Rewind: New Zealand

Let me tell you about a time in my life where everything around me was beautifully awe-inspiring, and convinced me to become a mountain-climbing hippie obsessed with sports leggings, comfy sweaters, hiking boots, and beanies.  This time in my life was the three weeks I spent exploring New Zealand; the land of so much amazing nature I don't even know where to begin.

New Zealand.  Mountains, oceans, glaciers, seals, penguins, kiwis (birds, fruits, people), lakes, culture, you name it.  New Zealand has it all.  And the adventure of it all was just heightened by the fact that I was exploring it in a camper van with a friend.  Yes, we literally lived in a van and drove wherever we felt like.  And I definitely plan on traveling that way again- it's so... uncomplicated.  It allows for any kind of adventure or opportunity to pop up, and be taken full advantage of!

 

Early in our trip, we found ourselves in a cute little town called Kaikoura and had no idea what we'd discover.  We ended up finding a lot of seals.  And kayaking around in the ocean to see them bathing and playing, along with penguins and albatross!  And my favorite part about that day- none of it was previously planned!  It was a perfect day of adventures.

Brown fur seals-they're hiding behind the rocks, can you see their heads popping out?

Sea kayaking!

The seals watching us pose ridiculously for photos... 

I also kept finding myself crossing suspended bridges that lead to hiking trails around glaciers.... 

And one last favorite from New Zealand, is this sunset, which I pulled-over three times to photograph.  I thought it was cool the first time I stopped, but it just kept getting better and better.

A huge part of my time in New Zealand was also spent getting to know the native Maori culture, which I did not capture with photos nearly as well as I did the outdoor, nature excursions.  However, the Maori people are amazing.  I was fortunate enough to visit a local boys high school in Rotorua, and upon arriving, was greeted with their traditional 'Haka' (dance).  This one experience with those high school boys and their teachers was probably the most culturally authentic thing I experienced the whole trip.  (New Zealand is a very touristy place...)  I can't describe how powerful their performance was in words. It was not an appropriate time to take a video, which probably let me experience it more fully.  But alas, leaves you out of a cool experience.  The welcome Haka was amazing.  I had chills, and was captivated by their voices and facial expressions through all of it.  It is quite a humbling experience, and I hope to be able to witness it again someday.  You can probably watch a similar performance on youtube, but I promise it's not the same as being there.  

And with that, I'll leave you with a stunning view of Wanaka Lake.

Kia Ora (thanks/informal greeting in the Maori language of Te Reo), my friends!