28.03 // Day 1: Auckland
By Anthony 

In the suburbs of Auckland on a firm and springy bed, (the kind you want to keep testing to see just how springy it is) and after two weeks in Western Australia, long day of travel from Sydney has brought us to New Zealand – and the start of third big adventure on this 8 month trip. Tonight we dined at a small Japanese restaurant and by 8 pm we were the last customers and it was closing time. We’re in New Zealand. We’re on the edge of the world. And it’s been a funny day. Let’s recount it:

After a 3 hour flight from Sydney, during which we were well fed and hydrated, we arrived in Auckland and got to experience their famous customs process. They try hard to ensure obvious bacteria or critters aren’t brought in that could disrupt the NZ ecosystem. Outdoor gear is therefore a red alert. Our tent was checked thoroughly and they removed 5 seeds (impressive considering I washed the tent inside and out before arriving). We escaped with a slap on the wrist and out the door we went! It’s going to be a good trip. Onwards!

It’s not as cold as we thought it might be (so far) which is a bonus. Everyone has been polite and hospitable. 

Going around Auckland has felt like we’ve been sent 10-15 years in the past.

Older cars, buildings and signage that hasn’t been updated in years. A dominoes driver with the neon box attached to the roof. I feel like a kid in 1998 again. 

Heck, I almost forgot, OUR rental car is a bare bones blue Suzuki Swift that feels like if I punched hard enough I could break any hinge or glass beyond repair. And we get to have it for the longest leg of our trip. Great! We had a good laugh about how silly I look driving it though. Whoo! 

Why are we here? We both love nature and we never know when we’ll be back in this corner of the Earth with this much time on our hands again. One of our main goals besides adventure is to leave with a better understanding for how life and culture and mythology grew from this land to create the plants, animals and native people: the Maori. And ultimately, the modern Kiwi (i.e. New Zealander). 

29.03 // Day 2: Auckland – Hahei
By Anthony

Night falls later here than it did in Wester Australia. But unfortunately, we’re not as well equipped this time around. The car sucks and the interior light doesn’t work so I am inside the car, shins against the steering wheel, by the light of my head lamp trying to create a decent posture to write. Dedication. 

I guess we don’t feel like buying the same chairs, burner and the rest for the third time in a row to leave them all behind. Oh well, enough whining for now. Today was wonderful. 

We left our Chinese homestay around 10 and started driving southeast towards the Coromandel Peninsula. In 20 minutes, we were out of the city and into the countryside. We were taken by surprise by what we saw: green hills (emphasis on the green – something absent from the WA landscape), varieties of trees and plants lined along the curvy two way road side. If we had to draw comparison to the landscape, and it could be a stretch, it was like driving through an early summer day in the Beaujolais. Winding roads, cows and sheep, small neat homes tucked into the hillsides. Fantastic.

We didn’t feel lost. But like we were just passing through a familiar road on our way to the Shire (yes, New Zealand is where the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films were shot and we will surely draw many parallels). This is a good time to let it be known that the first language I ever tried to learn by means of printing 11 pages of vocabulary and pronunciation was Elvish. #yeahbaby #proudofme

As we made our way along the wooden plank fences and flurries of tiny birds, we stopped to have fresh oysters on the seaside. What a great idea. We came to a lookout of free standing boulders in the calm and turquoise green sea. Every turn brought another spectacular scene that struck us with real emotion. Awe. Excitement. Gratitude. 

During our drive we got on the topic of digital photography. Digital photography, namely in the form of your smartphone, has largely altered the way many people experience everyday life but also extraordinary times such as travels. Rather than being in that place and time at least for a few moments, people now have the irresistible urge to immediately pull out their phone, take a burst of snapshots, and put a big checkmark on it and walk away. But in doing this, you lose focus of what matters most which is the moment you’re experiencing right now. Here in front of you. Taking a moment for contemplation. What are you actually seeing? What occurred to create this and in what light do you see it in this moment? A moment to appreciate. To be content. Let yourself be overcome and it can change your life.

It takes practice to get better at this and Agathe and I aren’t absolved from becoming photo zombies from time to time. But we are aware of it now and made a deal: Each time we stop to take a photo we make sure we spend equal parts slowing down to really observe before we capture. Let’s see how that plays out.

Tonight we’re sleeping at a campground – $40 dollars for a tent – are you kidding me?! We hope this isn’t to be expected on the rest of our trip. But the views of Hahei beach have been well worth it. 

