While USA passport holders do not need to apply for a visitor Visa before arriving in New Zealand, there is a new requirement to have the NZeTA, the New Zealand electronic Travel Authority. This new NZeTA is required before you travel to New Zealand, even if you will only be passing through Auckland International Airport or a cruise ship passenger.​

The NZeTA allows Immigration New Zealand to carry out passenger screening in advance of travel, meaning passengers won't be allowed to board their aircraft without the required travel documents (visa or the NZeTA).

More information about the NZeTA can be found here.

Tasmania, the island state in Australia, is situated about an hour's flight from Melbourne just south of mainland Australia. 

Why is Tasmania the adventurer's secret? The amount of wild space and natural landscapes in Tasmania is unreal! With 19 national parks and reserves, nearly 40% of the island is protected wild landscapes.

There are 12 Great Walks of Australia (and by walks we're talking multi-day hiking adventures) that are regarded as highlighting Australia's most iconic landscapes. Five of the Great Walks of Australia are found in Tasmania - nearly half of the Great Walks of the country are in Tasmania!

Hiking in Tasmania covers incredible landscapes and ways to enjoy nature:

• Lodge to lodge hiking through rugged mountains
• Other worldly lush tree fern forests
• Pristine white-sand beaches
• Lofty seaside cliffs
• A whole island wildlife sanctuary
• Dramatic coastal landscapes explored on by land and by kayak

Don't worry about packing your camp stove and gear. There are fantastic guiding companies that will take care of the backpacking logistics for you. Just show up with your personal gear, a good pair of shoes, camera, and sense of adventure! 

Not interested in camping? No problem! There are options from rugged huts to full luxury lodges. It's your adventure - choose how you want to experience it!

Spring, summer, and fall are the most popular times for hiking in Tasmania. In the Southern Hemisphere, that means October through April/May are the ideal months. However, there are many hiking options throughout the year, too! 

The best news is that Tasmania is the least visited part of Australia. For the hiker, this can mean uncrowded trails, unsurpassed vistas, and the peacefulness you expect from a trip into the wilderness.

Yes, the landscapes are spectacular but I would be remiss if I didn't also highlight the wildlife. Australian wildlife is utterly unique and there are many opportunities to see the local marsupials, birds, whales, dolphins, and penguins.

Upon entrance to the Port Arthur Historic Site visitors are dealt a random card, like a playing card, but instead of numbers, the cards depict the illustration of a person from Port Arthur's mid-19th century penal colony past. My card showed a man in a religious robe. Ok, interesting. Since we had to meet our tour guide, we skipped the Gallery till after the tour.

Upon my return to the visitor center I entered the Gallery. Filled with historical artifacts and interactive displays, the Gallery is designed to draw visitors into the greater story line of the site as well and to provide visitors with an in-depth understanding of the complex and layered history and world heritage significance of Port Arthur.

Remember that card I was dealt when I first arrived at Port Arthur? The card holds the story of a character that spent time at Port Arthur and is one of the methods of connecting visitors to the Site. Once in the Gallery, I took out the card I was dealt, matched my card to its corresponding twin in the Gallery, and pulled out the shelf to find out who he was. To my great surprise, the first thing I noticed was the name "Eastman." Why is this a surprise? Because Eastman is my maiden name! A random card given to me turns out to be a namesake - uncanny, right? Not only was he an Eastman, but this character was George Eastman - that's my grandfather's name! Talk about evoking a personal connection to the site!

I learned that George Eastman was a reverend and served as the clergyman from 1855-1870. I have the genealogy of my Eastman family and I know I'm descended from Roger Eastman of England who sailed to the United States in 1848. I'll have to check the genealogy to see if Roger is related to this George Eastman who left England for Australia!

When I shared this story of coincidence with my group, including my Tasmanian-born guide Dayna, her first response was to tell me that I've had a very Tasmanian experience - that of finding someone from the penal colony past that I'm related to (or potentially related to). 

• Do I have trip cancellation insurance with my credit card? If I need to cancel or interrupt my trip, what covered reasons are eligible?

• Do I have enough coverage for my trip?​

• Can I cancel if my traveling companion or family member gets sick?

• Is emergency medical/dental and evacuation included as primary coverage with no deductibles?

 

• Are pre-existing medical conditions covered?

