Thanks for visiting! We’re in New Zealand for the next couple months, so turn back now if you want an accurate portrait of the Parkinsons. Otherwise, stick around and enjoy the vicarious splendor of Middle Earth with us.

Nate will be working remotely full-time for his company CLEARLINK, and I will be earning us free room and board by working 20 hours a week or so training/exercising/frolicking with horses. Nate will also be helping with the horses a bit and doing other things he’s asked to do around these places.  We have a car the whole time and plan to drive all over the place – on the left side of the road of course!

Our itinerary:

Nov 1-3 Christchurch, New Zealand — we’ll be getting over our jet lag here by sleeping a lot

Christchurch, New Zealand

Nov 3-7 Queenstown, New Zealand — adventure time — Nevis bungy, Nevis canyon swing, the luge, kayaking Milford Sound, and eating lots of delicious food

Queenstown, New Zealand

Nov 7-20 Ashburton, New Zealand — Our first gig working with 5 horses that they use for hunting with hound dogs. They also have 750 dairy cows. Awesome! We’ll be staying in the family’s sleepout (a detached house sort of thing). Ashburton is on the east coast of the south island and 30 minutes or so south of Christchurch.

Ashburton, New Zealand

Nov 20 – take our car on the ferry to the north island

Nov 20-Dec 20 Martinborough, New Zealand – Our second gig working with a couple horses that the couple’s daughter shows in eventing. The family also has sheep and I’m SUPER excited about this. I love sheep! Martinborough is in the north island and full of rolling hills, many vineyards, and east of the country’s capital, Wellington.

Martinborough, New Zealand

Dec 20-Dec 27 Ohau, New Zealand – We’ll be taking it easy and seeing the west coast of the north island for a week. We’ll have a very warm Christmas and I’ll be making my first ever feast for the two of us!

Ohau, New Zealand

Dec 27-Jan 3 Hawk’s Bay, New Zealand –  Checking out the east coast of the north island for a week. Hopefully doing ocean things even though the water is pretty cold!

Hawkes Bay, New Zealand

Jan 3-Jan 10 Auckland, New Zealand – my family (parents and brother) are coming to visit! We’ll be meeting in Wellington and taking a train up to Auckland together. We’ll be here for a couple days doing exciting things like zorbing in Rotorua, visiting Hobbiton, going to the Coromandel and Bay of Plenty, and seeing the glowworm caves.

Auckland, New Zealand

Jan 10-Jan 14 Sydney, Australia – doing touristy things with the parents.

Sydney, Australia

Jan 14-Jan 31 – Hunter Valley, NSW, Australia – Our third gig is at an Andalusian horse breeding farm. This means baby foals. Yes! Hunter Valley is another area full of vineyards and wonderful things.

Hunter Valley, Australia

The Andalusian

Jan 31 – Supposedly we’re coming home to the states…we’ve got one year working visas for both NZ and Australia though so we’ll see about that 🙂