Hi everyone!
I hope you’ve had a chance to check out my latest images from New Zealand. We just returned from a trip over New Year’s, traveling with our kids to this magical country, and I wanted to share some of our favorite experiences from nine rejuvenating days.
This year, we decided to try something new for our family over the holidays after spending several years venturing to the Big Island for the festive season. After two trips to Africa, we knew our seven-year-old twins could handle a big travel day and a longer trip — as long as we planned it correctly! We wanted to go somewhere overseas that was accessible from the West Coast and would be just as fun for the adults as for the kids. With our kids now seven, we felt it was the perfect time to introduce them to the adventure-filled destination of New Zealand.
Jeff and I first visited New Zealand without our kids in the fall of 2019 as a couple. On that trip, I captured a series of aerial photographs from the Bay of Islands on the North Island, then Marlborough and Queenstown on the South Island, including Milford Sound.
This time, the trip was much more family-focused. We still wanted an element of adventure, but in a way we could all enjoy together. As with our first visit, we worked with the team at Unparalleled Journeys. They are an Auckland-based travel agency with extensive knowledge of lodges and excursions for all ages throughout both islands. We had nine nights total to plan, which they thoughtfully organized across three different stops. We decided on three nights at each location to minimize moving around as much as possible.
We left California a little before midnight on Christmas Day. The flight was about 13 hours, but the kids did great! We followed our tried-and-true formula for overseas flights with kids: eat a good meal before boarding, change into PJs and brush teeth just before takeoff, and settle into sleep soon after. New Zealand is 21 hours ahead of California during this time of year, which is really only about a three-hour time difference (plus one day) if you think about it. We landed in Auckland around 8 a.m. local time on the 27th, while it was 11 a.m. on the 26th back home, and then connected to our first destination. As is common when traveling to New Zealand, the weather can be unpredictable, so we packed a wide range of clothing. Although it was summertime, being a pair of islands not too far from Antarctica means you never quite know how the wind will blow — literally.
Kerikeri / Bay of Islands
This area is located at the top of the North Island. It’s well known as the first place the indigenous Māori people arrived from East Polynesia, as well as the site of the first English landing. We stayed at the renowned Kauri Cliffs Lodge, which is famous for its sweeping panoramic views of the Pacific, especially along the grounds of its beautiful golf course. We had a golf lesson planned that got rained out, but instead we went on a fun adventure exploring glow worms in a cave.
While at the lodge, we also enjoyed a private lunch on their unique pink sand beach after snorkeling through a reef just offshore.
Palliser Bay (outside of Wellington)
Next, we flew to Wellington at the southern tip of the North Island and stayed at the wonderful Wharekauhau Lodge, located in a remote stretch of stunning seaside country estates in Palliser Bay. The lodge is set on a working sheep farm, which was a big hit with the kids. They laughed endlessly watching the two expert herding dogs corral the sheep for a shearing demonstration.
We also had a lot of fun riding ATVs across the property and along the beach, while the kids practiced archery and we enjoyed massages.
One day, we went out with a guide on the property and stopped at a pond full of eels! The kids thought they were hilarious, and the guide had us feed them by throwing in pieces of beef. The adults were… not quite as thrilled as the kids. We were here for New Year’s Eve and had a blast staying up with the kids all the way until midnight. The staff was incredible — they catered to every request and created truly memorable, one-of-a-kind experiences.
Queenstown
Lastly, we headed to the South Island to the lakeside mountain town of Queenstown. Queenstown and the surrounding area are famous for their rugged, dramatic landscapes and strong spirit of adventure. Many scenes from The Lord of the Rings were filmed here, using the natural beauty of the South Island as the canvas for Middle-earth.
The Unparalleled Journeys team arranged a beautiful room for us at Eichardt’s Private Hotel that comfortably fit all four of us. We had a deck complete with a fire pit and hot tub overlooking the glassy aqua waters of Lake Wakatipu.
The town was buzzing with people, including many New Zealanders enjoying the end of their Christmas holiday, which made for a lively and festive finale to our trip. We had so many fantastic experiences with the kids. One day, we visited Kiwi Park, which focuses on preserving and protecting native species of the islands. Both the kids and adults fed exotic parrots from the mountains, petted lizards that are as old as the dinosaurs, and walked through a special dark-lit pavilion where kiwi birds roam freely (they’re nocturnal, so you rarely see them in the wild unless you’re camping).
We also took the Queenstown Gondola to the top of a mountain, where we completed an entire zip-lining course with the kids. They were incredibly brave and loved it — especially when the dads flipped upside down on the zip line and waved to them! We enjoyed a lovely lunch on the lake during a fishing outing, where Max caught a huge trout.
We saved the best for last. On our final day, we took a magical four-hour helicopter journey across the majestic mountains of Queenstown with Glacier Southern Lakes Helicopters.
We soared over crystal-blue waters sparkling against snow-capped peaks and even landed on a glacier several thousand feet up, where we had a family snowball fight. We flew over a national park and landed in a deep canyon, where we went on a flat, mile-long hike alongside a river — totally serene, surrounded by nature, just the four of us. We ended at a lodge where we were treated to a delicious lunch under clear blue skies and abundant sunshine.
Finally, we flew to a mountain ledge overlooking Lake Wakatipu, where, with the stunning backdrop — and the help of Jeff and our pilot — we captured a new balloon photograph for my Up & Away series.
These balloons feature the phrase KIA ORA, a Māori greeting meaning “be well” or “have life.” It’s used to say hello, goodbye, and thank you. Anyone who has been to New Zealand will instantly recognize those words, and I hope they bring back memories of your own adventures — or inspire you to take one.
New Zealand was the perfect, wonder-filled destination for our family to spend the holidays. Traveling with little ones is never easy, but when you get it just right, it creates truly unforgettable memories. I’m so grateful to have so many family photos from this journey that we’ll treasure forever.
I’m so thrilled to share these new images from my New Zealand collection with you. I hope they inspire you for your next adventure, or remind you of yours if you've been!
KIA ORA,
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