 

• If my luggage is lost, stolen or damaged, can I be reimbursed?

 

• Can I be reimbursed for essential personal items that I must purchase if my luggage arrives late at my destination?

 

• If my flight is delayed overnight, can additional expenses like hotel stays, meals and taxi fares be reimbursed?

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• Are specific adventure activities covered, such as roped travel or mountain climbing, scuba diving, and participating in a professional sporting event?

One way or another, protect your investment. It's worth the peace of mind.

​We've got 5 days.

Priority #1: Salmon and halibut fishing.

Priority #2: Hiking and seeing wildlife.

Priority #3: No cruise needed.

How do we make this happen?

​Answer: Ketchikan, Alaska!

​Just a 2 hour non-stop flight from Seattle makes it the most easily accessible town in Alaska from the continental U.S. We started our travel day at 7:00am from the Reno airport and were walking the historic streets of Ketchikan by lunchtime!

Afternoon entertainment in town included walking the famous boardwalk at Creek Street and driving down the Tongass Highway south to Herring Cove to look for bears and eagles where the creek empties into the sea. Have you heard the call of bald eagles before? It’s not like the movies where they seem to use a hawk-like screech. Bald eagles have more of a lyrical chirp, a pretty darn loud chirp!

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Alaska is waiting for you! Looking for a multi-sport, multi-activity Alaska adventure? Or a trip focused solely on fishing and/or hunting? How about kayaking and wildlife viewing? We can make all of this happen for you!
Ready to plan your Alaskan adventure? Connect with Kerry - details below.

Have you seen a dolphin show with jumping and flipping dolphins that is choreographed by the instincts of the wild dolphins? You will find this show in the waters off Paihia in the Bay of Islands at the northern end of New Zealand!

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​Education is so important for travel advisors. It's how we keep up with the latest travel trends, learn about or experience the newest adventure activities, and discover new places in the world. These experiences are what I draw on when designing the most incredible adventure vacations for my clients.

New Zealand is at the top of the list for most adventure travel seekers, and for good reason. The North and South islands offer stellar outdoor experiences, exquisite beauty, and friendly people. 

Air New Zealand makes travel to New Zealand pretty easy with a 12-hour direct flight from LAX or 13-hour flight from SFO. After the overnight flight, we arrived in Auckland and jumped right in with a city, bush and beach tour. While the city of Auckland is a bustling metropolis with the traffic you would expect of a major city, the surrounding natural beauty of protected native bush and beaches offers the peace and fresh air the outdoors person craves.

After exploring Auckland and its surrounds, we were off for our 11-day sprint of the North Island of New Zealand! We headed north first to the turquoise waters of Bay of Islands and Waitangi Treaty Grounds. Then over to the west shore for a visit with Tane Mahuta, the Lord of the Forest, a giant kauri tree in the Waipoua Forest and our Maori guide from Footprints Waipoua. Our night hike to Tane Mahuta with Billy Boy leading us forward with the sounds of his chanting was truly magical!

I don't want to bog down this blog post with details of the entire trip so I'll have to post more about New Zealand, and I will! In the meantime, here's a list of other places I visited:

• Tongariro National Park
• Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre
• Napier, town famous for its Art Deco architecture and festival
• Huka Falls Jetboat
• Waitomo Glow Worm Caves tour
• Sailing on Auckland Bay
• Hole in the Rock Dolphin boat tour, Bay of Islands
• Wellington, beautiful metropolitan capital city on the water
• Zest Food Tour in Wellington
• Weta Workshop Studio tour
• Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa & Maori behind the scenes tour
• Hamilton Gardens

If you're thinking about an adventure vacation in New Zealand, contact me!

New Zealand is located in the Southern Hemisphere and therefore has seasons opposite to what we experience in the United States. New Zealand is a year-round destination for travelers and has so much to offer throughout the year. Hiking and biking are top-notch during the "shoulder seasons" of spring and fall. Beaches, surf, fishing, and kayaking are phenomenal during summer. Skiing and riding are the hallmark of winter. Here's what to expect, and when, for New Zealand's seasons!

You know your sport. You're absolutely competent in your sport. In your own "neck of the woods" you have no issue planning and going out on your own, or even with friends and family. But there are times when using a professional guide is incredibly valuable. So, when should you consider hiring a professional guide?

