Skip to main content

Packing for New Zealand

So I'm getting ready to embark on the longest vacation of my life.  One month in New Zealand. My plan is to pack for about a week and do laundry a few times while on the road (many of the places we booked indicated they had laundry facilities).  We did some shopping for "travel" clothes and I ended up getting some Columbia pants and shirts because they are light weight, dry quickly, look nice and are still comfy for some of our longer car trips.  Variables like weather and activities make it hard to be prepared for all situations.

It all needs to fit in one smallish carry on and one larger suitcase.  This is my plan:
  • Pajamas (1)
  • Robe (1)
  • Undies (7)
  • Tops (6)
  • Tank tops (2)
  • Long sleeve denim shirt
  • Pants (3)
  • Capris (2)
  • Skort (1)
  • Swimsuit (1)
  • Raincoat (1)
  • Fleece (1)
  • Hoodie (1)
  • Yoga pants (1)
  • Socks (7)
  • Sandals (2) - Keens for activities and dressier for around town
  • Walking shoes (1)

Now what about the non-clothing items?
  • Airplane pillow (inflatable)
  • iPad (books, music, games)
  • iPod
  • Nylon backpack for day trips and souvenirs - folds up into tiny pouch
  • Cell phone - it will mainly be used as my camera
  • Paperback book - for off the grid moments
  • Chargers and converter for electronics
  • Hair dryer and curling iron - maybe, can't decide on these
  • Sunscreen
  • Bug spray
  • Toiletries
  • Water bottle
  • Towel - quick dry
  • Sunglasses
  • Reading glasses
  • Hat
  • GPS
This is beginning to remind me of the George Carlin bit about stuff.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Boulders, A Castle, and a Bunch of Churches and Fancy Buildings

I was probably a little harsh about the B&B last night.  We got up this morning and Norman and Stephanie had prepared a lovely "Kiwi Lite" breakfast for us.  It is their take on the continental breakfast, but Norman said he can't call it that if they're not on a continent.  The table was laden with fresh raspberries, rhubarb, fruit salad, granola, toast, yogurt, cheese, butter, cream, custard, and jams.  Then they passed around hot cross buns.  We shared the tiny dining room with two couple from China.  One couple from Hong Kong spoke English and told us about their trip.  They left their one year old son with the grandparents so they could take a 2 week holiday. On the way from Oamaru we stopped to view the Moeraki Boulders on Norman's recommendation.  The boulders jut out from the beach.   Scientists explain the boulders as calcite concretions formed about 65 million years ago. Crystallization of calcium and carbonates around charg...
Post a Comment
Read more

Thoughts on Retiring

Early this morning while lying awake in bed, I did some mental math and realized I will be retiring from my career in IT almost exactly 30 years from the day I started my first job out of college.  It is a bittersweet experience.  While I’m excited about the next chapter in my life and our big adventure moving to Idaho, I’m also sad to bring my IT career to a close and leave my work family.  I have spent 40+ hours per week for the last 30 years solving problems, writing code, implementing systems, learning new technologies, meeting with customers, counseling staff, reading email, and attending way too many meetings. To help me through this change, I started thinking about all the things I won’t miss, like those meetings.  People compliment me on my copious note-taking in meetings.  Here’s the truth, I started taking notes in boring meetings to keep from falling asleep and then it just became a habit.  I started with legal pads and saved the loose l...
Post a Comment
Read more

Sounds Like a Fiord

At 7:00 AM we were standing in the rain waiting for our bus to Manapouri and our final destination of  Doubtful Sound in the Fiordlands.  We switched to a ferry to cross the lake, and then back to a bus  to finally reach Doubtful Sound.  The sound got its name when catain Cook got close to its entrance in 1770.  Fearing he would not be able to sail his ship Endeavor back out, he noted that it was Doubtful. We travelled through the fiords for 3 hours.  The rain was a curse and a blessing.  There are only a handful of permanent waterfalls in the sound, but when it rains there are waterfalls everywhere.  If it had stopped raining (which it did not), our guide said the waterfalls would be gone within 4 hours.  So we had low visibility with the rain and mist but lots of waterfall sightings.  The pictures do not do justice to the beauty and vastness of the fiords.  You'll just have to trust us, or better yet plan a trip! We g...
1 comment
Read more