posers

For those of you that are not familiar with New Zealand, kiwi is the endearing name of a native New Zealander. Although three months hardly qualifies us as locals, one can always dream (hence our blog title).

Our plan for this trip is simple- there is no plan. With three months and a country the size of California, we have more than enough time to do it all. Our van gives us the flexibility to go where we please, when we please. As for the rest of it, we will just let the country take us by surprise and be open to any and every adventure. Of course we do have a few musts: sky diving, bungee jumping, sea kayaking, and any other thrill. New Zealand is a country of outdoor wonders and we would like to see as many as we can. There are "The Great Walks of New Zealand" and our intention is to complete them all. Above all else we hope to adopt the laid-back New Zealand lifestyle and become Kiwis ourselves.

(Exciting news... we have received our first job offers! Kyle as a cellar hand and Olivia as a lab technician. Looks like we will be joining the wine industry after all! and yes, those are embarrassingly matching backpacks.)

Bounty Island

When we arrive in on February 3rd, we will be heading straight to Fiji for a nice week of sun and fun! This is Bounty Island, one of the three resorts we will be staying at while we are in Fiji. This private island is accessible only by boat and each guest stays in their own beach front hut. The snorkel gear and mini-catamaran that is provided to each guest should keep us busy swimming and sailing for the three days we are there.

two days and counting

Planning for a trip of a lifetime is much easier said than done. Step one: packing. Kyle easily transitions into his rugged mountain man persona (plus a good hawaiian shirt or two). However I find myself struggling with what exactly the appropriate wardrobe is when one lives out of a van. Step two: buy a van. Our new home away from home- on wheels. Step three: find a job. Three months is a long time to simply vacation. We both were granted work visas and are excited at the idea of working in a foreign country. It will give us the opportunity to meet the locals and experience the country on a different level. New Zealand has a beautiful wine country and we will arrive just in time for the harvest. Working on a vineyard is endlessly appealing despite the 12 hour days of manual labor. With no previous wine experience or expertise, we hope luck is on our side.