The Wild and Rugged Catlins Coast - New Zealand South Island, Take 2
The Wild and Rugged Catlins Coast - New Zealand South Island, Take 2

It's no secret that this country is a wonderland for nature and wildlife enthusiasts. Every turn in the road reveals jaw-dropping coastal or alpine vistas (sometimes both!), a chance to hike up to a summit or jump in a frigid glacially-fed waterfall, or a cute little country town with little roadside cafes and plenty of charm. The Southern Scenic Route is an absolute must-do if you have three or four days in your itinerary to fill time on your way from the Te Anau/Queenstown area to Dunedin (or vice versa). It's a bit off of the beaten path, which in my opinion simply adds to the magic. The Catlins Coast was honestly one of my favorite detours on my three-week South Island expedition. It's rugged and wild and unexpected, and somehow managed to be relaxing while simultaneously stimulating my adventurous side.

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Travel, New ZealandLauren FritzCatlins Coast, Southern Scenic ROute, South Island, New Zealand, New Zealand travel, travel guide, new zealand fur seal, new zealand sea lion, nugget point, parakanui falls, waterfalls new zealand, explore more, hiking, camping new zealand
Christchurch Farmer's Market - A Saturday Morning Well Spent
Christchurch Farmer's Market - A Saturday Morning Well Spent

Located in Riccarton, a leafy green district in west Christchurch, this Saturday market is a hub for foodies, music lovers, caffeine addicts, organic produce enthusiasts, families, young couples, and wanderlusting travelers alike. You'll be able to chat with producers of artisan cheeses, breads, and nut butters, as well as the farmers who grow the most incredible array of fresh fruits and vegetables. You'll see happy market goers sprawled out under leafy trees nomming on their gourmet local burgers or posh breakfast porridge, listening to talented musical acts from around the city. You'll hear a stream babble alongside the market path, adding to the pleasant hum of noise that resonates throughout the air. And the smells! My nose couldn't stop investigating each and every one. Fresh Irish soda bread. Bacon being fried. Crepes getting stuffed full of fruits and savory delights. 

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Coffee and Food, Travel, New ZealandLauren FritzFarmer's Market, christchurch, New Zealand, Riccarton, Christchurch Farmer's Market, Christchurch Weekend Activities, Support Local, Acai Bowls, Bacon Bros, Greenroots Juicdry, Healthy Eating, Farmers, Local Produce, Travel more, Sustainability, Shopping, Saturday Market
Akaroa and the Banks Peninsula - New Zealand South Island, Take 1
Akaroa and the Banks Peninsula - New Zealand South Island, Take 1

Since I was driving south from Kaikoura, there was no better place to start the adventure than the small town of Akaroa on the beautiful Banks Peninsula. Just 75 km's from Christchurch, this historic French and British settlement is nestled right in the heart of a beautiful volcano. With only a day to spend exploring here, I made sure to get out on the water with Black Cat Cruises to see as much of the peninsula as I could - and I really can't recommend them highly enough! I did a harbor tour with them and could barely control my excitement over the stunning vistas we were able to see. The geological history of the Banks Peninsula and the Akaroa Harbour truly shows itself in the dramatic coastlines and beautiful cliff and rock formations. There was something new to ogle at around every turn. 

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Travel, New ZealandLauren Fritzakaroa, new zealand, south island, banks peninsua, banks peninsula, christchurch, travel, dames who travel, adventure, dolphins, hector's dolphins, penguins, new zealand fur seals
Working with "Charismatic Megafauna" to Raise Awareness for Conservation Goals — Can a Naturalist Make a Difference?
Working with "Charismatic Megafauna" to Raise Awareness for Conservation Goals — Can a Naturalist Make a Difference?

