Homeward Bound - Auckland, New Zealand
Auckland, New Zealand
This was the beginning of the end. I was driving away from Queenstown, from New Zealand, and from my travels. In 10 days time I would be back on home turf, and I hadn't thought about it until now. I simply just wasn’t ready to stop! Fighting back the tears (of mourning I suppose) I took a deep breath and pushed my negative thinking firmly to one side. This was NOT the end – it ain’t over 'til it’s over, and I still had 10 days of adventures ahead of me! I put a smile on my face and reminded myself of my good fortune. Here I was driving through stunning alpine landscapes, in a country I had dreamed of visiting for 15+ years, after 10 months of endless brilliance! Every moment, location, person, experience, had brought me to this point and boy did that feel good! This was not the beginning of the end, just the end of the beginning…
Day 1: I arrived in Chch exhausted, for a final catch up with Lizzie and a great night’s sleep in the YHA (gotta love thick duvets, fuzzy blanket & heaters that work! …ok, let’s ignore the sleep talker/****** below me…)
Day 2 : I left Christchurch for the final time, making my way towards Picton to catch the ferry. Once again my stomach dropped as I realised I was leaving the South Island, possibly forever. (No, not forever – I will love here one day!). I couldn’t drive past Kaikoura without stopping to see the seal pups frolicking in the waterfall, which was still just as incredible third time around. Then I had just enough time to stop at The Store at Kekerengu for a mediocre cake - but it’s great atmosphere totally made up for that! A quaint final experience before I floated away.
It was only when I landed in Welly that I realised I’d left my towel and favourite thermal top behind. I couldn’t believe it! This was the tip of the emotional iceberg for me. I was tired, run down, devastated to be leaving NZ and while my rational brain knew these were both cheap, replaceable items, they were so much more to me - they had been a part of great memories. The physical loss really just highlighted the emotional loss of leaving, so instead of just shrugging my shoulders and saying ‘Oh well’, I came up with the most insane plan of my life: I called Lizzie and asked her to pick them up from the YHA, hoping I’d left them in Chch. I got my towel back, but my top was lost forever. I shrugged my shoulders, a little reluctantly, and sighed ‘Oh well’.
Day 3: As I checked out of the hostel, I sleepily passed Eleanor (from Hanmer) in a lift. What are the odds! (Well actually in tiny NZ, much lower than most places…) We hung out for the day, going to Cafe L'Affaire for an amazing lunch (brilliant food, atmosphere and coffee!), followed by some final clothes shopping on Cuba street. I then drove with her up to Wanganui, where we stayed at the cute Tamara Lodge.
Day 4: after drinking breakfast tea on the hostel balcony, we perused the small Wanganui art gallery, then tried a paua fritter (bleugh!!) at well known George's fisheries. Thankfully their great chips made up for the hideous fritter. We parted ways and I drove on to Taupo, where I was going to see Elli one last time. The drive was stunning, with incredible features in the hills. Somewhere on route I passed a fence covered in boots. I paused to look at the shoes, wondering who had worn them, why they had been tied on, and where each shoe had walked. I was tempted to tie my well-worn sandals to the fence, with a quote I’d read on a card in mind:
"You never really leave a place you love: Part of it you take with you, leaving a part of you behind." Never had a truer word been spoken.
I drove on past Tongariro, longing to see the mountains covered in snow. No such luck! There was such thick fog I could barely see the road, let alone the peaks. Well there you haveit, I’ll just have to come back now! The second I pulled up in Taupo, Elli rushed out and gave me a huge bear-hug. After travelling together for 2 months we had bonded well, and it was great to see each other! We talked non-stop as we had dinner, drinks, and of course more backgammon!
Day 5: In true tradition, Elli fed me the most delicious porridge ever, covered in every fruit and seed known to mankind, sitting in the winter sun playing scrabble. In true tradition, Elli beat me, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. We hugged goodbye, and I drove to Cambridge with the sun in my eyes, eager to see Alex once again.
Day 6: Alex had moved home since I last saw her (how had 3 months passed since then?!) and she gave me tour around the dairy farm they were now living and working on. I loved mucking in, feeding the kids, driving around the farm in a 4WD buggy, moving cow herds, and feeding the new-born calves (awww!!!) We took the children to the village school disco, before taking time out for a proper chat at the local Indian restaurant.
Day 7: Still on the farm, Alex rushed me down to a field of cows where one was giving birth. We stood amongst the herd watching a new life begin, another incredible experience to add to my growing list! Before I left Alex let me wash Ernest, so I could return Nicky’s car to her clean and shiny. I said goodbye to Alex, promising I would be back in the future to see her again, and making my way towards my final stop in NZ: Auckland.
This was my final drive in Ernest, who had become my companion and my home over the past 5 months. We’d explored 15,000km (!!) of roads together, almost every corner of the island. Yet this was easily the dullest journey I’d taken in NZ – grey skies and motorways. I started getting frustrated with the volume of traffic surrounding me, already missing the empty roads that had made up so much of my kiwi experience. I laughed ironically as I realised this was nothing compared to back home, and I realised it was going to be quite a shock to land in a few days time…
I was heading to see a very pregnant Nicky to celebrate her baby shower the next day, so I stopped to buy some presents. It would be fair to say that while I am a ‘seasoned’ traveller, I haven’t got a clue when it comes to babies! I stood in the shop totally lost, no idea what to get, until a random customer took pity and helped me pick some suitable gifts. An insignificant token of thanks for her lending me her car!
Day 8: I was greeted by a very pregnant Nicky and a building site when I arrived – doing up the house ready for baby’s arrival. So we all crashed at her mum’s flat for the weekend. This was actually it – my final hours in new Zealand. After breakfast at The Fridge in Sandringham, we celebrated Nicky’s Baby shower. Ending with such a special occasion seemed to appropriate, and I know Nicky will make a great mum! (It helped that I won a tub of jelly beans for guessing exactly right number!To end the day we has a delicious dinner at Me Ne Frego in Epsom (great pasta, bad service!) followed by hokey poky ice cream - well, it would just be wrong to leave without trying this classic Kiwi dish!
Words cannot sum up how incredible the last 5 months have been. But they don’t have to, because I have memories that will stay with me forever. Thank you New Zealand. And goodbye. For now…
THINGS I MISS ABOUT NZ
Driving on empty roads
Stunning views around every corner
Fresh, thick alpine snow
Watching whales, seal pups, dolphins, penguins and albatross
Watching oceans collide, standing on volcanoes
Maori encounters
Galloping along a beach
My Kiwi friends & family – old and new – and Ernest!
Morning swims in the sea
Feeling festive in July (Hanmer)
The wise Dalai Lama and powerful Haka of the All Blacks
Takaka and Golden Bay
Wanaka Lake and autumnal Arrowtown
Snowboarding and the ski-resort experience
THINGS I WON'T MISS ABOUT NZ
Climbing up!
The Kiwi bird – because I never saw it!
Receiving bad news alone
That’s it. It was just SO good!