Photos: author

This week’s featured expert goes one step further than most in demonstrating love of place:

“I have the word ‘kiwi’ tattoed over my right ankle with the first ‘i’ being the north island and the second ‘i’ the south. I was in Biarritz after the All Blacks got knocked out (again) of the 2007 World Cup and this was my way of showing support.”

Now, there’s no doubt this is the guy you can go to with questions on NZ’s North Island. Here’s some more about nzjosh:

“I was born at the bottom of six generations of kiwis. Mum’s side come from the mutineering Cornish boy Fletcher Christian; dads side also from Cornwall but not quite as celebrated as mums.

I grew up in the centre-north of N.Z. near the wild(er than the east) west coast and spent a lot of time outdoors playing in the waves, caves, hot springs, rivers and bush.

Basically if you go to NZ you go to party with nature cause she’s up for it there. Just like you’d go to Berlin for a dance or France for great big platters of cheese and wotnot. ENJOWY!”

Recently escaped from cubicle-land, nzjosh is on the hunt for new direction.

He’s fired up on “Creation. Truth. New hobbies & improving old ones. Life,” and is next traveling to an unlikely pair of island destinations: Ireland/Borneo.

To question or collaborate, click over to his Matador profile.

Community Connection:

Like I said, Matador’s got the globe covered with experts. Click the “destination expert” tag below to see those we’ve featured here on Trips, or follow this link to peruse the entire roster.

It also bears repeating that we’re always interested in signing up new experts. This forum post will tell you all you need to know.