Journey with Christina

I am grateful that we were able to see as much of New Zealand and Australia as we did, however, I wish we had spent a little less time in this area. Both New Zealand and Australia are in a sense just like home. The main purpose of our trip was to see and do things we normally would not on a standard two-week trip. We wanted to push our boundaries and be uncomfortable, to travel and experience, not vacation. However, we spent enough time here to realize that these are both places we would not hesitate to live and work in or come back to in our retirement, with a better camper of course. If your young enough, I highly recommend getting a working visa for either of these countries and spending a year here.

The other thing I have come to realize is that long term travel is exhausting. In New Zealand and Australia, we rarely stayed in one location for more than a night. Living out of one bag constantly on the move you start to miss the security and comfort of your own space. I never scheduled down days for laundry or writing or any of the other miscellaneous tasks. I was afraid of not taking advantage of every second I had, learning, experiencing and seeing as much as I could. Funny how I have approached this trip the same exact way I lived my everyday life. Cramming as much as possible into the time frame I had. I guess old habits die hard.

Our top 5 picks for “must do’s” in South Pacific (from what we saw of course)

1. Hot Water Beach, New Zealand – There is something magical in digging your own “hot tub” in the sand in the wee hours of the night.
2. Rolling green hills of New Zealand’s North Island – Hiking, rafting, lazing and just enjoying the lush rolling green countryside of New Zealand.
3. Fiji Yasawas Homestay – Our own private crystal clear white sand beach and being able to give back to a local community. A winning combination.
4. The Outback – Hands down our best Australian and most unique experience. Sleeping in swags under a sky full of stars and gaining an appreciation of the vastness of the uncompromising land.
5. Tasmania – Scenic mountains, free campsites at stunning beaches and amazing hikes all packed into a drivable island. What is not to love.

Jon would replace Tasmania with the Whitsunday’s for the sailing, their stunning beauty, daily changing patterns, and colorful snorkeling.

Our time in the South Pacific was much more expensive than in South America costing almost double yet living half as comfortable. Instead of private room with included breakfast we were sleeping in dorms with several other people or in the back of a van. Instead of three meals out a day we were cooking and eating three meals out every few weeks. The following is for two people and so my share is half of below. We definitely watch what we spend but are not extreme budgeters. We try and keep our food and accommodation costs in line with what they would be at home. And instead of going out for an expensive dinner or a weekend away like we would at home we visit a museum, go diving or whatever else the area has to offer.

How did I afford this trip? I sold my home and moved in with my parents for a year (torcher for both of us), when I could not take that anymore I moved into an apartment that was half the price of my mortgage allowing me to continue to save. I also cut way back on my biggest weakness of going out and buying cloths.

And just because I’m and accountant and love analyzing costs here is a breakdown by type:

Questions? – We would love to hear any questions/thoughts you have on our trip so far!