Kai Ora, vicarious travel partners! My wandering feet are taking me this time to New Zealand for my dear friend Heidi's wedding and to do some adventuring! I left a cold, rainy San Francisco on Feb 8th, crossing the international date line and equator arriving in sunny Aukland on Feb 10th, a day and two seasons ahead! New Zealand Air prepared me for the journey with a fun, Lord of the Rings inspired safety briefing (google it - it is clever and at times a little suggestive), unlimited movies and wine! After a quick 12 hour flight, Janice, the fiancé of my friend Heidi, met me at the airport and drove me to their beautiful Autara Gardens estate located in the New Zealand bush, which is like a temperate rain forest with cicadas that sound like
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