About me

Petrina Darrah stands in front of mountains at sunset

Hi, I’m Petrina

I grew up in rural New Zealand, on a dairy farm.

My childhood was spent running around barefoot, riding horses through the bush, and swimming in the river and calling it a shower.

Now that I’m grown up, not much has changed.

I love to be outside. Now, my playground has just expanded to include the whole country, instead of just my parents’ farm in the Coromandel Peninsula.

I feel like I’m still growing up, and maybe one day I will have a serious job that requires shoes. For now, I carve out a living writing about my passion for van life, hiking, surfing, and generally living life outdoors.

I write travel stories about New Zealand for publications around the world. My writing has been published in National Geographic Traveler, The Washington Post, The Guardian, and more.

So, why should you listen to my New Zealand travel advice?

That’s a great question.

Travel advice can be very subjective — people like different things. One person’s tourist trap is another’s bucket list item.

So, maybe it helps to know a little more about the things I like, and why I recommend what I do.

First of all, I write all of the content on this website — I don’t use AI, so you can be confident you’re reading the thoughts and recommendations of a real person.

I’m a thirty-something with a fondness for good coffee and outdoor bathtubs in nice Airbnbs, along with hiking and van life adventures.

So, you can expect me to share recommendations on good places to eat and drink, as well as the best places to go camping in New Zealand.

I do splurge on the occasional big ticket item, like walking on a glacier. So again, you can expect me to recommend a range of things, from free to a bit more expensive but very worthwhile.

I also try to focus on independent, Maori- or women-owned businesses wherever possible.

Because if you’re anything like me, you’re happy to put money into experiences that also benefit local communities and environments, and travel for you is as much about connecting with people as it is indulging your passions.