First Look At New Zealand

It’s been about two weeks now since I left for New Zealand. Time has just flown by, yet at the same time it seems like I’ve been here forever. This country reminds me so much of home. The landscape is somewhat similar to NL with its rolling hills and the people are all so friendly - could listen to their accents all day. I’ve also been trying to learn some slang, maybe I’ll do a post on it later. Something I wasn’t quite prepared for was driving on the other side of the road. This has been interesting, and I’m still getting used to the concept. I’m sure it will get easier with time.

My days have been filled with all kinds of adventuring. I was lucky enough to spend the first few days in NZ with my lovely friend Jane. We explored northern Thailand together in the fall and it was so nice to get to see her again. This time she was able to show me around her hometown, which brought great views, hiking, cable cars, a planetarium, markets, festivals, waterfront strolls, wine tours and window shopping. It was the perfect mixture of activity and relaxation.

 

 

  

After that, Erin and Jenny came to hang out in Wellington for the day and we visited the Te Papa museum. To be honest, I’m not a huge fan of museums. However this one had the very best exhibit on WW2 that I have ever seen. It used mixed media, gigantic lifelike figures as well as engaging activities in order to stimulate audiences. It really was superb - and completely free!! The museum had other exhibits as well but the WW2 one surpassed them all. 

The following morning, we rented a car and started our trek around the North Island. Our first stop was Tongariro National Park. While there, we laced up our hiking boots and completed the 19.5km Alpine Crossing. Since I’m not an avid hiker, I found this trek to be challenging but very much worth the effort. The scenery really was breathtaking. That evening we drove to Taupo to rest our tired muscles. We had a soak in the hot springs, relaxed at the beach as well as visited the Huka Falls. An IronMan competition was also on the go during our time there, so we had the privilege of watching the competitors complete what seemed to me like an impossible task. 

   

   

 

  

After Taupo it was onto Rotorua. Here we visited a Living Maori Village and got to witness how the Maori use all the geothermal activity in the area to their advantage. The mud and geothermal pools, as well as geysers were quite cool to see. We were also lucky enough to watch a cultural performance, including traditional songs, poi and the Haka warrior dance. I loved watching the Haka. They all got so animated and into their dance. With any luck we’ll be able to see it again, maybe next time at a rugby match. The afternoon in Rotorua was spent at a local beach. The weather was perfect as we got caught up on some reading and went for a swim. 

   

Hobbiton was the next stop on our list, so we packed up our things and travelled to The Shire. Fortunately we got there a little early, so we had some lunch and hung out in the cafe while we waited. Then it was time to board the bus, to dive past the cattle farms and out to see the movie set. The Hobbit houses were beautiful, each perfectly manicured with careful thought and attention. It wasn’t hard to see the pride in their voices when describing how meticulously the crew has worked - on one occasion painting every single tree leaf so that it would match the vision. 

 

 

After frolicking in the Shire, we travelled to Raglan. This small surfing town only has around 3000 people, but it’s perfect. We’ve been able to stay here a few days, which has been so nice. There is a yoga studio next store, which is where we’ve spent the last two mornings here. The hostel has also been great. There are people from all over the world, which is typical of a hostel, however we’ve gotten a chance to get to know some of them since staying three days. It definitely makes you feel connected  and welcomed when those relationships form - despite how fleeting. We’re all different ages and nationalities, but still share a love of adventure and a desire to see the world. With all the conflict going on in the world, it’s refreshing to find places where acceptance is valued above all. I think travelling in general has definitely opened my eyes to the human spirit, which lives in all of us, regardless of where we come from. 

Yesterday I was fortunate enough to check another thing off my bucket list. I went on a tubing adventure down into the glow worm caves. It was so terrifying, jumping backwards off waterfalls into the unknown, but it was magical all at the same time. It felt like I was travelling through space, watching the stars go by. The guides were fantastic and really helped us through the cave as we tackled the challenges that laid there. I would highly recommend Black Water Rafting to anyone who wishes to take an adventurous route through the glow worm caves in Waitomo. 

  

   

As for today, I’m going to spend the morning at the library. I have to finish a paper for a course I’m doing, which obviously is proving rather difficult on the road. With any luck I’ll be finished by lunchtime and can spend the afternoon learning how to surf. We are heading further north tomorrow to the Bay of Islands, whose name reminds me of home. It’s supposed to be beautiful there. I’m excited to savour the last few bits of summer before fall sets in. I wonder if pumpkin spice is a thing here? I guess I’ll find out. 

~Ms. C