15Jan 2020 by Dave Macleod No Comments
#3 Go Skydiving

#3 Go Skydiving

BUCKET LIST, TRAVEL
This bucket list item was completed on 10th August 2013 in Wanaka, New Zealand. Our snowboarding trip on the South Island of New Zealand continued through Queenstown and Wanaka after I crossed #14 Ski a “Real” Mountain off my list at Mount Olympus. The Queenstown and Wanaka area is amazing because there are so many adventure sports and activities packed into one little zone. The skiing is seasonal but mountain biking, bungee jumping, skydiving and many other activities are done all year round. I found a good deal on a tandem skydive at Skydive Wanaka, so we made sure to fit that into our plans. I had always wanted to skydive when I lived in Canada and tried to organise it with my friends a couple times, but it never…
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04Dec 2019 by Dave Macleod No Comments
Life Below the Rim: Whitewater Rafting the Grand Canyon

Life Below the Rim: Whitewater Rafting the Grand Canyon

BUCKET LIST, TRAVEL
While this is a classic bucket list item, it’s not actually from my list. It’s from my mum’s list. In 2017, my mum and I were at a Christmas party for the company I worked for at the time. We were all hanging around the pool and BBQing (yes, that is what we do around Christmas time in NZ) when I overheard my mum and another colleague, Luke, talking about the Grand Canyon. I heard her say “I’ve always wanted to whitewater raft the Grand Canyon” and then the conversation continued. Later that night, when we returned home, I asked my mum about her conversation with Luke. She brushed it off and said, “I think it would be amazing to do but it will never happen”. I said, “Why not?…
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20Nov 2019 by Dave Macleod No Comments
#14 Ski a “Real” Mountain

#14 Ski a “Real” Mountain

BUCKET LIST, TRAVEL
This bucket list item was completed on 29th July 2013 at Mount Olympus, Canterbury New Zealand. This may sound like a bit of a weird one coming from a kid who grew up skiing in Canada but I’m from the East Coast, not the West Coast. The West Coast has the beloved Rockies and endless ski resorts with amazing terrain… The East Coast has hills that accumulate snow during the winter months. That’s about it. Needless to say I got bored of skiing on the East Coast by the time I was a teenager but I never managed to get out west to ski real mountains. I had always seen this as something I wanted to accomplish, so naturally it landed on the bucket list. I knew that New Zealand…
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23Oct 2019 by Dave Macleod No Comments
[#89 Lesson] Seek Out Odd Adventures

[#89 Lesson] Seek Out Odd Adventures

INFORMATION, LESSON, TRAVEL
This life lesson relates to my previous blog #89 Go Zorbing. Not many people know about “zorbing” outside of New Zealand. Most people have the same response when they see that item on my list. “Zorbing? What’s zorbing?” I usually say “Have you ever seen videos of people jumping inside of a giant beach ball and rolling down a hill?” They always respond with “Ohhhhh yes of course, that looks so fun!” People don’t know the term, but they know the activity. Zorbing Ever since I was a kid I have always kept an eye out for odd and crazy adventures, and zorbing is a prime example of that. The classic bucket list adventures like walking on the Great Wall of China and seeing the Pyramids of Giza are great…
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09Oct 2019 by Dave Macleod No Comments
#89 Go Zorbing

#89 Go Zorbing

BUCKET LIST, TRAVEL
This bucket list item was completed on 17th June 2013 in Rotorua, New Zealand. If you have been following along with the timeline so far, I have just graduated university and transplanted myself into New Zealand on a one-way ticket. Kyle and I landed in Auckland during the first week of June and spent the first couple days getting bank accounts set up, adjusting to the time zone and searching for a used car. We killed time by checking out some museums and also getting over to Rangitoto Island for a bit of an adventure. Replica of a moa - A large flightless bird that used to roam NZ Giant waka (canoe) Kyle and his emperor penguin friend View of Rangitoto Island from Auckland The volcanic trails of Rangitoto Island…
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25Sep 2019 by Dave Macleod No Comments
Moving to New Zealand

Moving to New Zealand

GENERAL, TRAVEL
My recent blog, #60 Eat Kangaroo Steak, was the last bucket list item that I completed while I was living in Canada. Later that year I moved to New Zealand to begin some new adventures. Here is how it all happened… In 2011, I was two years away from finishing my degree in mechanical engineering and it was time to start thinking about life after university. The option staring me straight in the face was to move to Western Canada and put my education to work in the oil & gas industry. Most engineers from the East Coast go down this path because of the promise of big money. I didn’t have any issues with the oil & gas industry and the thought of earning big money out of university…
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31Jul 2019 by Monika Giacca Millar No Comments
Disney Tips and Secrets

Disney Tips and Secrets

INFORMATION, TRAVEL
Below is a list of tips, tricks and packing lists for Disney World, based on my own experiences and after scouring the top Disney planning resources online.  I’ve linked to them a few times below, so it’s worthwhile going through their planning tips as well for more information. Disney World is an amazing experience for young and old, but a little planning in advance can help you save a lot of time waiting in lines and money. Disney World might not be on your bucket list but I’m sure your kids will love you for taking them there. GENERAL DISNEY WORLD TIPS AND SECRETS Guests staying at Walt Disney World Resorts, Disney Swan and Dolphin, and the Disney Springs Resorts get access to the parks an hour early and two…
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17Jul 2019 by Dave Macleod No Comments
#52 Fire a Military Grade Rifle

#52 Fire a Military Grade Rifle

BUCKET LIST, TRAVEL
This bucket list item was completed on 5th January 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. This was the fourth and final bucket list item I completed during my trip to Las Vegas. In my previous post, #40 Jeep or Buggy Sand Dunes, the story concluded with Kyle and me heading back from ripping up the sand dune outside of Las Vegas. We were still riding the adrenaline high from the dune buggies and had booked in to do some shooting at The Gun Store on the Las Vegas strip. The guys from SunBuggy Fun Rentals were nice enough to drop us off at The Gun Store when they brought us back into town. This was our last day in Las Vegas so we wanted to pack in as much as…
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05Jun 2019 by Monika Giacca Millar 1 Comment
Flirting With Disaster

Flirting With Disaster

INFORMATION, TRAVEL
My number one travel tip is a difficult one for me to suggest to my clients. The travel motto my husband’s and I have is, “The best trips are the trips where something goes wrong.” We’ve travelled a lot together, we’ve seen beautiful cities, beautiful beaches, met lovely people … but if I’m being honest, there’s something just so vanilla about those trips. Don’t get me wrong, I do not wish disaster upon myself or anyone, but it’s when things go wrong that the opportunity for truly great memories and excellent stories are born. I also think it’s an excellent travel philosophy for anyone who travels frequently, you need to roll with the punches. When you come back from a trip it’s much better to come back ‘glass half full’…
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22May 2019 by Dave Macleod No Comments
#40 Jeep or Buggy Sand Dunes

#40 Jeep or Buggy Sand Dunes

BUCKET LIST, TRAVEL
This bucket list item was completed on 5th January 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. In my previous post, #25 Go to the Grand Canyon, the story concluded with Kyle and me enjoying a meal at Hooters after our adventure to the Grand Canyon. Our schedule in Las Vegas was packed full of activities. For many people, Las Vegas can be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We had no clue if, or when, we were going to make it back so we decided to make the most of it. The following day we had a tour scheduled with SunBuggy Fun Rentals. They were the original dune buggy operator in Las Vegas and offer the best gear and great experiences. They sounded like a good outfit so we figured we were in for…
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