Queen Charlotte track – Day 3 of hiking Due to yesterday's torrential rain, our rest day and time limitations, we water taxied to Torea Saddle to begin the day's hike. I did my honest best to convince C to take one of two alternative routes in order to avoid some 20+degree grades and 400 meters…

Can you imagine a rest day, after just two days of hiking? Last year our first rest day was after ten days! It was a good decision, though, given the torrential rain and heavy winds. Those scheduled to walk today skipped the next section due to slippery, wet, windy conditions with poor visibility and no…

Today was supposed to be the same distance, but much easier. Reminded us of a hike we did when we first arrived in Canada, one a neighbour told us we could do in our “high heeled slippers.” To hardcore BC and NZ trekkers, that translates to 10-20 degree inclines and gullible hikers. It wasn’t bad…

15-20k depending upon whose gps you trust. When reading the official website this sentence keeps coming to mind: “the QCT is not so much a steep track, but a long one…” I want to meet the person who wrote that as I believe they reversed their descriptors. It should read it is not a long…

Wifi, finally, so here starts coverage of our big down under adventure: a four day trek on New Zealand’s Queen Charlotte Track followed by a 15 day cruise around NZ then over to Australia. I was so apprehensive about the hike, given that the plan was to fly 14 hours on Oct 29, on the…

A direct flight from the Pacific Northwest leaving on a fall evening, arrives 14 hours later in New Zealand, but it's spring, and the calendar tells us it's two days later. Tricky thing when you cross the dateline and land in another hemisphere. C and I are on the last segment of our time as…

M & KC received their wedding proofs at the same time she received the surprise photo book that we made of the unbeknownst to them behind the scenes photo booth. Each room in the inn had a large jacuzzi tub positioned right in the middle of the bedroom. As much socializing took place in-room, the…

The local Hotel Bellwether describes its surroundings: The Bellingham area has an embarrassment of natural riches, and it’s all about location, location, location. In a single day it’s possible to beachcomb, wander a rainforest, take in a glacier, and still make it to town for fresh-from-the-boat seafood. After a morning of torrential rain, it cleared enough…

Years ago we bought a vacation condo, just over the border in the state of Washington; about 26 years ago. As per advice we received prior to purchasing a vacation property, it has not realized a substantial increase monitarily over the years, but the value has been in the experience. It always felt like the…

Warning: this post has formatting issues beyond my control. Typepad's numbering system gets messed up once you insert a picture. I give up trying to fix it. Apologies. Years ago I managed the positive mental health aspect of a public school system continuing education AKA lifetime learning AKA edutainment program. I'm a firm believer that…