Lord of the RIngs

All aboard!

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November 27th 2007
I'm always leery of those "things to do before you die" places to visit. What happens when you see them? Do you die? What if they tank and disappoint? Do you die anyway? And since I was seeing two of them - Aitutaki and the famous TranzAlpine railway trek on this odyssey - was I setting myself up? Happy to say Aitutaki was amazing. And I am still here. And yesterday's trip across the spine of New ... read more

Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Arthur's Pass National Park

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The Polynesian Maori reached New Zealand in about A.D. 800. In 1840, their chieftains entered into a compact with Britain, the Treaty of Waitangi, in which they ceded sovereignty to Queen Victoria while retaining territorial rights. In that same year... ... read more