The ocean is full of incredible creatures, many of which the average person will never lay eyes on in their lifetime. Although about 40% of humans live within 100 km of the coast, there's still plenty of us who spend our days without seeing, or thinking about, the big blue. It's easy to feel disconnected from something that we simply don't see every day. Is this why the ocean's health often slips from the list of factors that affect our day-to-day lifestyle choices? In my perfect world, the health of the sea would be at the forefront of everyone's mind when they make any decision that involves sustainability and conservation. But it's not always so. Not everyone can live by the ocean. Not everyone wants to live by the ocean. Not everyone realizes that our health and wellbeing is intimately tied to the wellbeing of the sea. This is why it is important to give reminders of why the ocean is an incredible gift — not to mention essential for our survival as a species — and why it deserves respect and protection.

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Marine ConservationLauren Fritzwhale watching, conservation, ocean conservation, marine conservation, marine mammals, kaikoura, maui, maui whale watching, san juan islands, friday harbor, friday harbor whale watching, san juan island whale watching, travel, ecotourism, boat tours
Seabirds and Pinnipeds - A Taste of NZ
Seabirds and Pinnipeds - A Taste of NZ

Familiarity is such a relative concept. I love, love, LOVE that you can move across an ocean and encounter an entirely new, mind-blowingly beautiful country and still completely engage and connect with people who are familiar with the place. Ever since arriving in Kaikoura, my jaw has been getting a regular workout from dropping in awe daily. The beauty that surrounds me is incredible. The wonderful people I work with and live with have been here much longer than me, and it's wild to think that they are so used to all of this wildlife and scenery. Albatross on the reg? No big deal. Adorable fur seal pups snuggling up high on rocks and blinking their big baby eyes at you? The norm. Dusky dolphins doing backflips and cartwheels right next to the boat? Got a million photos already.

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Travel, Marine ConservationLauren FritzNew Zealand, Kaikoura, seabird, albatross, encounter kaikoura, albatross encounter, boat life, seabirds, birdwatching, birder, south island, fur seal, marine conservation, ocean conservation, think blue, salt and snow
Falling in Love with the Timing of Your Life - Finally Off to New Zealand After 5 Years of Dreaming
Falling in Love with the Timing of Your Life - Finally Off to New Zealand After 5 Years of Dreaming

I can pinpoint the exact moment when I determined that some part of me, at some point in my life, needed to move to New Zealand. Not permanently, not even for a full year, but an actual move, not just travel. I was on an early morning walk through Queenstown, eager to wake up before my travel buddies so I could venture off for hot chocolate and wifi (I wasn't a coffee drinker yet, gasp), basking in the pure joy of being somewhere new and feeling like the whole world was opening up in front of me. I was 20, fresh out of a semester abroad at the University of Western Australia, road-tripping around the North and South Islands of New Zealand with some fellow Notre Dame study-abroaders before returning home for Christmas. We had two hilarious Wicked campervans, a steady supply of bread and peanut butter, a zest for adventure, and no set itinerary. It was delicious. 

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TravelLauren Fritztravel, Solo travel, new zealand, working holiday, tourism, seasonal life, dreams, timing, adventure, good for the soul, freedom, travel more, girls who travel
The Issues We Need to Face - Dealing with the Demise of an Entire Population of Killer Whales
The Issues We Need to Face - Dealing with the Demise of an Entire Population of Killer Whales

For a minute, close your eyes and envision yourself on the deck of a 55-foot whale watch vessel in the San Juan Islands. We're looking at a pod of Transient killer whales about 300 yards off our bow, surfacing regularly as they move across the channel in search of their next meal. The water is glassy and the most beautiful green color, barely disturbed by the graceful movement of these animals as their dorsal fins slice across the surface like menacing black knives. The sun is gleaming overhead, the breeze is cold and refreshing, and we're surrounded by the beauty of the San Juan archipelago. We're talking about whales.

