Have you ever tried to be a tourist in your own city? A few weeks ago I spent a weekend in Christchurch, the city I call home. I stayed the night in a hotel, went to the restaurant and did some sightseeing. Weird, right? But it wasn’t!
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New Zealand is home to some of the most unique wildlife in the world, but did you know it is struggling to protect it? The kiwi, kea, Kakapo and the Maui dolphin are only a few of the animals in need, and the little blue penguins are on the list too.
I quit my job today. I actually handed in my notice last week, it just sounds more dramatic to say I did it today. But I quit. And oh yeah – I’m leaving New Zealand.
Get ready for a wild ride above the New Zealand West Coast. The lovely and lush West Coast is also called Glacier Country; you’ll soon understand why. This area has it all, mountains, lakes, glaciers and forests right next to each other!
I turned 30 this week… Years ago I imagined that by now I would have a cat, a child and a house. But here I am on the other side of the world, far away from ‘home’ and not even knowing where home is anymore.
A visit to New Zealand is not complete without a kayak trip, so I decided to go for it at the gorgeous New Zealand West Coast. I couldn’t remember the last time I had kayaked. Maybe a bad sign? Nonetheless I was excited.
The New Zealand West Coast is known for its glaciers and is therefore often called ‘glacier country’. Thousands of years ago the glaciers were way larger and when they retreated they left lakes behind, formed by the glacier water.
“A little town on the West Coast? I don’t have time to go there. I only have three weeks to travel New Zealand.”
If this is you – rewind.
First of all, three weeks is not enough to visit New Zealand. Second: Franz Josef and the glacier region have it all. There are mountains (really big ones) and glaciers. There is also rainforest, lakes and all of that right at the ocean. When this world was created someone up there probably thought: “let’s spoil this place”.
I’ve been almost three years in this gorgeous country and I have seen so much. I’ve done endless road trips, crawled over mountains, discovered little hidden spots, swam in the ocean and much more. But never had I seen this country from the sky. Until last November, when I flew over Mount Cook National Park and the Mackenzie region. I couldn’t believe my eyes seeing New Zealand from Above. Beee-eautiful!
I don’t often have favourite spots. That’s because there are too many beautiful places around, especially in New Zealand. They are all my favourites and I prefer to share them all so they get the love they deserve. Wharariki beach though, is definitely my favourite New Zealand beach.
That could possibly be because I am more a mountain than a beach girl and because I just haven’t visited enough beaches around New Zealand, but a fact is a fact and Wharariki beach is my number one.
Twelve days. That was what I had during the recent Christmas holidays. Twelve days to travel. It was the perfect chance to discover the New Zealand North Island a bit more. Because I am based on the South Island I hardly spend time in the North. I do have the occasionally weekend visits, but hardly stay longer than a few days.
It ended up being twelve days of wild New Zealand, with many highlights. To name a few: I walked on an active volcano, witnessed beautiful sunsets, hung out with some crazy friends and then: Castle Point.
