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The Open Road Before Me

Giving in to wanderlust

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You are here: Home / Archives for Continents / Oceania

Oceania

Waves off Porpoise Bay

Driving the Southern Scenic Route

I woke to the car shaking from the wind, to the clatter of rain on the roof.  It had been a blustery night, parked by the seashore at Moray Terrace, but I’d caught a few hours of sleep and had made the snug confines of Te Namu as comfortable as possible.  The day would start …

Driving the Southern Scenic RouteRead More

Category: New ZealandTag: epic, favorite, food porn, great view, hike, history, national park, New Zealand, road trip, roadtrip, sea, sunset

He’s Got a Dead Cat…

I see it just before it charges, a gaunt, grey beast crouching by the roadside with ears pressed back and shoulders hunched in anticipation. I swerve to the far side of the lane and accelerate, snarling at the dog as it leaps to give chase. Melissa tenses on the seat behind me as we pass …

He’s Got a Dead Cat…Read More

Category: SamoaTag: great view, motorcycle ride, road trip, roadtrip, sam, samoa, sea, travel tales

Swimming with Eagles in Savai’i

My body floats on the surface, buoyant and still. Flippers stir the sea behind me, and I glide over the haphazard world below.  It’s my first time snorkeling in Samoa.  The coral here still shows the after-effects from the cyclone which roared through 2 weeks prior. Closer to shore, everything is dead or dying, the …

Swimming with Eagles in Savai’iRead More

Category: Diving, SamoaTag: endangered species, island, river, samoa, sea, snorkeling, travel tales

Savai’i Road Trip

I open the throttle and the engine roars — all 110cc of it. Melissa and I perch on the seat of the little Suzuki scooter — bags strapped to our backs and chests, respectively — as it works its way up to cruising speed. The sky is a flawless blue overhead, and brilliantly hued plants …

Savai’i Road TripRead More

Category: SamoaTag: great view, motorcycle ride, river, road trip, roadtrip, samoa, sea, sunset, travel tales

Driving to the Catlins

Driving to the Catlins

Driving past the holiday park leaves me feeling fuzzy — numbed to my actions and what they symbolize. I’m driving to the Catlins and leaving Te Anau. My home for the past 4.5 months, Te Anau is a tiny, buzzing little place popular simply because it’s the closest town to the iconic Milford Sound. Jobs are plentiful …

Driving to the CatlinsRead More

Category: New ZealandTag: architecture, epic, great view, history, lake, New Zealand, river, road trip, roadtrip, sea, sunset

Forks in the Road

When I first started The Open Road Before Me, it was early 2011 and I’d just decided to quit my job of three years to take up teaching English in South Korea.  I was burnt out and desperate for change, and addressed the problem by veering down a vastly different road from what I’d been …

Forks in the RoadRead More

Category: Samoa, WritingTag: The World, travel tales, writing

Cruise in Doubtful Sound

The prow of the boat cut through the waters of Lake Manapouri like a knife through as much butter.  Gusts of frigid, pre-dawn air buffeted us as we fought for balance on the viewing deck, and the sun broke over the hills in the East.  It was a fine day, and my coworker Marketa and …

Cruise in Doubtful SoundRead More

Category: New ZealandTag: endangered species, epic, great view, history, lake, national park, New Zealand, sea, tour

The Shores of Lake Manapouri

The Shores of Lake Manapouri

I almost didn’t get out of bed that day.  The week of balancing three jobs and over 70 hours of work had caught up to me, and I wanted nothing more than to sleep.  But a peek from between the blinds left me blinking and sure of one thing: it was a fine day for …

The Shores of Lake ManapouriRead More

Category: New ZealandTag: great view, hike, lake, national park, New Zealand, river

Nature Cruise in Milford Sound

Nature Cruise in Milford Sound

Fiordland, a vast tract of mountainous terrain that occupies the south-west corner of South Island, New Zealand, is one of the most astounding pieces of land anywhere on God’s earth, and one’s first impulse, standing on a cliff top surveying it all, is simply to burst into spontaneous applause.” – Douglas Adams “Who here is …

Nature Cruise in Milford SoundRead More

Category: New ZealandTag: endangered species, epic, great view, lake, national park, New Zealand, river, sea, tour, travel tips

Crossing Rainbow Reach

Crossing Rainbow Reach

Under the snowcapped mountains of Fiordland National Park, freshwater streams empty into the saltwater fiords, creating a unique ecosystem. This is a heavily wooded park, so the water in the streams is stained with tannin, a substance found in plants that makes clean water seem dirty, though it isn’t.” – Brian Skerry It was the …

Crossing Rainbow ReachRead More

Category: New ZealandTag: endangered species, great view, hike, national park, New Zealand, river

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Spring in Mongolia
Hello, my name's Nathan. I've been living a life on the road since October 2011, and have no plans of slowing down. Come along for the ride!

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