The Backstory

Emily: "industrious, striving, eager"
Stout: "bold, dauntless, stouthearted... also, a dark sweet brew"

This adventure took root a few years back, when I gave myself the ultimatum that within 5 years, I must travel to New Zealand. That was 2008, and here I am. It has been a journey in and of itself getting to this point, so it feels very odd to be finally boarding planes and booking accommodations.

The itinerary is loose. As New Zealand is just starting their spring, I will start in the North and move South as it warms up. With a full three months to wander around and explore, I did not feel that a detailed schedule would serve my purposes. The goal this fall (spring) is not a typical vacation with guided tours and dinner reservations. The goal is to talk to the locals, link up with some other wanderers, and find fulfilling experiences as they come. I've got time to get lost, and that's precisely what I plan on doing.

For part of my time, I do plan to get a pass through Stray Backpacker Bus Tours which will allow me to hop-on or hop-off at any of the stops, while having transportation and lodging guaranteed during my ride. In between the major stops, there are plenty of free and paid adventures.. so it's much more than just a city bus.


Here you can see what all I took, and the break down of how I packed my life on my back. The large pack weighed in at 30 lbs, and the small pack at 10 lbs. When I get more downtime, I will give a detailed list of what made it in the pack and why.

Everything all laid out. 

Condensed. The packages sheets come in? They make great packing cubes.