When You Value Your Time
My husband and I have developed a deep appreciation for the fact that we now have more money than time. As younger travelers, we had more time than money so we could head out for adventures and slowly sort out where we were going, where the best hikes were, or where the snow was best for some backcountry skiing. Trial and error were fine, because, hey - there's always tomorrow!

Things change. Now you have a week, maybe two weeks for that dream vacation and you want to spend your vacation enjoying your vacation, not taking a day or more to re-think and re-design the whole plan.

A professional guide saves you time because they know the area, they know the conditions, they know the routes. Your professional guide can quickly re-think a plan or adjust the itinerary based on conditions.

For example, you plan a ski tour to the Alps, but when you arrive the snow conditions on that route are not ideal, or worse, just not an option. Ta-da! Your guide will know where the conditions are favorable and can match the groups' interest with a new route and you will get on your way.

Or, imagine arriving at a new rock climbing area and even with a guide book you still have to spend time puttering around, identifying the routes, scoping them out, finding the right walk-off trail, etc. Now imagine you arrive at that new rock climbing area with a guide who leads you right to the perfect climb and you are on the rock shortly after arrival! 

When You Are Adventuring With Kids
​Your kids are old enough to adventure with you - awesome! And, you've got the know-how to show them the sport you love. But, here are the benefits of hiring a pro with your kids:

• Safety - You've got more eyes keeping an eye on the safety of your kids. From checking gear to make sure it's secure and on correctly to keeping kids away from cliff edges on the trail, you've got backup.
• Enthusiasm - Now you've got a guide setting the pace and giving direction. Kids are less likely to argue with a professional than with their own parents, right? My experience with my kids is they enjoyed the novelty of being with a Pro and their pace and endurance on the trail was like nothing we've seen before! And, our guide was able to encourage and push them to expand what they thought were their limits. Success for all!
• Enjoyment - Knowing you aren't the only one responsible for your kids' safety helps you to enjoy the experience yourself. You now have time and space to more thoroughly enjoy the scenery, enjoy the adventure, and enjoy seeing your kids having fun and pushing themselves. 

Put simply, a via Ferrata is a protected climbing path. Via Ferrata, Italian for "iron way" originated in Italy during World War I to move troops through the mountains through the use of ladders, iron rungs, and cables. Today, you can still follow the paths set during WWI and explore bunkers and tunnels in the Dolomites.

Whether your family loves to climb or has never been climbing, there is a via Ferrata trip for you! One of the best things I liked about our via Ferrata adventure was having the whole group moving and working at the same time. No one had to "wait for their turn" on the rope. And, with the many routes to choose from for their variety, location, and exposure - there's sure to be a route that is a great match for your family or group. 

You can enjoy a single day on a via Ferrata route or go for multiple days and enjoy the culture of the mountain huts, or refugios, in Italy. Each refugio has it's own character and it is exciting to stay up in the mountains! The beds are made comfortable with cozy duvets and pillows - just bring a light sleep sack or sleeping bag liner. And, you can't go hungry at the refugio! Your overnight stay includes a multi-course dinner and breakfast the next morning. But beware - sodas can be more expensive than beer!
And, bring a deck of cards to keep your group entertained in case afternoon thunderstorms keep you inside for a while.

Variety

For our 3-day, hut-to-hut, via Ferrata trip in the Dolomites, we had fun climbing ladders, traversing mountainsides, climbing iron pegs and cables, crossing snow patches, hiking in beautiful alpine forests, and having amazing views all the time! And, this was just around Cortina d'Ampezza. There are via Ferrata routes throughout the Dolomites! The best and most efficient way to experience the Dolomites is with a professional guide. Check back for a future post on, "Why Use a Professional Guide".

Final Thoughts

We knew we were going to be climbing in the Dolomites during our trip to Europe. We also knew that we didn't want to lug around extra gear before or after our time in the Dolomites. So, what did we bring, what did we need to bring?