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30.03 // Day 3: Hahei – Tauranga 
By Anthony

Sleeping in. A lot of people love it. I kind of hate it. After 10 hours of sleep in our tent (sometimes the thought of leaving our little cocoon when it’s cold and wet is too much to bear). We were packed and on the trail to Cathedral Cove by 10:00 AM.

From a wildly scenic beach the trail climbs into forest green hills on a path just wide enough for two people to walk side by side. I’m not exaggerating when I say that EVERY viewpoint along this trail is captivating. When you walk by tall ferns that look like palm trees next to different kinds of pines and oaks (Agathe always makes sure I know which tree is which), dry and prickly plants scattered about everywhere else you look, it becomes more than a walk through the forest.

An island of birds. 
NZ has no endemic mammals aside from a few bats and seals. We’ve never been somewhere like that. What noticeable mark has that left on the landscape? It’s hard to say. But there is this real sense of peace as you move about that is felt as much as it’s seen or heard. Unlike other places where the feeling of remoteness can make one feel caution or discomfort, here it feels truly kind and harmonious.

An interesting point to remember is that before Europeans arrived a few hundred years ago, New Zealand was the land of the Maori. To this day, 1 in 7 New Zealanders identify as Maori. It will be interesting to see how Maori and European culture have fused together over the course of our trip.

Back to the hike. After an hour or so of gradual ups and downs through an enchanted forest, we reached Cathedral Cove. A glorious 20 meter long underpass carved by the wind and sea beneath a tall cliff from which old trees and plants called home. Along one side was a freestanding piece of rock 30 meters high and 10 meters long. It’s a future version of what the Cathedral might one day resemble.

The return back took us 30 minutes of breezy walking to our campsite where we made lunch. Canned soup with rice. Canned soup always looks better than it tastes. Remember that. But we didn’t come to New Zealand for the culinary scene. We came for the adventure. And that’s what keeps us kicking. 

Now the long drive was on. We headed to Tauranga which took us about 3 hours from Hahei. Along the way we drove through pristine valleys. Pointy hills. Greens, browns, blues, mainly green, it was so beautiful. There was a car show in one of the towns, we figured, because we passed a ton of classic American muscle cars along the way. I got to show off my knowledge of old cars with Agathe a bit which always entertains her and makes me feel nice. 

Arrival in Tauranga was met with grand views of the mountain, harbour and skies. We welcomed our first big evening in a while at the brewpub Astrolabs. A few dry hopped pilsners and beachy acoustics from a Canadian dude made it a wonderful time. We finished the night off at the salt water hot pools right next to our campsite. Feeling invigorated. 

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31.03 // Day 4: Tauranga – Hobbiton – Rotorua
By Anthony 

After a rough night of sleep thanks to some drunken neighbors (one guy managed to trip over one of our guylines as he passed through our campsite and nearly fall into our tent, I wasn’t happy) we set out at 7:30 AM to climb the Mount we camped at the base of. 

Sun rising, we were accompanied by many fellow walkers and early morning go-getters running up and down the mount too. Some sheep were awaiting our arrival at the wooden entry gate, we said g’day and carried on. 

Before I forget, in the rustle of last night I got up to go to the toilet and coming back looked out in the sky. Alive with stars. I think it would be impossible to get used to such brilliance. Then all of the sudden, my eyes fixed on a bright orange object, brighter than the brightest star by many magnitudes, and moving at a pretty steady rate through the atmosphere. I knew it wasn’t a plane. And I knew I was sleepy. But still it was captivating. I got back into the tent and lay awake for some time. As my concern faded to fatigue, that I had witnessed something no one else did, I remembered that we’re in the Pacific. It was likely a satellite, piece of space debris, or even a meteorite burning through the air on a collision course with an ocean, at this speed, of concrete. Sweet!

Back to the hike. When we reached the summit after a half hour or so of walking, we were on top of the world. Bays, trees, buildings, lakes and distant sea simultaneously in your field of vision. Showers and clouds made the sun’s light peak through like a spotlight on different pieces of land. From this vantage point life below seems to move so slow. Like you could know what’s happening before they do. 

By the way, since we arrived in New Zealand you should know that we’ve seen three rainbows. 

After some nice pictures, we descended, packed our tent, showered and set out to the holy land of LOTR fans: Hobbiton. I like to emphasize on how beautiful the drive was practically anywhere we go because the countryside is really so green, so magical. And here was no exception.

Hobbiton was spectacular. It is like entering a hobbit village while they’re all inside their hobbit holes for breakfast. Or second breakfast. Elevenses. Luncheon. Afternoon tea. Dinner. Supper! We’ll never know.

