Georgia

Georgia - the country, not the state - was never really on our radar. However, not one person we met who had gone had anything to say about it that wasn't spectacular, so we gave it a go. A brutal overnight flight (of just 3.5 hours) was not the best start, nor was the very Asian-like exit of the airport, packed with people, many pulling at you to take their cab. We got a SIM card from a stand and checked out our rental car, following the guy past the clouds of cigarette smoke to a lot where we got the junkiest rental car I think I've ever paid for. Departing north at 5:30am, only Justin saw much of the town while the rest slept. We stopped at Zhinvali Water Reservoir and shortly on to Ananuri Fortress for quick pictures before heading up to the mountains in Stepantsminda. Our stay was at Ska Cottage, a small place overlooking the mountains that I would say can be beaten if it weren't for the views and the price. Unfortunately, it rained a lot and there wasn't much we could do about that.

A highlight in the north of the country was that we hiked up to Gregeti Trinity Church, one of the most picturesque locations possible. While we had neither the gear nor the patience for going farther, we hauled up (and down due to the lightning and hail) that mountain. Nothing could be finer than having a bite at Cozy Corner by the river. The Georgian food never disappointed, from delicious soups to unique bread, and of course, the wine. Khachapuri is a delicious bread with cheese, and the khinkali - like dumplings, were smashing. We snuck in a short hike to the waterfall and a single run. Had the weather been better this would have been a place to explore more, but it just was not quite that time of year yet. It was the closest most of this family would ever get to Russia, though. 

The drive back was interesting. When it isn't stray dogs, herds of cows, or even horses on the road, truckers were in the way. While miles upon miles of long-haul trailers were parked on the side of the road (presumably to enter Russia), there were still trucks, and on the winding mountain roads, they proved hard to pass. Many people took plenty of liberties in getting past them and it became more of a white-knuckling experience. However, when we hit the border of Tbilisi, it was as if everyone had forgotten how to drive! No longer were there any lanes - people just weaved in and out as they pleased. Heavy traffic combined with rain made the last hour one of the least enjoyable of the trip, particularly as once we got close to the next hotel, we were caught among a bunch of walking streets and one-way roads. We got stuck in small alleyways, behind construction, and parked cars. It was extremely frustrating. However, our place - Old Tbilisi Rhymes - was a gem, once we finally found it. The place was large and a short walk from all the things we wanted to see. Location is key. A burger and beer at SMA cafe did help (though the burgers weren't the best). 

I forgot to mention that on this drive home, we did stop a couple of times to see the Jvari Monastery, a 6th-century building that remains largely unchanged, and the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, which originated in the 4th century. 

Our goal was to do a walking tour at night. The weather was a bit wet and windy but we rocked up anyway along with a  random Polish woman to take the tour. We learned a lot and saw some of the best sites, from Zion Cathedral, Liberty Square, some cool architecture, the Meidan Bazaar underground, and lots of other little things, all told in a fun way. However, I was very tired from the long day and was glad to call it quits. The next day we hiked up to the top of the 4th century Narikala Fortress (since the cable car was not open due to winds) and the Mother of Georgia statue. These places were just above us, offering great views, and finally some sun. Burgers and beers at Tsota Tsota hit the spot, though the Black Dog was fun too with all its Big Lebowski-themed items and movie posters. 

Our final day in the capital was spent at the Sulfur Baths. There are a number of them there but the most iconic is Chreli-Abano which looks a bit like a mosque on the outside. The pool was hot to say the least, and we all were pretty uncomfortable after about 5 minutes in the water. The bravest hopped from the 50-degree Celcius pool to the fridged cold plunge, but not everyone could handle it. Sarah and Taelyn opted for a kisi, which is like an exfoliating scrub. Red like lobsters, we said goodbye. Our dinner was at the 144 Steps Cafe, up above our lodging, which offered good food, like everywhere. 

The third leg of our trip took us east, towards some of the more famous winelands of the region. However, along the way, we wanted to stop at Davit Gareja, a beautiful monastery complex. However, Google Maps pulled a fast one on us and soon we were braving potholes. When it said "turn right" and there was no discernable road, we were not encouraged. Up and over a road, paved this time but with grass growing on it (they could film the Walking Dead on this street), we wondered if we were in trouble when we hit a military base with no entry due to a firing range (what time we did not want to find out). Onward we plowed basically down a two-track dirt road with dips and ruts. We only had 2-wheel drive and it was very sketchy, bottoming out repeatedly. Had we gotten stuck, it would have been hours to get someone to even find us. However, after more than an hour of trying to bounce along this path and not end up stranded, we found pavement. Google Maps even said we crossed momentarily into Azerbaijan as we were driving along the border! In the end, it was worth it as this 6th-century church was built into a rock face and was a spectacle to see.

