Lisa Balkin & Taylor Gang

Lisa & Taylor

February 17, 2012

Lisa Balkin & Taylor Gang

Lisa & Taylor

February 17, 2012

Hello friends and family,

Welcome to our honeymoon registry!

As you know, Taylor and I are not a typical couple. Aside from our bizarre story of how we got here today, we have just managed to combine our two overstuffed apartments and barely find room for ourselves, the menagerie of animals, and our four bikes (which only live indoors)! We have all of the sports equipment, house wares, linens, and cooking gear that we can fit in our apartment. And no, Taylor does not really cook. Per my conversation with Olivia the other day, she said: Lisi, why do you always cook and Daddy never does? I kindly responded: Livie, if Daddy cooked we wouldn’t eat until midnight every night.

So we thought a classic bridal registry wouldn't work for us. But then again, we’re not all that typical.

We are both huge fans of traveling and gathering new experiences. When we discovered the honeymoon registry, we were elated! We have compiled a list of dream adventures that we would like to accomplish on our honeymoon. The registry allows you to give these experiences as gifts - so instead of a traditional gift, you can buy us swimming with dolphins in Southern New Zealand (with the smallest and rarest dolphins in the world!) or a winery tour (and yes there will be many).

The memories of this trip will be worth more than you can imagine. We have taken many exciting trips but this will be our first trip as husband and wife! When we are old and gray, we won't be talking about our amazing espresso machine. Instead we'll be talking about how Lisa twisted Taylor’s arm to climb the Sydney Harbor Bridge (good luck Lisa!) and overcome his fear of heights (which he will hopefully have forgiven me for at that point!) (Not likely!) We will fondly remember and appreciate these gifts of lasting memories for the rest of our lives.

We are so excited to see you all at the wedding and celebrate non-stop!

With love,
Lisa and Taylor

We're going to New Zealand and Australia!

We are so excited for the adventure of a lifetime. We figure if we're traveling across the world, we might as well do as much as possible while we're there, so we're visiting New Zealand and Australia! In planning our trip, Taylor and I read and researched extensively and got so incredibly excited about all of the fabulous experiences that we would enjoy together and remember forever.

We envision our honeymoon as the perfect combination of adventure, exploration, wine tasting and a little relaxation. We will start our trip in Auckland, the capital of New Zealand, at the top of the North Island. Some say that Aukland is the sailing capital of the world. Its rich sailing tradition recently included an impressive run as host and defender of The Americas Cup. Taylor is an avid sailor and we're both big fans of Newport, RI so we'll need to set sail in Aukland to see this for ourselves! We will then make our way by car and ferry to the bottom of the South Island. We'll stop along the way for hiking, caving, wine touring, dolphin swimming, cycling, whale watching, and hopefully hang gliding. We will hike across the Milford Track, said to be "the finest walk in the world". It is extremely remote and beautiful, where we will immerse ourselves in the grandeur of huge peaks, waterfalls and sheer rock faces.

After making our way to the bottom of the South Island, we will head to Australia. G'day mate! Here we will visit Sydney, my favorite place in the world, and Melbourne and the Great Barrier Reef.

During the whole trip we hope to do some amazing, once in a lifetime experiences. We are also leaving room for some unplanned and spontaneous activities. We are so excited and can't wait to see these beautiful countries. (We have divided the cost of the experiences below so that more than one person might choose to contribute to the experience.)

Thank you for visiting our honeymoon registry and participating in this incredibly exciting time of our lives.

