6explorers.com

(Dana) As we started planning this adventure, we talked about experiencing places that are changing far too fast, whether physically or culturally. As we wrap up this trip, I am so proud of what we have accomplished. The six of us have truly experienced other worlds beyond our home — physical worlds of landscape and […]

(Alex) After sort of falling off of the school-everyday-train at the beginning of the trip due to more exciting activities, we had to pick up the pace in the second half. I guess school was not the most exciting thing to do when we had the option of playing lacrosse with new friends while trekking […]

(Dana) I have always hated sharks. Watching Jaws in Junior High School probably had a lot to do with that. (thanks Steven Spielberg.) If you have never seen the movie, please don’t; it will damage your love of the ocean forever. That is, unless you are fortunate, like I have been, to dive in French […]

(Andrew) Here are some good hints I have learned over the last year: Either wake up or just stand up. On early mornings you have to get out of bed or you miss the flight. Plain and simple; you sleep, no travel. Put on some nice, baggy, comfortable clothes (cotton t-shirts and sweatpants work best.) […]

(Dana) The volcanic region running straight through the center of the North Island of New Zealand is part of the great Pacific Ring of Fire — where massive tectonic plates meet and shift, causing natural wonders and disasters like this year’s horrific Japanese earthquake.  Although these geological forces can wreak havoc and devastation, the great […]

(Dana) Other lands, other cultures, other sports. Our newest athletic experience… footy, or rugby. Yes, rugby is played in some schools across the US, but it holds a completely different level of exultation in New Zealand. New Zealand hosts the World Cup this fall. Kiwi professional teams play in a SuperLeague against teams from Australia […]

(Andrew) Zorbing: the activity of rolling down a hill while strapped inside an extremely large plastic ball. That is the definition of zorbing from the PC dictionary. We zorbed today. What the dictionary doesn’t describe is that it is REALLY FUN! What the dictionary also doesn’t describe is that you can also zorb not strapped […]

(Alex) Okay — so my brothers call me an adrenaline junky, and I admit it, I love the feeling of adrenaline rushing through my veins. After gorge swinging in Zimbabwe, I really wanted to do something that would outdo myself. My first idea was bungee jumping, but Mom and Dad quickly talked me out of […]

(Dana) During our adventure-filled time in New Zealand, I have been reflecting on our time in Papua New Guinea, which was like traveling back in time. The entire Highlands of the country – home to a million people – was only discovered by the Australians in the 1930s…less than 80 years ago! The vast majority […]

(Andrew) Our first major activity in New Zealand was going on the Spellbound Cave tour which includes seeing the spectacular luminous glowworms. The cave that we went to was the place that BBC Planet Earth filmed the segment on glowworms. This place was the best place to go. We drove to the pickup place from […]