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OutdoorsLauren Fritzsouthern resident killer whales, orcas, killer whales, whale watching, environmental conservation, marine conservation, save the orcas, whale, marine mammals, ocean conservation, climate change is real, global warming is real, salmon, pacific northwest, chinook salmon
San Juan-dering - Exploring San Juan Island on a Sunny Day Off
San Juan-dering - Exploring San Juan Island on a Sunny Day Off

I'm pretty lucky to have an amazing archipelago to explore on my days off.  I've already written about Orcas and Lopez, but how could I overlook the island that I actually call my summer home? San Juan Island is a true gem in the Salish Sea. It's filled with hiking trails that wind along rocky shorelines and mossy forests, beaches covered in driftwood and harbors brimming with old-time charm, rolling fields of lavender and local farms that supply a vibrant farmer's market on Saturdays, and sweeping vistas of neighboring islands, the Olympic Mountains, and inter-island channels of water. I spend a good portion of my day pinching myself to ensure I'm in reality and drooling over the insane natural beauty of this place.

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Adventure Activities, San Juan Islands, Outdoors, TravelLauren FritzSan Juan Island, things to do on san juan island, Hiking, Washinton, adventure, solo travel, Beautiful
Braving the Oregon Coast for the 2017 Eclipse Weekend
Braving the Oregon Coast for the 2017 Eclipse Weekend

Manzanita...Cannon Beach...Ecola State Park...It seems that my family has an affinity for the Oregon Coast. I specifically remember how our summer trips to the windblown, misty beaches of the Northwest inspired my first waves of ocean infatuation. Not much has changed in the last fifteen years; when my mom recently discovered that her timeshare company has a property in Newport, OR, she pounced on the one available August weekend at the Embarcadero. "It's always full in the summer, what a miracle!" she reasoned. We'd stayed there once before, and had really enjoyed our weekend there this past Thanksgiving. We figured round two would be just as amazing, and maybe a little bit warmer.

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Lauren Fritzportland, oregon, eclipse, solar eclipse, family vacation, newport, oregon coast, adventure, travel, family, coast, pacific northwest, ocean, pacific ocean, traffic
Craving Clarity - Tramping Up Mountains to Rise Above the Haze
Craving Clarity - Tramping Up Mountains to Rise Above the Haze

I'm really into solo adventuring. I do enjoy the company of people, and I wouldn't call myself anti-social, but I do my recharging when I have my mind to myself. I have a tendency - a flaw, perhaps - of adjusting my behavior to "suit" whoever I'm with. I try to guess which aspects of my personality my companions would find most enjoyable and this is what I provide to them. I'm a people pleaser - I don't like to disappoint, so this could very well be a reflection of that trait. But that isn't being true to myself. It's something I'm working on, and in the meantime, I find my solace and healing in solitude.

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Outdoors, Adventure ActivitiesLauren FritzMeditation, Mount baker, Therapy, Solo travel, Hiking, Alpine yoga, National forest, Washington, Pacific Northwest, Salt and snow, Mountain therapy
Lopez Island - Day Trip to the Island Nicknamed "Slow-pez"
Lopez Island - Day Trip to the Island Nicknamed "Slow-pez"

One of the beauties of island living is that if you want to get away from it all, it can be as simple as hopping over to a different island that's only a few miles away. Quite different from dealing with the pricey inter-island flights of Hawai'i that I flew this past winter, moving between the San Juan archipelago is as simple as boarding the Washington State Ferry. It's free for walk-on passengers and bicyclists when you're moving between the islands (or if you're coming from the mainland, it costs a mere $13.50), so when I had a sunny Saturday off, it was a no-brainer to grab some bikes and my friends Jules and Katie to go on an inter-island adventure. Bonus - Saturday is farmer's market day out here! Eager to explore a new island, Lopez was an easy choice. It's known as the most bike-friendly of the San Juan Islands, although fellow cyclists will probably agree with me when I say that it can still whoop your tush if you haven't been biking in over a year (like me!). 

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San Juan Islands, Travel, OutdoorsLauren FritzSan Juan Island, Washington, washington state ferry, travel, day trip, adventure, Biking, Cycling, Bike-friendly islands