"All good things must come to an end." It's bittersweet knowing that I'll be flying out in less than 12 hours.
The last week has flown by. Thankfully, no more encounters with vicious sandflies and we even managed to have some sunny days. We spent 2 days at a lakeside camping ground at Lake Wanaka. Our first day was spent skydiving and beach bathing, followed by wine and sitting on the roof of our campervan watching thunderstorms off in the distance. Sarah and Al took our second full day to walk into town and rent kayaks. I felt more like staying around base camp and ended up renting a mountain bike and riding some shore trails. Managed to ride next to a river to the neighboring Albert Town; surprisingly easy for someone who's never biked on trail before! Wanaka will remain a sunny gem in my mind. It was all too tempting to apply for the campground facility staff and stay until the end of Kiwi summer. Maybe next US winter?
So, I know that you're probably tired about hearing me complain about the rain. Trust me, I'm tired of complaining about it. But see, we had reason to think we were cursed. Wanaka had not received rain since OCTOBER before we arrived. The afternoon of our second day, and the heavens opened up. It poured all night. While the locals rejoiced, we internally cringed and packed our van to chase blue skies once again. Sarah joked that we spent the entire trip in overcast conditions with blue sky just out of reach. The weather lead to us being in the car more, constantly trying to find a sunny view and trails that weren't flooded. Every Kiwi we met laughed when we told them we had been rained on our whole trip and proceeded to tell us about what beautiful weather they'd been having...up until our arrival. We made the best of it though and still managed the drive around most of the country in less than 3 weeks; not a minor feat!
After Wanaka, we made it down to Queenstown to meet up with our forestry friend, Jesse, and his family. Once again, raining when we arrived. We walked around town and the waterfront and waited a half-hour for FANTASTIC Fergburgers. So good. So big. So worth it. Once again, I'm pretty sure that Kiwis have us beat when it comes to a delicious hamburger; they load them up with beets, plum sauces, and avocado among other things. Jesse's family let us dry out that afternoon in front of their condo's fireplace and we chatted about our travels over a glass of wine. After searching for cheap camping close to town and finding nothing less than $50 for an unpowered campsite, Sarah and Al bought hostel beds and I found a parking spot near downtown for our van that I would camp out in. We met up with Jesse and his brother and went to the oh-so-touristy Minus 5 bar. Completely made of ice, you have to don parkas and gloves before entering. The glasses, furniture, and art are all made of ice. It was fun, albeit expensive, but we asked the young guys running the bar where a good place in town was. We were directed to The Naughty Penguin (very appropriate for post-ice bar) and had a nice drink with locals. The night ended with us finding a bar with dance music and we enjoyed some very entertaining people-watching. Unlike other big towns where most of the hostel crowd seems to be mid- to late twenties, this area seemed to be hosting a rat's nest of 18 year olds. As I said, very entertaining people-watching.
Sarah and I took 2 days getting back to Christchurch where we'll fly to Auckland and then back home. I leave today (the 16th), she leaves on the 18th. We stayed at a picturesque country campground in the middle of the forest. Our first campfire all trip! More rain. More beautiful scenery.
Christchurch is completely different the second time around. Although there is still tons of destruction, many more people! And sunshine! And oh man, some of the most beautiful botanical gardens. We spent yesterday just laying in the central park area reading our books. You managed to save some face, Chch. Good work.
And now, I should be leaving for the airport. Sad to be leaving a country that really does feel like a good-fit, but happy to be returning to a routine. Idle hands get tiresome very quickly, as does spending money. Revamped! Rejuvenated! Ready to face the hard work of finding employment and making tough life decisions! Despite all the scenery and meeting all sorts of people, this is what I love most about travelling. It inspires me to make the most out of everyday life. It reminds me what I enjoy most about home and the friends and family that constitute it.
I can whole-heartedly say that this trip was a success. Sweet as, NZ!
Until next time,
Kate
No comments:
Post a Comment