I love to look back on my year of adventures and remember the many awesome times I’ve had. While my travels in 2019 have generally been closer to home, our epic return to London and Glastonbury was a notable exception! And those closer to home have been fantastic adventures in their own right. Check out my 2019 here, and my wishlist for 2020!
Bay of Islands
Kicking off 2019 with family and friends in the beautiful Bay of Islands was a real highlight. We relaxed, read, gamed and adventured to Kerikeri and to Russell, two of the area’s must-visit spots.
Mt Maunganui and Coromandel Road Trip
We started in beautiful Mt Maunganui in the Bay of Plenty before beach-hopping our way around the Coromandel. With beautiful sunny days, blue surf and these gorgeous landscapes, it was hard to leave. Our itinerary is here if you’re keen to take your own roadie.
Bridge Pa and Napier
Our friend Toby celebrated his 30th in style at the Bridge Pa Wine Festival, an awesome day out of great music, food, and of course, many delicious wine tasters! We also checked out beautiful art-deco Napier.
Raglan
Whether we’re surfing, walking the black sands or just relaxing, I love visiting this chilled-out area of the western coast. It’s not too far from Auckland and is the perfect spot for a long weekend.
Kawau
A beautiful island just north of Auckland, Kawau is a boatie heaven. But even if you don’t arrive on your own launch, it makes a great day trip from Auckland. We spent the weekend there as part of an annual family retreat, swimming and battling it out at all types of card games.
Splore
I was blown away by Splore, New Zealand’s answer to Glastonbury. Set in a beautiful regional park, you can swim at the beach at the same time as watching the main stage – amazing! It’s super arty, with an environmental focus, and a VERY big costume day. So much fun I’m going again in 2020!
Taurikura
We headed north to Taurikura in the Whangarei Heads for Easter and scored some amazing weather – we even went swimming! I’ve never explore this beautiful corner of NZ before and I loved how quiet and relaxed it was.
London and Glastonbury
Potentially my spiritual home, and my former actual home. It was bittersweet but so much fun to return for a speedy two weeks in England. A whirlwind of friend catch-ups, sightseeing, and the greatest festival on earth. I loved my (ridiculously) fourth time at Glastonbury and soaked up the sunshine – a big contrast to my previous years! While I adored visiting old London haunts, favourite sights and the many great eats, I also was clear that home is definitely NZ now.
A Girls’ Weekend in Hahei
I’m lucky to have an amazing group of female friends, and a few of us escaped Auckland for a sunny winter weekend in Hahei. Another of those gorgeous Coromandel beaches, it was the perfect venue for us to talk non-stop, fit in a couple of walks, and chill.
Wellington
It would be rude not to spend some time in the coolest little capital of the world given how close I am, and I made it to Wellington twice this year. I love checking out the awesome foodie joints, great street art, and hanging out with friends and family all over the city.
Noosa, Australia
For years I’d heard friends rave about Noosa and the Sunshine Coast, and a family holiday provided the perfect time to check out this stunning area in Australia. We stayed in Sunshine Beach, away from the rush of Noosa Central, and explored the gorgeous national park, massive Eumundi market, and of course the beautiful beaches ringing the coast.
Mount Maunganui
My year came full circle as we celebrated New Years down at Mount Maunganui with an awesome group of friends. I love this part of the country!
Adventures at home
A big part of this year has been appreciating what I have on my doorstep – whether that’s Takapuna Beach, my family’s farm, or the waterfront near my work in the city. The pace of life might be a little slower in Auckland than London, but 2019 has been very sweet.
Wishlist for 2020
The annual leave is short but the wishlist is long for 2020! I would love to head down to Queenstown in autumn this year, it always looks so stunning. I’m also keen to check out New Plymouth, and spend more time in Wellington and Martinborough. With Joe’s baby niece (and family) in Sydney Australia, I’m sure the pull will be strong for us to return there soon. I’d also like to visit Melbourne, Adelaide, and maybe even Tasmania! Further afield, a winter holiday in one of the Pacific Islands, like Samoa, looks very tempting. And I’d also love to adventure to Sri Lanka, Cambodia, and Indonesia. We’ll see how many of those become reality in 2020!
Check out previous adventures here: 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014 and 2013!
Where’s on your travel wishlist for 2020?
Linking up with Emma, Angie and Binny for the unstoppable Travel Linkup – check out heaps more travel inspiration on their sites!
