Travelling Adventures

[Professor Adorah Zumwalt]

I'm currently planning a trip for next year and realized that there's not really a thread (or at least one that popped up when I searched) for talking about travels. I feel like with having people all around the world here, it could be nice to have a space to ask questions to or for people to make suggestions (if they feel comfortable).

So, what's your favorite place you've traveled or something cool in your home country you think tourists should definitely not miss out on?

 

[Elliot Briar]

Might be recency bias, but I had an amazing time visiting Daph in the Netherlands last year . Also had a few days in Belgium which was a big highlight too. I'd wanted to go to Europe pretty much my whole life, so was nice to cross that off the list ignoring now that I wanna go back constantly.

 

[Poppy Perkins]

I have been traveling 1 to 2+ times a month since like…..November. I’m tired

Most of it has been for boring work, but I did use it to my advantage a few times. I managed to get two (separate) days in Washington DC to go to some museums and the zoo. I also got to go to Alaska and was able to scoop out a day to go to Denali and do a little hike.

The one fun trip I did this year was going to Chicago for the first time to see a concert of one of my favorite bands celebrating an albums 20th anniversary. I got to do a fair bit in only a few days even if it was during a heat wave and walking around the city was hard. The Field Museum and the Art Institute were very very cool, and of course The Bean

Anyways, I repeat. I’m tired lol

 

[Ainsley Lynch]

I've hardly travelled at any point, combination of poverty life & island in the middle of the pacific life. My nan took me to Aus to meet my aussie family when I was about 11, but beyond that the furthest I've gone is Tāmaki Makaurau to see MCR (and meet up with Mika!) a few years ago. It suits me fairly well - my home is a city small enough to barely meet the requirements to be called a city at all, and I like it that way. Every place I've been with tall buildings and lots of people has made me feel immensely claustrophobic and overwhelmed, so I'm definitely happiest at home.

Having said that, I LOVE it when people come down here & I get to show them around. As far as stuff not to miss down my end of the country, the butterfly sanctuary is great, as is the glow worm hike, and Larnach Castle is beautiful. Oamaru's Victorian quarter is def worth a visit too, if you don't mind a bit of a road trip. I've heard great things about the Monarch harbour tour but I've never been on her myself. I have seen some of the attractions that it hits though, and the penguin and albatross sanctuaries are a very fun time. Most of the stuff worth doing here is basically. Look At An Animal and/or Plant but hey what do you expect from Aotearoa Kris, Daph, and Mia can all attest that I'm a very eager tour guide

 

[Demetrius Wagner]

I'm not much of a traveller, but my most recent trip was to a place in New Zealand/Aotearoa called the Hokianga. It's an absolutely beautiful place, and I am biased because it's where my Māori ancestors come from BUT like a lot of Aotearoa, it is just beautiful. It's a harbour with a large sand bank. I'll add a photo just because I can. You can see the sand bank and the harbour.

Some other beautiful places I've been to:
Glenorchy, in the South Island. It can feel almost like Scotland in a way down there, it's quite a different vibe from the North Island.
Queenstown, also in the South Island. Tourist spot but the Remarkables (a mountain range there) are very remarkable when capped with snow.
Hahei, in the Coromandel, North Island. Beautiful beach that's quite popular around Christmas and New Year's. Great views out to the seemingly endless ocean which is both scary and profound to me.

There's definitely more places that are beautiful in Aotearoa - there's no shortage of them - but those are the ones I can speak to as an Aucklander who hardly leaves the city

Most of the stuff worth doing here is basically. Look At An Animal and/or Plant but hey what do you expect from Aotearoa Kris, Daph, and Mia can all attest that I'm a very eager tour guide

Oo I love albatrosses. I still do intend to visit so you can enlighten me to more amazing parts of Aotearoa! Just when it's less cold lol.

 

[Ainsley Lynch]

Oo I love albatrosses. I still do intend to visit so you can enlighten me to more amazing parts of Aotearoa! Just when it's less cold lol.

HELL YES albatross colony visit locked in if you come the right time of year you can see the babies (at a distance obvs) looking So So Stupid in their tiny little nests

 

[Aine Thompson]

If you're ever in Australia, save yourself the effort and don't come out to where I am, it's an utter hole. Although the Great Ocean Road is nice, and there are some pretty towns out in the regions. Daylesford is pretty popular, though I'd planned to go there and had to cancel due to lockdown and never rescheduled so I can't give a proper recommendation. It's a hot springs town and prides itself on its inclusivity, definitely a plus. If you're into hiking there is the Grampians National Park/Gariwerd which is closer to where I am but I would stay in Dunkeld before Hamilton tbh, much nicer place.

I do recommend Melbourne more than Sydney but I have been living in Victoria a while so I have that bias. Great food, galleries, sports (more of a me thing granted). NGV and ACMI are must sees for art and/or history nerds. Brisbane and the Gold Coast are great for theme parks and more of your beachy summery holiday though. Probably recommend the Sunshine Coast instead, however, as it's a little less touristy and a bit more chill, at least as far as I remember.

It's funny though, I find when you live somewhere long enough it gets hard to recommend any sort of touristy things because it all just becomes a bit mundane. I always had that problem when people visited Brisbane, never knew what to recommend. When I visited my ex in Canada I think he had the same problem, we didn't do very much in the way of sightseeing.

I've started going on tours though because I'm having a mid life crisis. Probably don't get as much of a local insight/only really see the super touristy stuff but as an anxious solo traveller it's been pretty good, feels pretty safe and gives some guidance and suggestion. I went to Japan last year and I'm going again with a friend soon so I'm dragging him to Hiroshima for a day, I genuinely think that's somewhere you must see in Japan, particularly if you have even a passing interest in history. Also going to Universal Studios and I'll try not to think about the price while I'm there. Will let you know how I go with it and with South Africa on another tour later on!

 

[Aine Thompson]

I went to Japan and I got the flu but Universal Studios was amazing.

Southern Africa though...best trip ever. Went to South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana. I wish I'd had an extra day in Cape Town, but I got to see the big 5 on safari, did the gorge swing at Victoria Falls (and went white water rafting there too and pushed myself really hard climbing up and down the gorge for it), met really lovely people and all in all had a really great mental detox while I was there. Our tour guide was the coolest man I've ever met too, which was awesome. But wow, what an amazing part of the world. Can not recommend it enough. Couldn't even complain too much about 4am starts for safaris when you're getting up close to elephants and giraffes and zebras!

Next up is Scotland and Ireland in September

 

[Professor Adorah Zumwalt]

Next up is Scotland and Ireland in September

Sounds like a wonderful time, Camilla! If I can make a suggestion, if you're going to Edinburgh in Scotland, check out The Real Mary King's Close. It definitely feels a little touristy, but if you're into history, it's worth the visit! Edinburgh is just fun to walk around, as well! Lots of history in the town.