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December 2024 - January 2025
  • Mary Kieran Gap Year
A 31-day adventure by Mary Kieran Gap Year Read more
  • Mary Kieran Gap Year

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  • Mary Kieran Gap YearTravelerNew Zealand
    1

    Day 341: Flight to New Zealand

    December 16, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 48 °F

    Sometimes to save money, you’ll do really stupid things like booking a 7 hour flight to New Zealand with a layover in Melbourne, even though you could go direct for 2 hours. Well we did it. Benefits included some Pokémon Puzzle League practice, book reading, and watching Lord of the Rings to prepare.

    The flight into Queenstown was amazing. You fly directly over the Fjords and snow peaks, and zigzag to land on the air strip. As you descend, you fly closer to the mountains and can see the deep blue rivers over head. We land around 7pm. Upon exiting the aircraft outside, we feel the wonderful cold breeze of 55 degree weather 😍😍 it was Patagonia all over again and we are so happy to be out of the heat!

    For our New Zealand trip, we plan to camp a bit to save money; a big tip we received is to visit second hand stores or Facebook marketplace to pick up gear. We made connection with Henrique who had tents for sale; he and his wife are originally from Brazil and have lived in New Zealand the last 10 years. They were so kind and actually set the tent up in side their living room so we could test. Unfortunately Kieran was too tall so the tent didn’t work.

    It was 9pm by the time we reach Queenstown so we opt for Fat Badgers Pizza because it was the only restaurant with a still open kitchen. Queenstown feels like a ski town and the cold weather created a true Christmas feel. We could park downtown for free and could walk everywhere. Such a cool city.

    Hostel:
    Nomads Queenstown

    Food:
    Pizza

    Spots:
    Hanleys Farm
    Queenstown    Read more

  • Mary Kieran Gap YearTravelerNew Zealand

    Day 342: Camping Gear Scramble

    December 17, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F

    New Zealand offers many opportunities to camp for free in its national parks and little towns. We did not pre-send our own camping gear so this morning was dedicated to checking second hand stores for a tent, 2 sleeping bags, 2 sleeping pads, and hiking poles. We also need a cooler, new water bottle, and more layers for the changing weather patterns.

    The first two stores….were not that successful. First store had nothing but the cooler and water bottle. Second store only had children’s sleeping bags and we tested them for Mary (didn’t fit). We were discouraged and tried one more store; luckily this store had a super old tent for $20 USD, Mary sized sleeping bag, and ski poles!

    After second hand shopping, we visited a downtown camping store hoping they had second hand or rentals. This wasn’t the case but the store clerk recommended checking out the Salvation Army out of town and Kmart.

    The out of town recommendation was the spot and we wished we went here first. The Salvation Army had tents, bags, 1 sleeping pad, pillows, and pillow cases. We found a Kieran sized sleeping bag and Mary sized sleeping pad; finished off at Kmart for Kieran’s pad.

    By 12pm, we bought everything we needed and stopped at the Buzz Stop Cafe which was a bee and honey farm that also offered mead and gin tours. Grabbed pre-road trip sandwhiches and started our journey south.

    The landscape was incredible; green mountains, blue lakes, and awesome climbs. We stopped along the road for some viewpoint pics and to visit Lord of the Rings filming locations to include the Dead Marshes Mire Bog (Kepler Mire) and the Andulin River (Waiau River).

    We arrive to our adorable camping hut that will be our home for the next 4 days. Grilled kebabs for dinner and finished up the Fellowship of the Ring in preparation for travel.

    Spots:
    Manapouri Holiday Park

    Spots:
    Queenstown
    Manapouri
    Mire Bog
    Waiau River    Read more

  • Mary Kieran Gap YearTravelerNew Zealand
    1

    Day 343: Rainbow Reach Trail

    December 18, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 77 °F

    Finally our first, non-logistics day in New Zealand. We started the day by hiking the Rainbow Reach trail; 3 hour hike that takes you past a scenic river from Lord of the Rings and finishes at a large lake. It was pretty flat, so this was a great starter hike for our muscles. The views included very old trees, marshes, and the fjords sliding down to lakes edge. We debated Marvel movies, X-men, and Kieran's issues with the Lord of the Rings movies that he's harbored since childhood.

