoming sister-in-law) and I did nothing but relax.  We floated about, drinking, gambling (winning a little bit), eating yummy bites, sitting poolside (they have a fake beach where we stayed that’s how fancy we are), drinking lots and lots and then being slightly obnoxious with the retailers in the Pro-Image store, and gambling some more. And then there was more driving!  But Jenna drove some of the way and I actually snoozed for a bit (rare as I’m usually so freaked out by not being at the wheel I can’t sleep – so kudos to Jenna).

Upon returning home I showered and gave up entirely on trying to fit Fair Moon’s ring on my finger.  I was also 10 pounds heavier than when I left two days earlier.  I was also so screwed up that within moments of seeing me Fair Moon said, “What’s this? What’s this thing with your shoulders? Why is one so much lower than the other?”  Still don’t have any idea, but one side was really high and the other really low.  The evening progressed with, “I Don’t want to offend you, but you are really swollen.  Why do your toes and fingers looks like sausages? And… and… ummm…. what happened to your ankles? They’re gone.  It’s like you’re pregnant and about to pop.”

It was frightening.  Really.  My ankles had disappeared and I had to repeatedly ask Fair Moon for reassurance that I do actually USUALLY have ankles.  But it was worth it because I got a neck rub and a foot rub (and we’ll just ignore the fact there was a horrified, “Why is the skin on your leg so tight?!”) and then pampered the next day as she fretted over my comfort.  Granted, I cried getting into and out of bed, so I was definitely damaged.  But she fixed me mostly right up.

In fact, I joined in on the lunchtime work out crew and although my neck is still a bit sore, I’m mobile and not crying.

Y is for Yacht…..

of which there are many here in the San Francisco Bay Area. These two photos were taken in the Oakland estuary off Jack London Square.

The letter Y is brought to us by Frizztext

Pave Post Earrings, Anthropologie {$24}/Chambray Peasant Top, J.Crew {$78}/Linen Cotton Pant, J.Crew {$89.50}/Unisex Big Pocket Tank, American Apparel {$22}/Women Dip Suno Long Flare Skirt, UNIQLO {$29.90}/Twisted and Pleated Tee, Anthropologie {$58}/Drape Printed Bottoms, UNIQLO {$14.90}/Night Sky Bracelet, Urban Outfitters {$10}/Croquetl Leopard Loafers, Steve Madden {$79.95}

Would I be lying if I said I’m not keeping an eye out for clothes to wear in India? Absolutely. In fact, as you can see, I’ve already begun piecing together my outfits with some new and old pieces I own above.

I was so ecstatic to arrive in Singapore I couldn’t resist the temptation to immediately explore the city. As you’re reading this, I’m taking the day off before the next wave of shoots begin.

So here’s Affordable Holidays’ top 10 cool places to visit in New Zealand…

#1  Fiordland National Park
Here in the Fiordlands you will find a place where glaciers have carved many deep fiords, the most famous of which is Milford Sound. Other notable fiords located in this region include Doubtful and Dusky Sound.

#2  Abel Tasman National Park
Another place in New Zealand you must see is the Abel Tasman National Park, New Zealand’s smallest National Park.

#3  Queenstown
Queenstown is New Zealand’s most popular destination and regarded as New Zealand’s adventure capital. Queenstown hosts most of the countries bungy jump sites and many other outdoor activities such as shotover jet and white water rafting.

#4  Rotorua
Rotorua is famous for its volcanic activity which includes geysers, steaming hot pools, mud pools and lakes. It is the spiritual home to the Maori.

#5  Bay of Islands
The Bay of Islands is a “must see” if you are visiting New Zealand. It’s renowned for having 144 islands, with many superb beaches and secluded bays and an abundance of marine life.

#6  Mount Cook
The highest Mountain in New Zealand and its most popular tourist destination. Mt Cook National Park located in the Canterbury region is another National Park that you must see.

#7  Westland National Park
Located in the South of New Zealand West Coast, famous for its diverse landscape, glaciers, Franz Joseph Glacier and Fox Glacier, it spectacular scenery and pristine nature.

#8  Tongariro National Park
The Tongariro National Park, located in the Taupo region, is a World Heritage Park and one of the oldest National Parks in the world. The park contains three superb volcanoes – Mt Ruapehu, Mt Tongariro and Mt Ngauruhoe.

#9  Coromandel
The Coromandel is where the kiwi’s go on holiday. Renowned wordwide for its natural beauty – misty rainforests and pristine golden beaches, the Coromandel is blessed with hundreds of natural hideaways, making it an ideal place to slow down, relax and unwind. Dig your own hot spa pool in the sand at Hot Water Beach, explore the Coromandel Forest Park, or cruise the islands by boat.

#10  Kaikoura
Another must see destination is Kaikoura situated in the middle between Christchurch and Picton on the East Coast of New Zealand’s South Island. Here you can swim with dolphins in their natural habitat and see some amazing marine life.

Yeah, I would like to be able to commute like this…

Personal Photography by S.M