Our Great New Zealand Roadie has come to an official end. I feel we covered a lot of ground (2,298 km to be exact!) in a relatively short period of time, and I have a new-found appreciation for this country and its people. Plus, my geographical understanding has definitely benefited from all the navigating! New Zealand is such a wonderful place to be, and the Kiwi’s we encountered along the way were friendly and hospitable.
Highlights
- Kayaking along the coast of the Abel Tasman National Park
- Jumping out of an airplane at 13,000 feet!
- The “uplifting” feeling of the gale force winds atop the Kaitaki Inter-Island ferry across the Cook Strait;
- Cathedral Cove and the magnificent views from the Coromandel Peninsula;
- Driving down 90 Mile Beach (and having our driver sing me “Happy Birthday” in Maori);
- All the accumulated inside jokes that now exist between the four of us;
- Seeing things for the first time;
Lowlights
- the sketchy and cramped bus ride from Christchurch to Nelson
- the lingering pain in my feet after a 24km hike
- losing Chris to a “small” fire in his Christchurch apartment
- the outhouses in the national parks.
- wearing the same clothes for two weeks…with only one stop for laundry.
Travel and exploration have something to teach all of us. I have a slight suspicion that those of you who would identify yourselves as faithful blog readers have learned vicariously through my postings. Learning doesn’t stop when the plane lands or the car parks…and the good will inevitably mingle with the not-so-good, but the experiences and moments offer more depth and excitement to the fabric of my life.
Thanks for reading.
L.
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