A trip to the north included visits to an alpaca farm, a tree canopy walk in Rotorua, a visit to Hobbiton, the amazing Hamilton Gardens, Matakana Estates winery, and visit with Winters friends in Auckland before heading back to Wellington.
Category: Sights
New Zealand and Australia Part 2
This post tells about the authors' initial experiences in New Zealand, starting with historical details about the Māori culture and their arrival, the Treaty of Waitangi, and the author's arrival at Wellington Airport. The author meets old friends, explores Wellington, visits a nature preserve, and experiences a Māori Marae, providing a rich and authentic introduction to New Zealand.
New Zealand and Australia Part 1
In "Fridaes' Adventures," the blog focuses on people over places, favoring serendipity over planned experiences. The authors, traveling primarily with Airbnb, emphasize mingling with hosts to learn about the local culture and history. Their Fiji journey exposes them to the island's rich history, diverse culture, and warm, welcoming people, leaving a lasting impression.
Our Sister City
Our sister city, Almogía By Woody and Rebecca Fridae (Note, for those who are following our Vietnam series, it will be posting soon. We're doing some deep dive research on it while we travel, so keep tuned!) “Sister cities,” “twin cities,” call it what you like, but Winters, California and Almogía, Spain have had a … Continue reading Our Sister City
A Tale of Three Cities Part One
"It was like a chess game, and we were the pawns."
Bangkok Part 3
As our week drew on, Rebecca and I got more comfortable venturing out on train, subway and bus. We met Big when he was free to see places wth us, and explored on our own when he had to go to a meeting or just wanted to meet with his buddies somewhere and have a … Continue reading Bangkok Part 3
Bangkok
Our Stay in Bangkok Part 1 I did not start writing about our stay in Bangkok until we were ready to leave. Looking back now, as we prepare to go to the airport, a flood of thoughts rush in as we parepare to get on the plane to Vietnam. These thoughts were somewhat of an … Continue reading Bangkok
Circle of Friends-Part 7: Sighisoara and the Citadel
We left Bran, Fundata Valley and Braşov knowing that nothing could ever match the magic of that experience, but... When we entered the Citadel of Siguişoara (pronounced Sigi-show-rra) it seemed like they had given us a special E Ticket to Disneyland. Not just the Matterhorn, but to the to The Magic Kingdom itself. Maria had … Continue reading Circle of Friends-Part 7: Sighisoara and the Citadel
Circle of Friends–Part 5: Halloween at Bran’s Castle
Bran and Fundata Valley This was supposed to be a whimsical stop-off at the supposed setting of Dracula's castle, (based on the real more-gruesome-than-fiction warrior, Vlad "The Impaler" Tepeş) which just happened to be on Halloween. We were headed up from the flatlands of Bucharest, through the gates of the Carpathians, into Transylvania. Then we … Continue reading Circle of Friends–Part 5: Halloween at Bran’s Castle
Circle of Friends–Part 4: The Capital
On the road, we headed west and south from Toulcea. After a bit of GPS only guidance, I tried to find our place on the map book and eventually found it. The countryside had gently rolling hills and flat farmlands that stretched to the horizon. Farms were bigger here with fewer houses--there were times you … Continue reading Circle of Friends–Part 4: The Capital
Fridaes' Adventures 