The Travel Diaries – Whangarei

The coastal city beaming with hidden gems

Whangarei Falls Located right on the edge of town

With my job I do get to travel a bit from time to time and a chance to go up to Whangarei for work was eagerly taken! The city is very similar to the city I grew up in except it resides North of Auckland. I grew up in Nelson which is the top of the South Island.

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The Gaming Diaries – Get Into Gaming

DNA putting gaming on the map with the Ministry of Education

Who would have thought this would be streamed into schools in NZ?!

It has been a busy few months as us here at DNA have taken on the task to bring Get into Gaming to life, a joint project with the Ministry of Education here in NZ to help inform and inspire our young ones about the reality of the gaming industry. Showcasing the many different career pathways within the industry and how kids can start on that pathway from esports, game design and content creation. The project ended up being a video series of 5 episodes featuring interviews from the big players in each of the different parts of the industry. Yeah it ended up being a pretty big undertaking and easily the first of its kind

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The Travel Diaries – Rotorua Holi

The festival of colours lands in sulphur city

Rotorua turned on the weather for the Festival of Colours

Holi is a popular ancient Hindu festival, also known as the “festival of love”, the “festival of colours”, and the “festival of spring”. The festival celebrates the eternal and divine love of Radha and Krishna. It also signifies the triumph of good over evil.

Wikipedia
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Gaming Diaries – A Return to Middle Earth

Why hello Hunter my old friend

Level 113, Hunter, Elf rocking the Ranger gears

Hey Sauron, guess who’s back! Just in time to come kick your ass! Oh, wait, Frodo has done that already… Well I guess I’ll just have to join the cause to tidy up the mess you left behind then!

Yes, I am back playing Lord of the Rings Online (LOTRO) after being away for a few years and it is good to be back! But damn, do I have a bit to catch up on! When I left, the level cap was 105 and I was mostly caught up with the story progression. Now that I am back, new level cap is 130 and there is 2 major expansions that have moved everything into the end game and another major content area added as well. So yeah, I have a bit of grinding to do! I will be sharing bits and pieces from the game in-between my travel and events posts so keep an eye out for more Lotro content! Continue reading “Gaming Diaries – A Return to Middle Earth”

The Travel Diaries – Rotorua’s smaller lakes

Part 2 of 2 shows us some recreational hot spots

A perfect spot for a swim

There are a couple of lakes missing from this list that one day I will hopefully try and visit so I can update this to be a bit more complete, but as they say, good things take time! So with that said, lets get straight into it. The first 3 lakes are all very close together and can be accessed by Tarawera Road. The last lake is found on State Highway 30 on the way to Kawerau and Whakatane. You can view part one here. Continue reading “The Travel Diaries – Rotorua’s smaller lakes”

The Travel Diaries – The Big 3 Lakes of Rotorua

Part 1 of a 2 part introduction to the Lakes District of Rotorua

Welcome to the Lakes District

Rotorua has a well earned reputation as a top tourist spot and with 18 lakes located in the region and all very close to each other, its reputation is well deserved. This all happened thanks to some major eruptions thousands of years ago that shaped the region and made it the geothermal hotspot it is today. There is a ton of history to be learned in the region but that is best left to others, instead, I am going to take a short look at some of the main lakes located in the region with some key features and some novice drone shots. Part 1 will cover the big 3 lakes, Rotorua, Rotoiti and Tarawera. View Part 2 here which covers some of the smaller lakes. Continue reading “The Travel Diaries – The Big 3 Lakes of Rotorua”

The Travel Diaries – Bledisloe Holiday Park

A waterside gem with location to match

Bledisloe Holiday Park

Looking for a summer getaway? Want to feel that seaside breeze and enjoy the sand and sun? Sound like a TripAdvisor advert yet? Well this ain’t no advert but I can tell you right now, this spot is legit and after spending a couple of days here, I was fully relaxed and recharged ready to hit the year running again. Bledisloe Holiday Park located in Maketu, in-between Tauranga and Whakatane in the Bay Of Plenty has one of the best locations I have seen for a holiday park. Continue reading “The Travel Diaries – Bledisloe Holiday Park”

The Travel Diaries – Okere Falls & Kerosene Creek

Local Attractions not to be overlooked

The tourist town of Rotorua, there is absolute gems of nature hidden in those hills and mountains

The great thing about living in Rotorua is everything is such a short drive away and the Bay of Plenty Region is full of amazing things to see and do. After settling down to work, I took a couple of weekends to drive around and check out some of the close by local attractions, the first 2 I am going to highlight are Okere Falls and Kerosene Creek. Continue reading “The Travel Diaries – Okere Falls & Kerosene Creek”

The Travel Diaries – The Camping Mission

A digital traveler exploring NZ

Himatangi Beach, Manawatu

Well since Covid has gone and ruined travel plans for most of us in 2020 and for the foreseeable future, I am one of the lucky few in the world who happens to live in a country where travel is very much on the cards and I intend to make the most of that by exploring this lovely country of mine. Instead of my usual hotel rooms and swimming pools in big cities, I am trading that in for a tent and camping grounds around NZ. That is not to say I am going to be roughing it in anyway at all, I am a digital traveler after all, comfort is required! I won’t be able to go camping every weekend but instead will be aiming to head out once a month or so. I will however endeavor to head out to various sightseeing spots as often as possible and blog about those. Continue reading “The Travel Diaries – The Camping Mission”

The Travel Diaries – New Job, New Horizons

An overdue Update, but more to come in 2021

My new job working at DNA

Well I said I would update about what I have been up to with my new job, but I have been busy and a little side tracked with getting things sorted, so I have neglected my writing a bit as of late, that and also my social media accounts. Without having to worry about DJn anymore, it has allowed me to back off from social media which has been great. Continue reading “The Travel Diaries – New Job, New Horizons”