You've probably heard about the earthquakes in New Zealand. I'm very thankful to be untouched and unscathed up here in Auckland - zero impact for me personally - but it sure has got me thinking about how we really should get an emergency kit together.
Sometimes a small town stirs something in you that mutters 'man, maybe we could retire to a place like this'. While Kaikoura's township itself did not hit that particular nerve for us, we did so admire the weathered old bloke who ran our chartered fishing trip and the lifestyle he clearly enjoyed - and the vibe he emanated was definitely of the 'wow, one day I hope that'll be us' variety. And most memorably, the scenery around Kaikoura was just breathtaking. Here are a few photos from our 2013 trip (via this blog post)
I've donated to the Red Cross campaign - here's the link if you would like to, as well.