New Zealand
My month long journey through Aotearoa, the land of the long white cloud, a
term used by the Maori culture that refers to their native land of New Zealand,
was one of the most memorable and unforgettable.
Embarking on this journey, I did not know
what to expect. I was travelling alone
and with strangers for the first time. And in the summer of 2012, my chance to travel
and experience another side of the world presented itself.
My first two weeks were spent in
Punakaki. A very small town on the west
coast of the south island. It was here
were eleven other strangers, who soon became close friends, worked on
conservation efforts in the area. Our
days were spent replanting an area that had been previously strip-mined. Our weekends were spent hiking, or ‘bush
walking’ through the most amazing forests, mountains, and rivers. These two weeks we all learnt a lot about New
Zealand, its people, and the landscape.
The following two weeks my group had
gathered with 30 other individuals to explore the rest of what New Zealand had
to offer. I along with a large group of friends travelled from the bottom of
the south island in Queenstown, and journeyed all the way up to the north
island to Auckland. I had checked so
many things of my bucket list during this time, such as: sky-diving, white
water rafting, attending a rugby game, back water rafting and the list goes on. The scenery was straight out of a painting;
the amount of green, and rolling hills was amazing to see. We also had the opportunity to learn a great
deal about the Maori culture, and of course learn the Haka.
Going to New Zealand for a month will
probably remain as on of the most memorable trips that I have done. It truly is the adrenaline capital while
being the most easy-going place I have ever been. I met some truly amazing
people from all over the world! If I every get the opportunity to travel back,
I would do so in a heart beat!
Until next time,
Kat
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