DJ Blaze

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. Continue reading

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…

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 Continue reading

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,…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

The Travel Diaries – Northward Bound

The most indirect trip, because I can!

So it can be sunny in Auckland

After leaving Wellington it was time to continue my journey towards Auckland in the search for work. Along my way I had some stops planned out as well as a meeting that would end up being shaping the next part of my life journey. (more…)

The Travel Diaries – The Windy City

Returning to Wellington after 9 years

Wellington in its natural state

And of course things haven’t really changed at all. NZ has the habit of remaining relatively the same over long periods of time with only small changes appearing, a stark contrast to a city like Seoul which is constantly changing and changing fast. But this is also why it is great to be back in NZ, things are still familiar…

The Travel Diaries – New Journey

It begins again as we move to level 1

Looking out towards Wakefield

Welcome to a covid free New Zealand, well at least in theory, and hello to level 1. And this means we will be mostly back to life as normal here while the rest of the world still basks in the chaos and our boarders remained closed off. Luckily for me is that I can move freely around the country and start looking for a job. This…

The Travel Diaries – 10. Home, a country in lockdown

The journey has ended for now, the time of isolation begins

The sun still shines even in lockdown

While I had settled in nicely to my hotel life in Auckland, I was hit with the news that I would be able to relocate on Monday, only a week after my arrival. I was both happy and sad at this prospect, happy because I could continue my journey but sad because I was enjoying my time staying at the…

The Travel Diaries – 9. Return of the Maori

Aotearoa never looked so good

Sunrise flying into NZ

After travelling from the other side of the world, I finally touched down in Auckland, albeit, 2 months earlier than planned but at least I got back. 20,000 km traveled in a week from Berlin – London – Seoul – Tokyo – Auckland. It was a hell of a trip and definitely a story to tell once the world settles down (or you can just go back and read…

The Travel Diaries – 8. Full Circle

Back to where it began, only to keep on moving

Getting ready for the final phase

With my wait in London finally over, it was time to go back to Korea and then onward to NZ. I sure didn’t expect to see myself back in Korea again so soon. I also almost didn’t make it. With Korea’s current restrictions, after arriving I would have to wait 14 days until I could travel again which would mean I…