Aotearoa “Land of the Long White cloud“
My first real destination of this journey was New Zealand. Inspired by Christl’s Passion for this country I decided to give it a go. Now, after spending 80 wonderful days in precious Aotearoa I can defenitely say: it was the right choice!
Time of transition
After giving up everything, obviously I had a significant period of change ahead. Starting in a country which is kind of alike to what I am used to made it easier to shift from a life full of routines to a new life where whatever comes up… I am just “gonna roll with it, ay” as the Kiwi’s like to say.
This country has given me the time to adapt myself. Well organised, to me that’s very much the “British way” of doing things, makes it very pleasant to travel. The public bus service system is extremely well organised. The best in the world as far as I have experienced. People are very polite and considered towards eachother.
On the other hand, there’s a notable influence of the laidback American way. People ask you all those questions like “How is it going?”, “How are you doing, today?” but it feels slightly different here. As if they are doing it out of interest, less forced. Pure kindness. In the States it felt a bit “creepy” sometimes. Emotionless, impassive… I would almost expect something bad could happen once the were home and released from this pressure!
Observations
New Zealand Dollar
New Zealands currency is the NZ-dollar. On the coins you still find Queen Elizabeths head, whereas in the UK they changed all the coins quite quickly having King Charles on it now. Here it’s still Queen Elizabeth.
I used my WISE as well as REVOLUT card for payment. Most of the time you can pay by card (creditcard, EFTPOS, “tap-and-go”), which I did. I also got some cash. Interesting enough, ALL my cash getting from the ATM Machines seemed completely new! Either they iron them… or its all freshly printed! Who knows….?
Attitude
What I have noticed all the way along is the relaxed, natural Attitude people seem to have. Quotes such as “go with the flow”, “just roll with it” actually do have a meaning.
A little anecdote while staying with the Dyer family….
I asked the 9-year old son, Carlos, once he had finished the school year, if there was something he would really fancy doing during his school holidays. He gave it a long thought…. he paused… he thought a bit more… before answering me very convinced “Well, not really…. I think I would just like to go with the flow“. WOW,…. this comes from a 9-year old body! Not sure how old his soul is! I was so impressed by this kid. You can imagine…
Hitchhiking
Safety is another interesting topic to observe. Public Bus services are good but limited. You can easy travel from A to B if it comes to bigger cities and places. But not if you want to go down some little side streets or the most amazing corners of the country. That’s where hitchhiking comes in.
Like everywhere, of course you need to be careful. But here… I never felt unsafe. Not one single moment. People, also the locals, use hitchhiking (share a ride) on a daily base. You will easily be picked up. Meet the most wonderful people. I had one of my best days by spending time with a driver and got to see all the sights by sharing them with him. Very special! On Facebook you will find several groups as well.
Safety
I have never been in a country where I felt THAT safe. You can sit in a cafe, go to the toilet, leave your phone and belongings on the table and nothing will happen. In most hostals you have lockers in the room. Not necessary though to lock your stuff away. People seem to respect eachother and their possesions. It even feels, that because of this, all the others (tourists, people from abroad) are getting kind of “educated” that this is the way to go. It works brilliantly!
Shoes
Again… shoes! And I promise, I am not a shoe-fetichist! Barefoot does definitely get a complete different meaning here, comparing to what we are used to in Europe.
A lot of people walk most of the time around bare foot. No shoes, no barefoot-shoes. Just healthy feet without any Hallux problems! At most schools, kids are allowed to be barefoot if they wish.
An funny anecdote from a nephew of some Kiwi friends who came to visit…
After having spend several weeks with his uncle and aunt, they asked him by the end of his stay about his experience in New Zealand. He told them how much he had enjoyed nature, the food, the vibe of the people. Then he paused and frowned his eyebrows. Hesiting a bit before he continued. “But…. ” he said “... I was surprised too, how poor this country is.” “Poor, how comes?” his uncle replied. “Well, most kids don’t even have shoes to go to school. They most come from very poor families!” You can imagine how his uncle bursted into laughter.
I thought it was a hilarious story! But… it shows once again, its all about perspective!
Pubic Toilets
This is without any doubts the country of Amazing Public Toilets. They are just everywhere. If you’re out in the nowhere, they might be very simple. In bigger cities, along the highways, they are just too fancy to be true! Some very automatic. You press a button, the door will open. You get 10 minutes to stay and music while doing your business. Once you’re done… automatically the toilet while flush….BUT only after you have either washed your hands or pressed the button to open the door! So they even educate you by “you should wash your hands”. Absolutely Brilliant! And the very best thing…. there’s ALWAYS toilet paper.
Free Water – Free Sunscreen
Another great thing of this country is, that the “basics” in life (one is to be able to use the toilet…) is, that water is available to everyone, everywhere. Not only will you find water taps along the streets in a city or town, but also every single bar or restaurant offer a corner where you can help yourself to a glass of tap water. No charge!
Same for sunscreen. As the UV-level ist most of the time very high and herewith dangerous…. no one will have an excuse of not being able to protect themselves. Sunscreen – free to use – can be found at bar’s with an outdoor terrace, to make sure not only your belly or liver are well looked after, but your skin is well-protected too!
The Weather forecast
You should be prepared to handle four seasons in one day in New Zealand, that’s for sure. I have never been to a country before, where I actually had my “toggs” (bikini) AND my raincoat in the same bag on a daily base. And I tell you… if you don’t… you will regret it!
It’s funny how the weather forecast, for example https://www.metservice.com tells you when it’s the best time to do your laundry or when to walk the dog.
Another curiosity for me is how they use the trees as a windshield. You will see plenty of natural windblock rows of trees, especially around orchards. A wonderful and very substainable idea!
Te Araroa Trail
Last but not least,…. there are many people coming to New Zealand to walk the world famous Te Araroa Trail. They are true legends – each single one of them. I met up with Lenja, from the Netherlands in Auckland. We have a common friend and she arrived only on day after me, getting ready to do the Trail.
I have been lucky to meet a lot of other TA-hikers during my stay. They are very easy to recognize. And no…. guess again…. its not because you smell them long before you get to spot them in the supermarkets…. NO! It is the expression on their faces. The pure joy, the happiness. Yes, I would even go that far to call it “Enlightenment“.
I only managed to do sections of this wonderful and very special trail. I might come back in th future to do the whole…. anyway. I can hardly recommend everyone… if you feel down, or you get stuck in life. Just put on some hiking boots and start walking. It has always worked for me! That’s where my favourite Quote of all comes in…
“Every journey of a thousand miles, begins with just one step” from Lao Tzu
