Category Archives: Pre-Trip Preparation

Kia Aro from New Zealand!

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After fifteen hours of flights and four or so hours of lay-overs we’ve arrived at our first destination: New Zealand.

You may say to yourself: “Too Easy! An Around the world trip that starts half-way around the world, they’re cheating.” Well, yes maybe we are cheating. And if you would like to help finance a trip to backfill the Dallas to New Zealand segment please get in contact with us at once.

Anyway, New Zealand is very far away. If you’re reading this before you go to bed on the east coast in the states, we’re getting ready for dinner …the NEXT DAY.

A few things lead us to start our trip in NZ: it’s a soft landing, despite the jet-lag.

  • They speak English
  • We have conntacts here
  • The exchange rate works in our favor
  • It’s suppose to have a terrifically beatiful and varied environments

So compared to some of the other destinations on our itenerary (Mongolia, Namibia, to name only two), NZ is looking pretty easy to get our arms around. Let’s hope it’s a good place for us to start learning how to be round the world travelers.

Bonne Voyage!

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Remember how you felt before you started your last Round the World trip? No? Let me remind you: It’s really no sweat, you’re only leaving home for several months, going to God knows what kind of places where you won’t understand the locals, be familiar with their customs or know which way to look when you cross the street …and that’s just Australia.

Well, if you’re like LeeAnne and me and you haven’t done this kind of thing before, let me tell you – it’s exciting and fun and scary as hell at the same time.

Maybe this is what your wedding day feels like (If unlike us you planned a wedding and had more than one guest invited). It’s this thing that you’ve been planning for and sweating the details about for months and you’ve told all your friends about it and now it’s all about to start tomorrow. So you’re hoping that everything hangs together because there are too many details to go over at the last minute, and only once the cerimony starts is when you feel you can exhail. That’s kind of where we’re at right now.

So see you all soon, wish you were coming with us.

Pretrip Gearlist (Or Things We Should Have Left Behind)

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Below is a partially complete list of stuff we’ve set out with. Too much (almost certainly), not enough (what are you smoking?), we shall see. Please note that the Cycling stuff is going home after we leave New Zealand, and the Camping stuff is going home after Australia.

Crap We Need

  • Passports & Visas
  • Cash, Bank cards, Credit Cards, Travelers Checks
  • Airline Tickets
  • Immunization Records

General Crap

  • Backpacks x2
  • Shower Sandels x2
  • Hiking Boots x2
  • Casual Shoes
  • Day Pack
  • Med Kit
  • Pants
  • Shirts
  • Jackets
  • Base Layer
  • Underwear
  • Socks
  • Wallets
  • Money Belts x3
  • Document organizers x2

Biking Crap

  • Large Ortlieb Rear Panniers x4
  • Small Ortlieb Front Panniers x4
  • Ortlieb Handlebar Bag
  • Ortlieb Camera Fixture for Handlebar Bag
  • Ortlieb Map Panel
  • Lifeadventure Dry Bag – Large
  • Trek Handlebar Bag
  • Helmets x2
  • Bike Shoes x2
  • Bike Saddles x2
  • Bike Peddles x2
  • Bike Computers x2
  • Bike 1/2 Gloves x2
  • Full Gloves
  • Fox Saddlebag
  • Bike Pump
  • Bike Lock
  • Bike Tools
  • Inner Tubes x6
  • Bungie Cords x9
  • Ortlieb Carry System
  • Seat Cover
  • Inner Tube Patch Kits
  • Inclimbator
  • Short Sleeve Jerseys
  • Long Sleeve Jerseys
  • Bike Shorts
  • Bike Tights
  • Shy Shorts
  • Rain Jackets
  • Rain Pants
  • Headband
  • Bike Goggles
  • Helmet Rain Cover
  • Bike Covers
  • Third Eye x3

Camping Crap

  • Eureka 2 Person Tent
  • Sleeping Bags
  • Sleeping Pads
  • Headlamps
  • Cloths Line
  • Can Opener
  • Jet Boil
  • Cook Kit
  • Camp Pillows
  • 8 Feet of Rope
  • Flatware
  • Various Spices
  • Nanogeal Bottle
  • Jetboil French Press

Electronic Crap

  • Cell Phone Blackberry 7100t and Charger
  • Ipods x2 and Chargers
  • Palm Tungsten E2
  • Palm Wireless Keyboard
  • SD Cards
  • 16MB, 1GB x2, 2GB
  • Flash Drive for SD Cards
  • Multi Card Reader
  • Nikon D50 Digital SLR, 2 Lenses and Charger
  • Extra Battery for Nikon
  • Cannon Digital Point and Shoot and Charger
  • Extra Battery for Cannon
  • Universal Power Converter and International Adaptors
  • Ipod Digital Camera Fixture
  • Ipod Speaker
  • Pedometer
  • Wrist Watches