    After our hike, we went into Te Anau to pick up some groceries and medicine. Grabbed steaks, rice, and salad for dinner and then finished off the night with the Two Towers

    Spots:
    Rainbow Reach
    Kepler Trail    Read more

  • Mary Kieran Gap YearTravelerNew Zealand

    Day 344: Mavora Lake

    December 19, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F

    Understand that at least 70% of New Zealand posts and places will be Lord of the Rings references. We drove 1.5 hours to the Mavora Lakes region in Fjordlands National Park.

    First stop was the shore of Mavora Lakes where they shot the Fellowship landing on the beach from the river and fighting the orcs. This also includes the hill where the orcs are running down while Frodo, Merry, and Pippin are hiding; Merry and Pippin pop out to distract the orcs so Frodo can sneak away.

    We hike along the lake for two hours, enjoying the beaches, valley, and little streams. We met a retired local who just camped deep in the valley with his ATV and dog for a few days.

    Next we headed towards St. Nicholas and drove through a free range farm where cows and calf’s roamed, stood in the road, and looked at us. Kieran got to drive through a tiny river crossing and it was awesome. Some other filming locations include Fangorn Forest where the orcs stop with Pippin and Merry for rest AND where Gandalf calls Shadowfax after meeting up with Aragon, Gimli, and Legolas.

    For dinner we cooked Japanese curry and rice. Crashed early for a hike tomorrow.

    Spots:
    Mavora Lake
    St. Nicholas Mountain    Read more

  • Mary Kieran Gap YearTravelerNew Zealand

    Day 345: Routeburn Track Mini

    December 20, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 61 °F

    There are many hikes across New Zealand, but there are four hikes considered the Great Walks: 2-5 day backpacking hikes through the fjords. We are really sad to have come all this way and not partake because we don’t have our gear and it’s just too expensive to fly it over. However, we found you can do a mini portion of Routeburn!

    We woke up early and drove 1.5 hours into the Milford Sound area. While gearing up for a 3.5 hour hike, we met an elderly couple who were dropping of their kids and grandkids car who did the overnight option. It was their first time and this mother/father cooked warm food for when they arrived; they just didn’t know what time the family would come down from the mountain.

    The hike starts with several switchbacks and a waterfall to get the elevation. Midway, you have the option to hike down to a glacial lake. We took that route and admired the water, ducks, and hut facilities for backpackers.

    Finally made our way to the peak (Key Summit) and it was awesome! Straight out of a Nat Geo magazine with beautiful mountains, snow, moss, and clouds. Ate our sandwiches up top and hiked down.

    It’s such a drive to reach Milford Sound and the weather was in our favor so we continued through the fjord and got to see some more amazing views to include the Chasm, The 100 Waterfalls, and Homer Tunnel West!

    Absolutely amazing day and glad we took advantage of the weather!

    Spots:
    Key Summit Via Routeburn Track Hike
    Gertrude Valley
    100 Waterfalls
    Homer Tunnel West
    The Chasm    Read more

  • Mary Kieran Gap YearTravelerNew Zealand

    Day 346: Doubtful Sound Cruise

    December 21, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌧 59 °F

    We had hoped Mary’s parents would join us in Australia and New Zealand for Christmas, but we know a 17 hour flight can really take the energy out of you. They were generous to gift us a fjord day cruise in the remote Doubtful Sound as a Christmas gift! We pre-ordered a cheese board and snuck red wine in our backpack 😉 Before starting our trip, we called Andrea to check in on post-wedding life, snow in Boston, and her sweet kitties Elsie/Smog.

    The first trip leg is an hour boat ride across Manapouri Lake; after landing in the west arm cove near a dam power plant. The power plant takes water from Manapouri lake, shoots it through a tunnel in the mountain, and out to the Doubtful Sound; the whole trip takes 45 minutes!

    We hoped on a bus and drove up through Percy Pass. There were steep drops and we were well above the clouds. It was a rainy day so we couldn’t see straight down the fjord as we came down Doubtful Sound.

