While we plan on staying for a total of twelve weeks on
the two “islands”, this region is probably
one we will not be ready to leave when the day comes.
Unfortunately, it is not a budget
backpacker’s paradise and the only reason why we
are able to stay even that long is thanks to good family
friends who are opening their homes to us.
Lars has wanted to set foot in Australia since 1988 when his planned adventure to drive there in a custom-RV was aborted. He is thrilled to finally be going there. Anna was there in 1986 for only a week and that was enough to whet her appetite for the rest of the continent, including Tasmania.
We HAVE to go to a place with such a cool name,
which is home to one of the coolest cartoon characters
ever! An added bonus for us both is a much-anticipated
reunion with Felicity Jenkins and her family, friends
from Anna’s Bangkok days. We will drive around the
country to better understand the Australian way of life,
and see the natural wonders of Uluru (Ayers Rock) and the
Great Barrier Reef, as well as the Outback and the
country's largest cities.
New Zealand is a far-off place, yet familiar enough to feel like home for a European, with its English language and cultural influence. Especially an outdoorsy Norwegian would feel an affinity to the place. It has those fjords, after all, and cold weather. We will be there during winter, and from what we hear, it's a lot colder than we imagined. Somehow, being close to warm Australia, we assumed it would be similar. So instead of tramping the Milford Track and any other of the plethora of trails, we will stick to winter sports and lounging in hot springs, of which there are many. New Zealand is, after all, made up of hundreds of volcanoes. We are also keen to learn about the Maori culture. Lars hopes to see the All Blacks rugby team perform the Haka, the iconic warrior dance. New Zealand is interesting in that its Maori population is much more integrated into the European than most indigenous populations in the world, including the Aborigines in Australia.
We will be in Australia from April through June and New Zealand from June until July.
Lars has wanted to set foot in Australia since 1988 when his planned adventure to drive there in a custom-RV was aborted. He is thrilled to finally be going there. Anna was there in 1986 for only a week and that was enough to whet her appetite for the rest of the continent, including Tasmania.
New Zealand is a far-off place, yet familiar enough to feel like home for a European, with its English language and cultural influence. Especially an outdoorsy Norwegian would feel an affinity to the place. It has those fjords, after all, and cold weather. We will be there during winter, and from what we hear, it's a lot colder than we imagined. Somehow, being close to warm Australia, we assumed it would be similar. So instead of tramping the Milford Track and any other of the plethora of trails, we will stick to winter sports and lounging in hot springs, of which there are many. New Zealand is, after all, made up of hundreds of volcanoes. We are also keen to learn about the Maori culture. Lars hopes to see the All Blacks rugby team perform the Haka, the iconic warrior dance. New Zealand is interesting in that its Maori population is much more integrated into the European than most indigenous populations in the world, including the Aborigines in Australia.
We will be in Australia from April through June and New Zealand from June until July.