Blueprint Travelers

Blueprint Travel Update: Our Favorite Parts of New Zealand Part 2 of 2 When we set out to reflect on our time in New Zealand, it gave us better context to our visit and allowed us to summarize the favorite aspects as a resource to others. This included the best hikes we did, favorite hot springs, and top wine regions. While we have continued to grow our wine knowledge in places like Argentina and Australia, we were very impressed with the New Zealand wineries. In particular their Pinot Noir...

Blueprint Travel Update: Our Favorite Parts of New Zealand Part 1 of 2 Before leaving New Zealand for our next adventure, we spent time reflecting on our favorite parts of an incredible road trip through both the South Island and North Island. For a relatively small country from a population and land mass perspective, the list of memorable experiences is disproportionately large. When we were planning our trip, it seemed that most people spend the majority of their time in the nature of the...

Blueprint Travel Update: Concluding an Epic Road Trip of New Zealand So far, our time in New Zealand has been packed full of adventure and it was time to slow down and relax on the last portion of our road trip. This started in Tauranga after completing the Hobbiton Movie Set Tour and departing Middle Earth. Besides being the starting point for a road trip around the Coromandel Peninsula, Tauranga also allowed us to climb the iconic Mauao / Mount Maunganui summit. The views from the top were...

Blueprint Travel Update: Continuing from New Zealand’s South Island to North Island Upon leaving the Southern Alps of New Zealand behind, we had our sights set on Abel Tasman National Park and its coastal paradise filled with golden sand beaches, crystal clear water, and lush forests. Since the national park is located at the far north part of the South Island it has a much milder climate than the more mountainous areas we had visited so far. We took advantage of the beautiful coastal areas...

Blueprint Travel Update: Reflecting on Australia and Starting to Explore New Zealand As we left Australia from Sydney to travel to Christchurch in New Zealand we had some moments to reflect back on our time exploring this immense country. Even though it was difficult to narrow down to only 10 top experiences, we re-documented the memories from swimming in the incredible rock pools of Sydney to watching the sunset at Uluru to seeing clown fish while snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef and so...

A Sample of What Australia Has to Offer BLUEPRINT TRAVELERS AUSTRALIA ALL DESTINATIONS INSTAGRAM Australia is a country that has something for really every kind of traveler. Beach vacationers, urban explorers, wildlife enthusiasts, and avid road-trippers... did you align with one of these qualifiers? Then traveling in Australia could be for you! (And on top of that, because of the size of the country, you can always find a destination in its best weather, no matter what time of year you...

ISSUE XLVIV 2025 JUNE 09 BLUEPRINT TRAVEL UPDATE: Driving from Brisbane to Sydney On the Legendary Pacific Coast Highway The Legendary Pacific Coast Highway, the region between Brisbane and Sydney, is our final portion of our time in Australia. And this is an area that we were really looking forward to. We were able to rent a car to do the drive, which allows us to take our time and visit the coast at our own pace, spend time at different beaches, watch people while we eat breakfast at a...

ISSUE XLVIV 2025 MAY 06 BLUEPRINT TRAVEL UPDATE: Relaxing in Queensland’s Capital City, Brisbane and the Surrounding Beaches We found this region to be an amazing destination for those who want to vacation in Australia and easily access the cultural aspects that make this country so popular: surfing beaches and Steve Irwin. With Brisbane as a hub of the region, we were able to easily access the famous Gold Coast and the lesser known Sunshine Coast, both of which are lined with beautiful and...

ISSUE XLVIII 2025 APRIL 07 BLUEPRINT TRAVEL UPDATE: Visiting Cairns to See the Great Barrier Reef and Daintree Rainforest The Great Barrier Reef is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World and was a huge bucket list item for us to explore. When researching the northern area of Queensland (where the reef is located), we realized that Cairns, Australia would not only give us incredible access to the reef but also allow us to explore the oldest rainforest in the world. It felt special to be...