The rest of the drive headed up into the mountains to the town of Sighnaghi, of the City of Love. Here we stayed at Apartment Sunrise, a place that could have slept 10 people. The old man spoke no English but was nice enough, bringing us fresh strawberries every day. We were famished so we went to Pancho Villa, a little Mexican place in town. It was a smashing success. Despite not getting the guacamole (there was no power so he couldn't blend the avos), we all thoroughly enjoyed that meal of pico de Gallo, burritos, and Coronas, of course! It really was some of the better Mexican food we have had abroad. The next day we headed to Pheasant's Tears Winery and had a wine that contained 418 types of grapes! It tasted about how you would expect that too, but it was fun nonetheless. Then we walked to Bodbe Convent, a stunning place overlooking the mountains. While not as ancient as most sites (but still older than the USA), it was still impressive and very beautiful. Walking on through the hills we came to the Cradle of Wine Marani. This tasting is held by a guy named Paul who will ridicule you as well as bedazzle you (and you best follow the toastmaster's rules) all while you sip on unique wines and taste delicious bread. We laughed and learned all about this wine culture, which is the oldest in the world going on 8000 years! But we also learned how important it was for Georgian hospitality. We ended back at Pancho Villa because it was Cinco de Mayo after all. 

Our last day was (somewhat) uneventful as we drove back to the capital and stayed in a hotel close to the airport. It lacked just about everything the description on Booking.com said, but we made due. We also headed out to 2 Tons for food, but this satellite restaurant of the one downtown was terrible! Service was an absolute joke and while they had a menu of say 100 items, 50 of them were not at this location! Hard pass.

Georgia was a gorgeous country with impressive architecture that remains intact after many centuries of weather and invasion. The people are very kind overall (much more so in touristy places) and a shocking number speak English. Overall, most food and lodging is cheap, like my rental car, and this is an untapped gem in terms of tourism. It will never get big like Italy but it has so much to offer and is a breath of fresh air from the more packed Western European cities. 

New Zealand

After arriving from a very long flight to Auckland, Justin popped up early in the morning after little sleep to collect our Jucy rental van, our home for two weeks.  This "van" had a kitchen of sorts, a dining table which turned into the main bed, and a lofted area that converted to a second bed. We grabbed groceries and headed down the road to our first stop, Hobbiton, where we would visit the Shire. This movie set was used in the filming of the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, and we walked through all of the places we saw on screen: the mill, Frodo's/Bilbo's house, Sam's house, the Party Tree, the garden, and we wrapped it all up with a stop in the Green Dragon Inn for a beer.

Onward we traveled to the beautiful Coromandel Pennisula and a stop at Hot Water Beach and the Hot Water Beach Resort Holiday Park. We spent the next three days hanging in our camper van here by the beach. While the ocean was far too cold to swim in, the beach was known for the chance to dig a hole in the sand at low tide and sit in the steamy waters.  Other side trips included a trip to the breweries in the area (Hot Water Brewing Company, The Pour House).  We headed up to the coast and decided to make the walk along the beach trail to Cathedral Cove. The name was misleading. After the first 100m was in the sand on the beach, we sent our sandals back to the car. Soon the path led up into the hills and sand turned to rooted trail and then rocky terrain.  We were still doing fine barefoot until the wooded path turned into a paved walkway.  This small, sharp stones making up the pavement were torture on our softened feet, and the sun coming down superheated the stone. We ended up running from shady spot to spot on the trail or jumping off and onto the grass or sand alongside when we could stand it no more. The walk was supposed to take 1.5 hours but we did it in about 45 min. We were rewarded with wonderful waves and views at Cathedra Cove and the kids were tempted to swim. After getting slammed by ice-cold giant waves, they stepped out. We had the long walk back and suffered the pain, but beer at the finish line made it all a memory.  We also celebrated Christmas in the van and made up a delicious dinner of steak, lobster, and shrimp on the grill.

Before heading to the next town, we made a stop in the national park to do a little hike. It was pouring rain and cloudy when were arrived, not ideal conditions for the next morning's trek. However, when we arose at 4:30am, the sky was clear.  We drove to the bus and took a bus to the park.  Our objective was the Tongariro Crossing, a 12.5-mile traverse of the mountains southwest of Taupo. It is hailed as the best one-day hike in the world, but is known for having brutal weather swings. Most people on the bus were dressed for what looked like a ski outing and we felt a little underprepared.  Once on the trail we steadily stamped out a pace on the well-formed boardwalks, staying ahead of most groups.  Others caught and passed us early but we overtook nearly all of them by the end. A long, steady climb greeted us from the gates and we hiked for quite a while as the sun rose over Mt. Doom (Mount Ngauruhoe).  Stopping only for snacks and water, we pushed up the slopes and headed for the ridge where we were greeted with an apocalyptic flat of sand surrounded by cliffs. Mad Max could have been filmed here. The wind was wicked across this vast opening.  At the end we started a steep climb up the ridge, often going hand over hand to avoid getting blown off the peak. Our hands froze as we battled the wind. It was 15 minutes of insanity.  The view from the top, however, was worth it. Huge peaks and deep valleys were all around, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.  We descended down a steep scree slope, hoping not to fall. We all met up around Emerald Lakes, a series of small, green ponds colored by minerals. From there we dropped down again to a flat before a steep but brief climb to Blue Lake, a wonderful sight. From there the intensity rose again as we climbed high on the ridge, working our way around the mountain. Eventually, we started a long series of switchbacks down the mountain, hot springs all around.  We eventually entered the forest and kept to trails along rushing rivers for the remainder of the hike. After about 4.5 hours we reached the road, well ahead of nearly everyone that started with us. Most people take 7-8 hours. Exhausted, we snacked and rested while we waited several hours for our bus to pick us up. It was one of the prettiest but most difficult hikes we have done.