    We arrive to Deep Cove, population of 2 people who manage an educational program for school trips. We board the boat and sail our way through the fjords. The rain and clouds limit our views, but we made the best of the cruise. The cheese board and wine definitely got us saucy. We also got to see seals chilling on the rocks. The Tasmanian Sea was calm so the captain took us out of the cove and into the ocean. Another special moment included cruising deep into the sound and turning off the engine. They asked everyone to step outside, make no noise, and get off the phones to listen to nature for 10 minutes with no sound. Amazing!

    We cruised back and split a much needed coffee after a bottle of red wine. After arriving to Te Anau, we hit a restaurant for dinner and ordered the local meats to include lamb and venison🤤

    Thank you Susan and Andy for the wonderful Christmas present and delicious dinner ❤️❤️❤️

    Hotel: Te Anau Top 10 Holiday Park

    Restaurant:
    Bailiez

    Food:
    Lamb Shanks
    Venison

    Spots:
    Doubtful Sound    Read more

  • Mary Kieran Gap YearTravelerNew Zealand

    Day 347: Milford Sound & Mistake Creek

    December 22, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 59 °F

    Big day with too many activities! First we drove the full distance to Milford Sound; it was good that we hit a few spots two days ago because we got the same weather as the Doubtful Sound Cruise which means you can’t fully appreciate the fjords! We did get to watch the transition from low tide to high tide which was awesome. Turned over many rocks to find crabs burrowing into the sand.

    After frolicking around Milford Sound for several hours, we drove to Mistake Creek for what was listed as a 1.5 hour hike and actually was a 3.5 hour hike. On the way, we got to see the local Kea bird jump onto the road and stand in front of our car like a begger. These guys are super smart like crows and will wait till you open your car for food and steal shiny things.

    We loved it though and did the full thing. It starts with a really intense tree root drop where you need to climb down roots to get to the trail. There were some boggy bits and rock jumping to avoid mud.

    Next we crossed a really cool wire bridge over a river; you could only cross one person at a time. After the bridge, there was a beautiful flower valley view on a river brand and mossy green forest. We had to walk across large trees, climb around overturned roots, and use our hands to scramble up sections. The hike sadly did not end with an epic viewpoint and we tried to go father to see if there was a cliff; nothing 🙃it was still an amazing hike and no one else was on it until we got back to the parking lot and met local Andrew who offered advise on flies and made many cheeky jokes about the US.

    To finish the evening, we drove down to the South Fjordlands Monowai Lake Campsite to break out our Salvation Army tent. It looked janky, but it was standing. We got a fire going and enjoyed the warmth until the mosquitos and sand flies were too much.

    Campsite: Monowai Lake

    Spots:
    Milford Sound
    Mistake Creek Hike
    Monowai Lake    Read more

  • Mary Kieran Gap YearTravelerNew Zealand

    Day 348: Fjordlands & Tuatapere

    December 23, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 57 °F

    We woke up this morning with a partially flooded tent and rain falling at a steady pace. Our air mattresses had kept us off the ground and allowed us to sleep through all the rain, but it was time to deal with it. We scrambled to get everything packed into the car while slapping away at sand flies. The top priority for today would be trying to dry out our gear.

    We used the first half of the day to drive deeper into the Fjordland National Park. We had the heat on full blast for several consecutive hours to dry out the tent, sleeping pads, and all the other stuff that got wet; Kieran drove shirtless without shoes on at some point. We got to enjoy some great views of the Fjords all the way up to Grebe Valley; they closed the road and we could not pass.

    Next, we headed South for the coast. We've been using the Campermate app to help us find camping accommodation across NZ. It's been really helpful, but we've noticed an issue. It likes to claim that camp sites have clean drinking water when they really don't. Such was the problem with last night's spot and would continue to be a problem today. We were running low on water and had taken a few detours with no luck. Finally, we made it to Tuatapere, which had a grocery store. We noticed that the small town had a Christmas parade later so we planned to return for it.

    We continued down the road to our camp site on Monkey Island Beach. We set up our tent and then went for a quick stroll on the beach. Even though it's summer down here, the high temperature was ~60F today and with no sun, we definitely weren't going in the ocean. After the beach, we made a few sandwiches and drove back to Tuatapere for the Christmas parade.