• Day packs for everyone. These were necessary for carrying our personal gear from hut to hut. And, these packs were used as our carry-on luggage for flights. We were able to leave the kids' packs in the huts for climbs and just use parents' packs for day gear (also helps to keep those kids moving when they are lighter).
• Refillable water bottle. Necessary for hiking and useful throughout the trip.
• Hiking shoes. Well, parents brought climbing approach shoes which also served as our hiking and comfortable walking shoes. Kids had hiking shoes. All were waterproof or water resistant.
• Sleeping bag liner. Necessary for overnights in the huts. We forgot ours but were able to buy some in Italy. 
• Headlamp. For "just in case", but also handy for nighttime in the huts and tunnels in the mountains.
• Gloves. You're going to be holding onto and sliding your hand along a metal cable. We found some inexpensive gardening gloves with sticky rubber on the fingers and palm. Not necessary, but we liked them!
• Professional Guide. Our guide was able to provide harnesses, via Ferrata gear, and helmets.

A true year-round outdoor playground is a place called Mammoth Lakes, CA. The scenery is stunning any time of year and there are so many options for adventurous travelers!

Mammoth Lakes is a fairly compact town at the base of Mammoth Mountain Resort which means getting around town can be done fairly easily. There is a free shuttle system throughout town that runs year-round and efficiently transports guests from town to areas such as the Main Lodge, which is the jumping off point for the summer shuttle to Devil’s Postpile National Monument and Reds Meadow, or over to Twin Lakes and other lakes beyond for fishing, hiking, and more outdoor pursuits. And, of course, in winter, a shuttle ride is offered to both alpine and cross country ski areas.

While in Mammoth Lakes last week, I made it a point to check out The Village Lodge, which is part of the Mammoth Mountain Resort properties. While the condos are all individually owned, the Resort manages most of the condos as vacation rentals. That means you have access to these spacious and comfortable condos, can stay in one of the best locations in town, and enjoy the many amenities at the Lodge!
 
The Village Lodge is in the heart of the Village at the base of Mammoth Mountain. In the winter, the gondola runs right out of the village and gets you onto the mountain!

There are 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom condos available, all with full kitchens. The number of bathrooms in each unit matches the number of bedrooms. Perfect for each room getting their own bathroom!

Spring break, 2018, and we packed up the van and headed down Hwy 395 for some backcountry ski touring, the kids' first ski touring trip!
I love the drive on Hwy 395 - incredible views of snow-covered peaks, idyllic ranches, canyons, rivers, and lakes.
We camped near Virginia Lakes, halfway between Bridgeport and Mono Lake. After settling into our home-away-from-home and taking care of dinner, we now had some quality family time to spend together!

We brought two games with us and it worked brilliantly! A deck of cards and BANANAGRAMS.
The kids played the classic Go Fish card game while the parents were busy with camp set up. And, they were also able to play their own version of Banagrams. Kids excited to spell words correctly - love it! OK, so there were a few imperfections, but, they were still excited about spelling.

Banagrams also serve as handy chips for a cut-throat game of poker!
Bonus! You can play poker and spell words at the same time! We anted up words such as "rage", "deer", and "cash".

Another successful aspect of the trip was a "for real" ski tour with the kids! Our intrepid leader found a wonderfully wind-protected gully and we kept the pace appropriate for our some-what novice backcountry skiers. A few gummy bears helped the spirits soar. At the top of the saddle, we took in the views, transitioned quickly, and smiled all the way down in the lovely spring corn snow!

Is there more to Panama than the Panama Canal? Why, yes. Yes there is!

Panama is for adventure seekers. Panama is for sun lovers. And, as the latest Visit Panama campaign states: Panama, for explorers, not for tourists!

I am spending time learning all about adventure travel options in Panama and Panama has climbed to the top of my Bucket List! Why? Because I want to hike in a cloud forest, spot sloth and brilliantly colored birds in a jungle. I want to play in the waves at an uncrowded Caribbean AND Pacific beach all in the same vacation. There are over 5 million acres of protected lands in the National Parks, including National Marine Parks. Bring on the hiking and snorkeling! And, how about some sea kayaking from island to island? 

Fun facts about Panama:

• The only place in the world where you can watch the sun rise on the Pacific and set on the Atlantic, from the same spot!
• Panama City is the only capital with a rain forest within its city limits
• English is widely spoken in Panama
• Panama has more bird species than North America and Canada combined
• The highest spot in Panama is at the top of Volcán Barú, at 11,397 feet
• Beaches in Panama are public property, beach camping anyone?

Next step - learning about more ecotourism companies that combine Panama culture, hiking and water adventure into one incredible vacation - Stay tuned!