Everything was so charming and cute that we were getting emotional at the sight of it. We were truly floating on a cloud as we passed through the dirt swept path, up a hill, on our way to Bag End, or bilbos hobbit hole, before the descent to the Green Dragon where we were offered one free beer, brewed especially for the Green Dragon, each. 

There on a little hobbit bench, looking out at a place that has warmed many hearts, we sat and enjoyed the peace and calm of middle earth. All in a day’s work. 

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01.04 // Day 5: Rotorua
By Anthony 

Guess who we bumped into again? By a stroke of fate, our favorite Danes, Nicolai and Lea! 

A serious coincidence. While we knew each other would be in New Zealand, we didn’t know where or when the either would be. Walking into Wai o Tapu, a geothermal park, Agathe spotted them walking out from a good 20 meters away and we were all blown away by this moment of chance. Madness. Then Agathe and I finally bought some much needed rain jackets. And embarked on an exceptionally stroll touring these sacred grounds, walking alongside steaming craters and bubbling pools of various intensities. Sulphur never smelled so strong. 

Some of the most foreign sights a human can see of the Earth I’d imagine: Desolate with streaks of color, cracking rock and bubbling pools of burning hot mud and water. Wafts of foggy sulphur clouds misting over you with the stench of rotten eggs. We saw neon green lakes and oranges rings of shoreline. These places have been used for centuries for bathing, cooking, therapeutic remedies and spiritual ceremonies. Who knows what else. Beautiful to imagine. 

I read on a sign that those tribes in the area were known as “River people” and their livelihood depended on the bounties of the nearby river fertile land. This is true of all people before, but here in this tiny but beautiful corner of the world, it struck me to think about people on the edge of the world coexisting with these radical, sulphuric and somewhat hostile conditions. 

A deep and true respect for land and the forming of identity around it. Believing in something so completely that it binds you together with your kin. It’s your universe. The stories that are created from it and imaginations that connect it all together, is something profound about the human condition. Just contemplating it produces a real sense of wonder in me. I would have very much liked to know what that feels like.

Later we made our way to Rotorua, an epicenter of Maori culture and one of the most geothermally active places on Earth! It smells like sulphur everywhere you go. A short walk near the governor’s place beautiful colonial building of wood. Past a massive geothermal lake and pools nearby. Then to our Airbnb to unwind. Our host is Jessie, a Chinese immigrant and mother of two boys. She’s nice and had some talks about China, the tragedies of Christchurch, tradies (trade workers) and more.

In the evening we caught up with Nicolai and Lea which was awesome. They are an entertaining duo with no shortage of things to talk about or jokes to make. We’re sad to see them go. 

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02.04 // Day 6: Rotorua – Lake Taupo
By Agathe 

And here we are, in Rotorua (where it is pouring rain) inside our nice comfy Airbnb held by a Chinese woman. It is April 2nd and we are on our 6th day of exploration of the North Island. My first impressions of NZ so far revolve around how different it is from Australia. 

For some reason it is really easy to associate the two countries, but in terms of landscape the two have been totally different. (Except if we’re talking about Tasmania. People like to draw links with NZ and Tasmania (a “mini” NZ, they call it) but apart from rain and the feeling of being in the wild, they are very different places).

Starting with the vegetation, much of Australia is covered in eucalyptuses and dry high grass. NZ, on the other hand, feels more familiar to our European eyes because of the wealth of European trees that have been introduced and thrived like oaks, pines and poplars. New Zealand is extremely green. 

On top of that, NZ has mountains and volcanoes which is NOT the case in Australia. Australia is so flat!

But back to Rotorua, after we enjoyed a nice little breakfast, we made the most of having a living room to ourselves and worked till 11am on our computers, journaling and preparing the rest of our trip (booked our ferry tickets to the South Island – Whoop whoop!). 

It was great to enjoy a seemingly normal morning (apart from the very strong egg smell from the sulfur lakes), not having to rush out the door and go explore. Yes, sometimes it feels great to have a little routine and not be on the road! #spoiledtravelers

We left the Airbnb and headed to the Redwood forest that surrounds Rotorua. Surprisingly the first settlers decided to plant Californian Redwoods to enrich the nature around them. It is now the perfect place to go walk or mountain bike in between those giant Sequoia trees. 

The clouds had lifted and we had the pleasure to take one of the trails and go through this beautiful forest where the sunlight was bouncing on the red bark of the trees. Two people wandering through an enchanted forest. 

What amazed me the most was the occasional springs or small ponds that were emerging through the forest randomly in between trees. The water was incredibly crystal clear with an ice blue color. I had never seen anything like that before, it did not look like it belonged there but it did!

