Heather Hapeta lives in Aotearoa-New Zealand: real travel, real adventures, real stories, real photos. Recent destinations Vietnam, Cambodia, Taiwan and Hong Kong – now NZ destinations due to COVID travel restrictions
Heather Hapeta AKA the KiwiTravelWriter, got her first passport and ran away from home on her 50th birthday.
With a backpack, an around the world air ticket, and no other bookings she travelled the world: this book tells of her year of adventures from Alaska to Zimbabwe. It was so good she’s done it twice more and now lives as a travel writer, photographer, and blogger.
Hard copies are available directly from the author (NZ addresses only), and e-versions from Amazon and other e-book retailers.
It shows up in the most unusual ways at the most unexpected times. Sometimes you’ll be unable to sleep while other times you’ll need to sleep far too much. You may go from angry to vulnerable in a nanosecond for no apparent reason and you may even wish you were anywhere but where you happen to be.
But, if you hang in there, those effects will surely fade.
Out of work and having trouble finding any in the Los Angeles area, Heidi decided to look elsewhere. As a television executive, this transplanted Pennsylvanian had made Hollywood a happy home for nearly a decade. Still, in order to pursue her chosen profession, she was willing to relocate.
When the two-year contract came through, Heidi had to move quickly. She was given a mere month to get there and find her bearings before reporting to her new job. READ THE ARTICLE HERE
In 1850, swamp covered Christchurch and settlers had to traverse bog to get home after shopping in the market.
Those early settlers must have been sorely disillusioned when they first saw the soggy land of their dreams.
Between 1000 and 1500, the indigenous Maori (who had arrived here from the Pacific) had asettlement here, called Puari. It stretched east from the Otakaro River, and was home for around 800 Waitaha people who gathered eels, whitebait, native trout, ducks, and flounder here.
The river was renamed the Avvon – after a Scottish river – then this too was changed to Avon, and the first bridge to span the river was a cart bridge in 1852. Ten years later the first public lamp was lit at the same market street bridge but kerosene was considered too expensive and the town lighting project was halted for two years. read further here
Punting the Otakaro, Avvon or Avon Christchurch, NZ
Interesting stats (June 2015) about where my readers have come from – in order of numbers … thanks to you all!
Kiwi Travel Writer talks food, travel, and tips 