JOURNAL #11 – MY NEW ZEALAND TRIP
Recently I’ve spent time enjoying being back in New Zealand. After 3 years I was able to get down to New Zealand to see family and friends now that they’ve opened their border (does anyone else refer to going up or down to a place depending on which way up you’re holding the map?), plus do a bit of exploring.
After 30 hours of travelling I arrived on a sunny winter’s day and was very happy to see all my favourite sights as I went for a wander around Parnell in Auckland to try and walk off my jetlag. After a good night’s sleep, a delicious café breakfast and flat white coffee it was in the car and off down country.
Took my time so that I could stop and explore along the way and soak up the unique New Zealand landscape. Still lots of rolling hills like we have here in Chew Valley but covered in forestry and native bush. The route I took was alongside the Waikato River so lots of riverside stops with plenty of flax and ferns to frame the view. After another café and coffee stop, a cheese scone, with another flat white I arrived in Rotorua.
The next week was spent between Rotorua and a nearby farming community in Reporoa where my family have a couple of dairy farms. They’ve started calving so it was all on, a farmer’s life is never quiet and being winter they’re up well before sunrise.
Like here, things have changed over the last 2 years and similar to here two of the positives that have come out of the pandemic are the value of family and friends and the importance of our environment to your wellbeing.
Meeting up with people in person again and just enjoying life’s simple pleasures has become the focus. A meal together, going for a walk and being able to chat in person, rather than on a screen.
During the lockdowns it was the ability to get out for walks in the fresh air that like here, supplied much needed physical and mental relief. Being able to have the time to just stroll and admire what was around you. But this meant getting out in all weathers regardless of whether it was windy, rainy or even hot, as you couldn’t just pop into the local café. It’s making sure instead you wear quality outdoor clothing that is appropriate for the weather. New Zealand is an island like here, so the weather can be quite changeable (think Crowded House singing “Four seasons in one day”), so multi-use items and layering up is more practical and lets you continue on with what you’re doing whether that’s going for a hike or digging up the garden. My Mallard Teece was just right, along with my waxed cotton cap as it was cold, but not cold enough for a beanie.
After 2 weeks I said my good-byes to the people and places and was very happy to get back home to Chew Valley. New Zealand is a fantastic place to visit but as they say home is where the heart is.