Liz Carlson jokingly refers to herself as that cliche “ordinary girl on an extraordinary journey”, but of course, there’s nothing ordinary about her. Born outside Washington D.C., she dedicated most of her adult life to traveling, until finally settling in New Zealand.
“Seven years ago I walked into my boss’ office, told him to stuff it,” she recalls on her travel blog, Young Adventuress , “and then moved to New Zealand and began blogging full-time and developed a deep and abiding love for men in stubbies and gumboots. I haven’t been deported yet and haven’t looked back since.”
Her blog turned into a no-filter, vaguely chronological, space filled with stories and misadventures about her travels over the years with some musings about life thrown in for good measure.
“I am passionate about things like good coffee, reading, being outside and conservation work (both here in New Zealand and overseas), Antarctica and believe that we are in the world to do good and to grow as much as we can,” writes Carlson. “I like to inspire and make people smile (and snort with laughter if I can manage it). I also ramble on a lot about birds. Just roll with it. If you’re easily offended, you’ve come to the wrong place.”
If you’re thinking about visiting New Zealand, the Young Adventuress should be your first stop.
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I’ve never met an oyster I didn’t love 😍 . The first week of January I spent with @giuliosturla in Russell in the Bay of Islands, and it was magic. I had never been this far north in New Zealand, and it was so exquisite I didn’t want to leave. Crystal clear waters, sandy beaches, lots of fish and relaxed barefoot kiwis, both of the human and also feathered variety. The birdsong was divine, the vibe was chilled out, and everyone was kind. The Bay of Islands is special. . And while we did a bit of work as a wee recce for a project we’ll do up there in a few months, for the most part this week in the far north was a much needed vacation. I swam, tanned, napped, relaxed and not much else. Nothing like a nice holiday in the sun to reset your clock and to put things into perspective. Also got with fresh oysters daily. That too. . #bayofislands #paihia #russell #nzmustdo #newzealand
A post shared by Liz Carlson☀️Young Adventuress (@youngadventuress) on Jan 14, 2020 at 3:44pm PST
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Forever obsessed with being cozy 🍂 . Check out my wee inflatable air beam bud glamping tent from @lotusbelletents decked out with my favorite sheepskins from @wilsondorset, two of my fave kiwi brands ❤️ As the world changes, I really really hope that New Zealand continues to foster and support local businesses. More than ever it’s so important to consider where to drop your dollars, and I’m really thinking a lot about supporting my friends. Every single day I thank my lucky stars I’ve been allowed to live in such a wonderful country who cares about its people in a meaningful way. Here, you really feel looked after, like the country has your back. That feeling of security is priceless to me. . With the new financial packages, not only have we received quick government subsidies, but also there’s some really cool loans and grants available to keep people going. I’m not a financial expert by any means, but here it feels like we are being helped from the bottom up, that each individual actually matters. . For example, last week I applied and received an epic small business loan that I’m planning to use towards getting a personal side project (that brings me so much joy) it off the ground. In many ways it feels like now is the time to take a fucking risk and try something new here. In fact, I’m not sure I would have ever done this if it wasn’t for COVID. . What’s the worst that could happen? You fail at trying to do something you love? Who cares? Failure is a teacher, messing up gives you experience! Go for it! Once you’ve failed at something, it’s not really scary anymore. Why not try something new? . #nzmustdo #wilsonanddorset #wanaka #newzealand #takerisks #covid #coronavirus
A post shared by Liz Carlson☀️Young Adventuress (@youngadventuress) on May 23, 2020 at 4:47pm PDT
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Seriously, how cute is this baby kiwi? Sleepy and fluffy, and incredible endangered, 9 out of 10 kiwi chicks won’t survive in the wild until their first year without help. Rats, stoats and possums kill around 25 million native birds here in New Zealand EVERY YEAR! Let that sink in for a hot second. . New Zealand is a fascinating island that evolved without mammals – it was a land of birds until humans arrived 800 years ago, and all sorts of creatures New Zealand birds had never had to face before. The story, as you might imagine, is a sad one. Once we arrived, roughly half the birds went extinct, including the stunning huia, moa, the laughing owl, and the Haast’s eagle. . Nowadays, 4 out of 5 birds are at risk here in New Zealand, and as we watch our unique (and admittedly weird) creatures suffer, it helped spur the ambitious launch of @predatorfreenz by the government with the goal of eliminating introduced predators here by 2050. . I’m determined to do my part including setting up backyard trapping at my home with my new @goodnaturenz A24 stoats and rat traps, a super easy way we can all do our part here! Let’s bring back the native birdsong 🦉 . #goodnature #predatorfree2050 #nzmustdo #kiwi #newzealand #rainbowsprings
A post shared by Liz Carlson☀️Young Adventuress (@youngadventuress) on Jan 27, 2020 at 9:38pm PST
