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Not long ago I had the great pleasure of visiting Te Puia within the historic Te Whakarewarewa Geothermal Valley, on the edge of Rotorua on the North Island of New Zealand. Te Puia is home to the world famous Pōhutu geyser, mud pools, hot springs, silica formations,  and the native Kiwi bird. However, it is also the home of the national schools of wood carving, weaving, stone and bone carving. Te Puia have shared these treasures with visitors for over 170 years and I was lucky enough to get to experience it myself.     I’ll be honest. I had no idea what I was walking into when my personal guide Sean picked me up. I thought I would be simply viewing a demonstration of the native culture’s songs and dance. While I did get to enjoy these traditions, what I experienced was so much more. First I was led on a tour of the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute. By the 1920s the culture and traditions of Māori were in serious danger of being lost forever. NZMACI was est...

I woke and dressed in the dark trying not to disturb the peaceful slumber of my companions. Today I was heading out on an all day journey to Fiordland to explore the hard to reach Doubtful Sound. After a quick stop into Mrs. Ferg Gelateria for a coffee, I set out on the two hour drive to Manapouri. By this point in my journey I’ve grown comfortable driving on the left hand side of the road, though I’ve never driven in the dark. The roads are empty and I take it slow as I sip on my coffee still waking up. I drive in the dark, winding around the mountain roads lining Lake Wakatipu listening to The Secret Life of Walter Mitty soundtrack.   As light begins to break I pause for a few minutes, pulling off the road into a viewing point at Devil’s Staircase looking back from where I came at the sun rising behind the Bayonet Peaks.   I could stay here longer but I must press on. Leaving the lake behind me I drive through green fields until I reach Real Journeys’ Visitor Center in Manap...