New Zealand
I was so lucky to be able to meet up with one of my best friends in New Zealand for 2 full months! I got a job as a waitress in our small town of Oxford (so small that it was one of 2 restaurants in town) and became a bike commuter. We took weekends off here and there and made our way through the south island to Akaroa, Christchurch, Castle Hill, Arthur’s Pass, Hanmer Springs, Kaikoura, Mt. Hutt, Queensland, Wanaka and the West Coast. It was an amazing 8 weeks!
Driving around this country I found that New Zealand is full of some of the most beautiful landscape I’ve ever seen. The luscious green fields littered with sheep and cows leading to the mountains ranges are remarkable …It reminded me a lot of Ireland, but with huge mountain ranges and better weather. Once we got to Akaroa, I was blown away. They were having a rose garden show and the gardens in these houses were the biggest, most vibrant roses I’ve ever seen. The town it’s self was a perfect “get-a-way” town with a cove for kayaking, hills for hiking and amazing views all around.
After Akaroa we made it back to Oxford where the whole town closes by 4pm and it doesn’t get dark until 10pm made for a lot of nights filled with wine and cribbage at home. One of my favorite get-a-ways was over Christmas my parents made their way out to NZ after traveling around Australia for a few weeks and we got a batch house, or (vacation rental) out in Kaikoura right across from the beach. It was truly unforgettable. The next day we headed out to go fishing, but since the weather was so bad we ended up with 6 live lobsters to take home in place of fish and packing them served as an interesting adventure all its own. One decided to jump out of the box they were in and I don’t think Jill or I have ever jumped so high and screamed so loud. It made my parents day to watch us squirm. Before leaving Kaikora, Jill and I did a day hike around the town and even got to play with the seals and all the cute babies on the rocks around the cove. Kiakora was definitely an adventure to be repeated!
Over the course of the next month or so we made our way out to Hanmer Springs to play in the pools with our favorite family, Tracey, Jason and their 2 little ones, Cass and Tom. This family truly took us under their wings and had us over to dinner at least once a week and we even crashed their vacation. However, my favorite place we visited had to have been Queenstown and Wanaka. It reminded me a lot of Mammoth with beautiful lakes, mountain ranges and a kick back vibe (that was pretty much all through New Zealand, but still). Jill and I were lucky enough to be able to go on a helicopter ride (first for both of us) in Queenstown and see some of the most amazing views ever. I wish we could have been up there longer, but it was worth it for the time we were. We also ended up taking a 5 hour hike in Wanaka that I was pretty sure might kill me, but once you were at the top it was worth the pain! You felt like you were king of the world it was so beautiful.
In between our big trips we made our way to the boulders of Castle Rock, the mountain ranges of Aurther’s Pass , and how can I forget Mt. Hutt for New Year’s Eve. Even though I had 2 months to experience NZ, I would love to go back rent a camper van and take on the North Island next time. There is just much to see in this little country