Our Registry

Fun & Adventure
Relaxation
Honeymoon Gear
Dining & Accomodation
Show All
  • $0-$50
  • $50-$100
  • $100+
  • All
Kayak with penguins? In the Paterson Inlet in Rakiura National Park, we will circumnavigate half a dozen tiny islands and observe penguins (little blue and yellow-eyed ones).
$5000
1/14
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
Swim with Sharks - We've got to be keen but this can be done in perfect safety. Along with those charming, perfectly harmless tropical fish, we will come face to face with Jaws' South Seas cousins in a tough metal cage. What a knuckle-biting thrill!
$10000
4/11
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
Visit a Maori Marae - We will experience the hongi (the formal nose-to-nose Maori greeting), see deeply moving song and dance performances, and eat from a traditional underground hangi (oven). We'll do this in Rotorua as part of an organized tour.
$7500
3/5
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
Road-trip! - We will take the East Cape Road and journey back in time as we travel the last remote outreaches of the Pacific Coast. It's a feast of stunning coastline and empty beaches. It is also the first place in the world to see the morning sun.
$6500
5/5
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
Whale Watching - On the South Island in Kaikoura, when a mighty sperm whale flaps its tail at us, we won't forget it in a hurry. These giant sea creatures come to this particular stretch of water for a marine habitat rich in their kind of plankton.
$10000
3/3
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
Hiking the Milford Track - The mother of them all, the Milford is one of the world's best and most loved multi-day tramps. Stretching through the best of Fiordland National Park, this 33 mile trail has views we'll never forget.
$5000
4/14
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
New Zealand's climate is perfect for fine wine growing, wineries, and vineyards. We will sample internationally acclaimed wines on a variety of wine tours in Marlborough, Gisborne, Blenheim and Nelson. We’ll also enjoy winery picnics along the way.
$5000
4/20
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
Rafting Adventure - It's a sport that consists of descending a fast moving river with an uncontrollable current. Fortunately, we'll be with a guide to keep us upright. We are ready! Queenstown, here we come!
$8000
5/9
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
Guided Kayaking - We will slide into a sea-kayak and meander along the shore at our own pace, exploring coves and watching sea life as it quietly drifts beneath us.
$10000
4/6
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
Surfboard Rental - No need to miss out on the fabulous local surfing; we can ride the wild waves and hang 10.
$7500
3/6
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
We're heading to the Coromandel Peninsula, a remote getaway of white-sand beaches, native forest, quirky cafés, and bustling marinas. We're kayaking to Cathedral Cove (a huge limestone arch), and digging our own hot-tub on Hot Water Beach. So awesome!
$3500
1/11
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
Rising up 12,316 feet, the South Island's Aoraki is the largest mountain in New Zealand. It is flanked by two starling turquoise glacier lakes & we'll enjoy mountain hikes that lead to alpine tarns, herb fields and spectacular glacier views.
$3500
2/6
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
Well, we both like wine - a lot. So we are visiting Hawke's Bay on the east coast of the North Island, which is known for its wine. And cycling. Cycling and wine together - great idea! So please help us to taste the wine and work it off on our bike tour.
$10000
3/11
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
Spend a day exploring the ice features and majestic pinnacles of the Fox glacier. Outfitted with crampons, we'll enjoy trekking to a high point of the glacier overlooking towering ice pinnacles. Crampons? Awesome!
$4000
4/9
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
The Queen Charlotte Track (42 mi) winds along the jagged coast of the Marlborough Sounds region. You can see seals and sometimes orcas from the waterside cliffs. We'll pack a picnic lunch for the trek. We can't imagine it getting much better than this!
$3500
5/11
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
We're heading to Auckland, the "City of Sails" on the North Island. We are elated to experience sailing here, both captaining the boat ourselves (ahem, Taylor), and enjoying a sailing tour of the area. It doesn't get much more romantic!
Gift Fulfilled
Rated as the best one day trek in New Zealand, the Tongariro Crossing has dramatic scenery with wonderful alpine and volcanic vistas, warm blue-green lakes, and steam vents. We'll be trekking amongst active volcanoes - not bad on the adventure list!
Gift Fulfilled
Deep underground in the heart of the Waikato are a series of unique caves with echoing waterfalls & limestone formations. In the Waitomo Glowworm Caves we'll enjoy a boat ride under thousands of magical glowworms creating a starry sky.
$11500
2/2
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
Riding along the deserted sands of Pakiri Beach and through exotic pine forests, we reach secluded fresh water lakes where we enjoy a packed lunch and swim with our horses. We then ride up over Te Arai Point before returning over secret dune tracks.
$8000
7/7
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
Wairarapa promises great wine, gourmet food, astonishing wildlife and natural beauty. Rolling vineyards, acres of apple orchards, fields of lavender, olive groves, & quaint historic towns make up Wairarapa. We'll be doing this one on bikes!
$3500
5/10
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
Abseiling under showering waterfalls separated by tranquil pools of blues and greens. Jumps and caves and slides will be our means to explore a canyon rich with the historic pioneering logging dams of 100 years ago!
$15000
3/5
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
We'll experience the ultimate thermal and volcanic Rotorua while exploring huge colourful hot springs, erupting geysers, active boiling mud pools, spectacular volcanos and lush native forest.
$13500
4/5
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
Hike & kayak in Abel Tasman National Park. At the north end of the South Island, see green waves lap orange-tinted sand fringed by green forest. Made up of limestone & marble, the park is studded with caves & rock formations.
Gift Fulfilled
There is only one place on the planet where you can swim with the worlds smallest and rarest dolphin - the Hector or New Zealand Dolphin - and that is the beautiful sheltered setting of Akaroa Harbour in New Zealand's South Island. Love it!
$14000
4/8
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
We're going to join a "bunch ride" in Auckland and see the city on road bikes, hopefully about 75 or so miles. Helmets, cycling gear, road id's, odometers, etc. We're doing the Tour de France of New Zealand!
$7500
1/4
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
DIY Gift - Been to NZ or Australia before & know of an idea that we have overlooked? Create your own gift and we will make it happen. Who knows, we just might have a funny story for you!
$2500
10/10
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
Beachside Couples Massage - Nothing like some hot stones on our back and the gentle sound of the surf to lull us into relaxation.
$15000
1/3
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
Of course a honeymoon wouldn't be a honeymoon without some splurging. Your gift will contribute to a week of rest, relaxation, and of course, good champagne!
$2500
2/10
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
As you all know, we couldn't find our way out of a paper bag if we tried. So we really need guidebooks and maps for our stay in New Zealand so we know the best hikes and don't get lost! Garmin, where are you? You want us to come home right?
$1500
4/4
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
Hiking Boots! Lisa already has hers from Kili, but Taylor is going to need a serious pair of waterproof hiking boots so he doesn't break his ankle. Taylor has no idea what Lisa has in store for him...
Gift Fulfilled
Breakfast in Bed - What could be better? Mimosas required. :)
Gift Fulfilled
Marlborough's finest dining experience is tucked away along a short side road leading down to the Wairau River. Superb five-course dinner menus pair Herzog wines with innovative dishes. We'll need some serious exercise to work this one off!
$10000
4/8
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
Lodging - our goal is to experience a variety of lodging types & unique accommodations throughout our adventure. From quaint B&Bs to mountaintop hiking cabins, we'll need to recharge to navigate what New Zealand and Australia have to offer.
$10000
21/30
$100
Giving Portions
Give This Gift
A Gift of Any Amount
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$000
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