Our next stop took us to Taupo, the outdoor capital of the north island. We stayed in another holiday park (Lake Taupo Holiday Resort). The plus of this place was a giant pool with a cave, swim-up bar, and movies on the big screen twice a day!

Taelyn and Justin had been eyeing a skydive outing for over a year and set out to do it here. When they arrived, the winds were high and after waiting several hours, they were told they could not jump (with Taelyn being light, they didn't feel safe in these conditions). Undeterred, they came back a day later and waited out the weather. Dressed in gear, they climbed aboard the plane and headed up, oxygen masks on, still unsure if they could jump.  At 15,000 ft. they scooted to the door, looked down, and with a thumbs up, rolled out into the blue.  The 1 min free fall was intense but the setback was fingers and faces instantly froze.  The dive was captured on video making for a great memory.

After the dive, the fam headed to the Rock N Ropes.  Each person faced their fears by climbing high and traversing obstacles. One of our favorites was the telephone pole climb and the leap of faith to the trapeze.  The final test was a giant swing off a platform, freaking everyone out. Sarah had enough, and the girls could only jump from low, but Justin was able to climb to the top and do a jump 30ft into a giant pillow. It was terrifying and painful but a rush. Another thing we did was go to the Craters of the Moon, a geothermal park in Taupo. Lined with boardwalks, we went from place to place watching the steam come out of the earth.

After renting some bikes, we headed out for a 2-hour ride in the Craters Mountain Bike Park.  The girls were shaky at first but after a while found their groove and started doing some fun jumps, logs, and rails. Justin returned a couple of days later on his own and ended up doing some very technical trails. Routes did not hook up as planned, and with no phone service, things got sketchy. There were a few crashes and some close calls. He was on some trails where if he went over the edge, he wouldn't be found. After several hours and 20 miles, he made it back to the holiday park.

Another amazing adventure of Taupo is the Huka Falls Jet Boat experience. These vehicles hover on the top of the water and rip down the river at speeds of 80kmh. Every so often, the operator will whip the boat into a 360-degree turn, seeing who can keep down their lunch.  We also saw Huka Falls up close.  In this area, we started several hikes from Spa Park and hiked along the river to Huka Falls and back. In Spa Park you can also sit in the hot springs coming off the trails and find your comfort zone between the searing heat of the springs and the chill of the river. This is how we spent Sarah's birthday (New Year's Day) before having a dinner of steak, shrimp, lobster, and wine all before a movie in the pool.

Our drive north took us to the Glow Worm caves in Waitomo where an underground boat tour in the dark was met with amazing sparkling lights above us. Millions and millions of worms glow in the dark. It was quite a view, but cameras were not allowed so we didn't get to capture it. And then our trip to the North was finished as we returned to Auckland for the night. We played mini golf to kill the time.

The next morning we flew to the South Island. Our original plan was all the way to Queenstown but the time did not permit the distance. Instead, we landed in Nelson in the upper part of the South Island. Our first stop was Cable Bay Adventure Park, and while we were there for the skywire ride, we had more fun playing with the eels that were in the river by the start and taking on some archery. A ride to the top of the peak set us up for a ride back down on the world's longest flying fox. Unfortunately, the speed of the ride just didn't live up to the hype. While the views were cool and the ride down (forward) and the ride back (backward) was interesting, it lacked the real excitement for the price. Our base was Tahuna Beach Kiwi Holiday Park along the water, complete with putt-putt and walks on the beach. 

We drove to Able Tasman National Park for a day. Our first trip was a boat ride out to Seal Island and Apple Rock before we stepped off the boat for a long hike back through the woods. We crossed rivers and fields as well as a lake at low tide. Temps were warm and humidity high so it proved to be a fairly decent challenge. 

In town we rented bicycles to take on the Cycling Great Taste Trail, a non-descript route stopping at breweries along the way. Heavy winds posed a bit of a challenge for the kids but with frequent stops, we made it and got to try many new places. Cider was the big hit. Not to be outdone, the wine got it's turn on the weekend. We rented a cruiser which was essentially a 4-seater bike in the shape of a car. It looked amazing but it would prove to be a major mistake by the end of the day. The kids just could not pedal it well, and Justin ended up doing a bulk of the work, pushing the heavy vehicle down the road. At one point, it was so hot, the shirt had to come off. We bounced from winery to winery, having sips and samples at each along with the occasional meat and cheese platter. A nap and some television helped us recover enough for a drink at Dodson Street Beer Garden.

Totally beat, we flew back to Auckland for a final night but stuck with putt-putt and another night in the Ibis Hotel by the airport, content to rest before the flight back the next afternoon. New Zealand is probably on everyone's bucket list and while I hope our 2nd trip was not our last to this beautiful place. But we did it right, that's for sure. 

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