Alex & Sara

New Zealand Honeymoon

Welcome Family and Friends

We are thrilled to escape December in Seattle for an adventure to Middle Earth itself, New Zealand! The country's beautiful countryside, exotic and adventurous activities, and our shared passion for The Lord of the Rings films made New Zealand a clear choice for our honeymoon getaway.

Wishlist

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• Cardrona Horseback Tour

  A horseback adventure through the South Island countryside, home to gold mining and the backdrop of Rohan, the land of the horse warriors from LOTR.

• Dart River Canoeing

  All-day adventure that starts with jet boating up Dart River, then canoeing back amongst Mount Aspiring National Park and forests depicted in Lord of the Rings.

• Skippers Canyon Jet Boat

  A picturesque road trip through Skippers Canyon followed by a thrilling jet boat ride through the narrowest canyons on the Shotover River.

• Downhill Luge

  Queenstown's luge (part go-kart, part toboggan) track offers almost a full mile of banks, curves, and tunnels. We suspect we'll opt for unlimited rides.

• Ziplining

  A trip to New Zealand is incomplete without partaking in ziplining. Alex can't wait and Sara is terrified!

• Wellington LOTR Tour

  An extended tour of numerous Lord of the Rings locations and landmarks of New Zealand's capital and the nearby 1,000-year-old rainforest.

• Hobbiton Tour

  A day trip to the 12-acre film set of the "Shire" from Lord of the Rings, featuring a tour of 44 hobbit holes and a drink at the Green Dragon Inn. Guaranteed to be a near-religious experience.

• WETA Tour

  WETA is a famed practical effects, props, and costume workshop. The tour features numerous props from the Lord of the Rings and insight into film production.

• Walter Peak Farm

  Lunch cruise to Walter Peak High Country Farm aboard a vintage steamship. We'll stroll the lakeside gardens, watch sheepdogs in action, and see sheep-shearing demonstration.

• Glowworm Cave Tour

  The Waitomo caves feature an underground river where the only natural light comes from glowworms on the cave ceiling.

• Punting on the Avon River

  The Christchurch botanical gardens can be toured on foot or ride on a boat guided by a punter in Victorian costume. The choice was clear.

• Lemur Encounter

  Alex discovered his passion for primates during our Japan trip last year, which made the lemur encounter at Willowbank Wildlife Reserve a must.

• Capybara Encounter

  An opportunity to get up close and personal with capybaras, an animal Alex didn't know existed, at Willowbank Wildlife Reserve.

• Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne

  Wellington Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected zone for plants and birds native to New Zealand, a perfect place for Sara to nurture her passion for birds.

• Dinner in Auckland

  Auckland is the most populated and multicultural city in New Zealand. We'll be looking for tasty places that can help with jet lag and post-Hobbiton fatigue.

• Dinner in Christchurch

  Some call Christchurch "The Garden City' due to numerous public parks and beautiful residential gardens. We hope we can find a place to eat outside!

• Dinner in Wellington

  Wellington is the capital of New Zealand and the country's center for creativity, filmmaking, coffee, and artistic innovation. It has more cafes per capita than NYC!

• Wellington Café Trip

  Wellington is known for its coffee and craft brewing scene. We've already picked out a few coffee spots to try as we explore the city.

• Dinner in Queenstown

  Queenstown is the center for adventure tourism in New Zealand. We'll need to refuel each night after long days of exploration and activities!

• Cocktails in Queenstown

  Alex loves trying new cocktails, and Sara is likely to need something to settle her nerves after we try ziplining.

• AWD Car Rental

  We are taking a south island road trip to soak in the natural landscape, and we'll need a bit more than a Nissan Ultima to overcome the countryside!

• Road Trip Gas

  Our trip from Christchurch to Queenstown will be 482 km, or around 300 miles. Once there, we'll be driving around to see as much as we can!

• Airport Snacks

  The flight to New Zealand is 16 hours -- without accounting for connections! For Alex's sake, plenty of snacks are needed to ensure Sara doesn't get hangry.

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