"Oh my god I can't believe it, I've never been this far away from home..." Kaiser Chiefs
This is what song was swirling through my head as I flew over the stunning mountains of NZ's South Island before setting down amongst the Canterbury Plains in Christchurch. Another country but that same butterfly feeling as I anticipate a new adventure into the unknown. After all that I have heard about NZ I cannot really call it the "unknown" however nothing could have prepared me for this. This country has absolutely amazed me and I can finally answer the question that has been asked of me so many times, about "which is my favorite country so far".
The biggest shock for me so far is the sheer destitution. I know all the stats about a total population for 4mill but I had no idea that there would be absolutely no sign of human habitation for as far as the eye in so many places. I mean, I'm a European, this doesn't happen where I come from! From Thailand where we were conned into taking bus tours to the crappyest little waterfalls, to a land absolutely bursting with waterfalls, gorges, glaciers, lakes, crashing ocean, thermal springs And more.
As I walked along the lake in Wanaka yesterday listening to music and trying to take it all in, I suddenly realised that this is paradise. As much as the stunning beaches of Thailand, the dramatic Mekong in Laos and the Temples of Angkor in Cambodia impressed me, this paradise is multi-faceted. The sheer variety of n
atural beauty is in no way compromised by the people who inhabit it. New Zealanders love their country and it shows so much in the lengths they have gone to preserve this beautiful land. Most of the rest of the world has got so much to learn about the way we treat our lands and unfortunately most of that damage is irreversible. NZ represents the absolute antithesis of Vietnam where humans have made their mark, often carelessly on every inch of land. The few roads that do cut through the landscape here, are discretely one or two lane no matter how 'major' they are supposed to be. Recycling is not suggested, it is enforced and organic farming is becoming mainstream. I already knew what to expect of New Zealanders after my crash course with Francis, Lauren and Renee in Melbourne, but I'm still surprised how in every shop you go into they have a full blown conversation with you no matter how big the queue. Everything about this place and it's people are "low key" and things are "sweet as"! You couldn't get as friendlier bunch!
I've been lapping up the new space I've found to think and breath in fresh air. A couple of days ago I did a 6 hour hike up to the top of a mountain in Queestown, my first in a long time and my calves are still burning! But the panoramic view at the top provided the most amazing reward, just as I was about to die. I resisted the temptation to throw myself from any platforms with elastic around my ankles in the adenalin crazed Queesntown and headed for the quieter town of Wanaka. Sitting in the valley between the Cadrona and Trebble Cone ski fields, this town is filled with snowboarder types, even out of season. Unfortunately the snow hasn't started falling yet but still there was loads to do.
I've just arrived in Franz Joseph famed for it's glaciers. Tomorrow I will be kitted out with special shoes and go hiking actually on the ice, something I've always wanted to do. I'll post some photos soon....