    It was an awesome small town Christmas parade with food trucks, tractors, old cars, and then a military vehicle. There were mullets EVERYWHERE. We don’t know what’s in the water but these kids from age 7 and up rocked mullets at all lengths and curliness. These same kids would wear short shorts and rubber boots.

    We decide to leave after Santa left and ended up following him until a certain turn and he waived the whole time. It felt great to be in a local community and celebrate Christmas with others.

    Campground: Monkey Beach

    Spots:
    Fjordlands National Park
    Monkey Beach
    Tautapere
    Gemstone Beach    Read more

  • Mary Kieran Gap YearTravelerNew Zealand

    Day 349/350: Merry Christmas in Bluff

    December 25, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌧 61 °F

    It’s hard to celebrate holidays on Gap Year and we actually made an effort this time to not travel or do anything crazy for Christmas. We found a small house in a town called Bluff in the Deep South on the coast. Our campsite was only a 50 minute drive and we couldn’t check in until 1 pm so we stopped by a community pool to swim and shower. We get a treading workout in and met an older couple from Phoenix who are HUGE Lord of the Ring Fans and traveling in New Zealand for 8 months (the third time). We talk in the hot tub for 45 minutes and cooked ourselves because the convo was too engaging.

    Close to check in we hit the store for Christmas goodies (lamb, root veggies, cookies, hot chocolate, mulled wine). We agreed for Christmas we wouldn’t worry about gifts and instead go to a liquor store to get each other a drink secretly.

    Our house in Bluff is a group home with three bedrooms and we hoped no one else booked the place. Made it our own in the time being and set up shop in the living room watching Love Island. They had a real fire place, but we couldn’t figure it out at first and smoke would sneak out the front so the flume was blocked or something else needed to occur.

    Woke up Christmas Day and called both parents at 10am because it’s Christmas Eve at home! We open each others gifts; Kieran got 6 different beers (mostly stouts) and Mary got two bottles of wine to match her personality (one skull and another with weird little lambs trimming gas). We made hot chocolate coffee with Baileys and ate caprese sandwhiches for breakfast. Lunch was a Camabert cheese with raspberry jelly and bread

    We figured out how to make the fire and enjoyed movies, reading, and video games. Roasted the lamb at 4pm and sadly at 5:15pm we hear the door open!!! We had to share our Christmas house and evening with another couple; we scrambled to clean up some messes, un-take over the living room, and get the food out the oven. Luckily, we timed the lamb to come out during a potential check-in time so we would be out of the kitchen for the rest of the evening.

    Lamb and food turned out great!

    They were a very nice Australian couple with the husband originally from Poland. They planned to do a great hike tomorrow so they went to bed early and woke up early. We stayed in our room and continued Love Island Australia.

    Spots:
    Bluff    Read more

  • Mary Kieran Gap YearTravelerNew Zealand

    Day 351: Riding up the Coast

    December 26, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 59 °F

    With time zone changes, it’s hard to keep up with folks or even know when concert tickets go on sale. Luckily, our New Zealand time zone allowed us to catch the Christmas Day football games. Kieran watched the Chiefs game at 7am local time and then we checked out and located a cafe for the Ravens game!

    We found an amazing hotel / cafe / brewery / art house to plug into for the game. The brewed the beer on site and also offered food and coffee. Ravens won with a total blowout.

    We needed to drive 4 hours to our next destination so today would be a true road trip day. With an hour left, we stopped in Dunedin for a small walk and stretch. Settled by the Scottish, the town drips with pubs, kelts, and Catholic Churches. They had the cutest little train station and the bushes were trimmed into Celtic symbols. Grabbed more beer and cider from the store as well as local sausage. We drove one more hour to a small little spot (maybe population of 66) where Kieran booked metal containers converted to mini cabins. It was awesome and so warm in our little pod.

    We ended the night with Pokémon Puzzle League, HollowKnight, and reading.

    Restaurant: Tuatara Lodge

    Spots:
    Invercargill
    Dunedin
    Maheno    Read more

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