After a quick and meagre lunch (we’re here to travel not eat!) consisting of a tuna can that we both shared and some toast (we then decided it was time to go grocery shopping again!), we were back on the road in our swifty Swift and driving towards Taupo (an hour away) on the thermal Highway. 

We left the rain, fog and sulfur smell, and met sunshine and higher temperatures to our relief!

We stopped along the way at Huka Falls, a waterfall that’s been attracting tourists since the first immigrants arrived to NZ.

The Huka Falls are a set of waterfalls on the Waikato River that narrows from approximately 100 metres across into a canyon only 15 metres across. This results in one of the highest volumes of water flowing in the world, with 220,000 litres per second!

While the height of the falls was only 5 meters or so, the crystal blue water was rushing really fast and powerful. Well worth a small stop.

Arriving in Taupo, Anthony and I finally hit the grocery store and bought quite some food this time! Exciting!!! 

We only drove through Taupo and did not stop. It is a quaint town on the beautiful Taupo lake. All we could see thought were hotels everywhere but not that many tourists (none actually!). 

I still don’t know if Taupo was worth the stop, since one of the tourist attractions is the McDonalds that is in an old airplane (this should give you an idea of the town!), but I believe that the benefit of staying in Taupo is to enjoy the beautiful scenery, the proximity of this large lake and maybe to go fishing!

We headed another hour away, along the lake into the mountains to our very first free campsite! 

It was actually a bit unsettling as we had to exit the main road onto a rocky track and assume we had the right to park somewhere to camp. 

In the end, we saw one of the very colorful Juicy campers and parked next to them. Turned out this was a couple from Tahiti! Funny to speak French in New Zealand with Tahitian that comes from the other side of the planet!

Finally, we figured there was a larger spot to camp that was more in the open where we moved and where would be met by other campers. 

We chatted with two girls from Denmark (meeting many Danes lately!) and an 18 year old German from Vietnamese origins that was on his own and slept in his individual tent. Quite brave we must admit! We’re there, 10 years older than him, he is fresh out of high school and is totally on his own, and we think we’re the adventurous ones… 🙂

We enjoyed our cold meal, as we had decided not to buy a burner on our NZ trip (having had to give away the ones we bought in Tasmania and in WA!). Our cold pre-made salads did not help us fight the cold that was already setting in and we went very early in our tent.

Oh.My.God. it was SUCH a cold night!

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03.04 // Day 7: Lake Taupo – Tongariro – Whangamomona

By Anthony 

In the car by torchlight. 

This morning was a rough one with a stiff neck and sore back from a very cold night’s sleep in the tent. It got quite cold during the night and I just so happen to be missing my long johns which I presume are among my belongings back in Lyon. No matter, we’re on an adventure! 

We packed our tent at the free camp spot and drove to the parking lot where a shuttle bus would drive us to the start and we would walk back to our cars. After checking our names, we got onto the bus of a real cowboy who drove like an idiot most of the way in a semi circle around the mountains. We took the 8 am bus which was nearly full. Europeans mostly. Germans, Dutch and some French. An odd Russian family of 4 with two small children. It’s a 6 to 8 hour alpine hike people. All sorts of characters..

It was a bit of a dash at the start to put some distance between ourselves. But it didn’t take us long. Especially when Agathe is in the lead (which she is 98% of the time). She’s a bit ungovernable really. At the supermarket, I push the cart and stock the essentials, row by row, while she wanders picking up things here and there, browsing, etc. But she’s got that energy, and that’s what you need when you take on a big hike like this. 

The Tongariro crossing is a 20 km hike that takes you from the dry plateaus around Mt Ngauruhoe (aka Mt Doom in LOTR) and Mt Tongariro to a steep climb to 1,800 meters with clear perspectives across the alpine landscape, near crater lakes and back down through hilly bush and wet forest. 

We were walking fast. Agathe can hang with the best of them and pushes me to speed up when I’m more passive and could walk fast or slow on this kind of hike. I do like stopping for pictures and to soak it in. And there was a lot to soak in. 

In just under 3 hours we were at the halfway point. Having climbed and climbed, we reached a massive plateau that we trekked across like we were in the cradle of geological life. It’s here that the weather can change rapidly sweeping any life out with gusts of wind, ice or snow storms. We felt very small. But happy.

It felt really good to push ourselves again. Since we left Tasmania we haven’t properly hiked at all. So you can imagine, we were in the zone. With good conversation flowing when we did speak and peaceful silence when not. It was a really special hike. 

Descending past craters filled with exotic colors, we had clear views of Lake Taupo and the surrounding landscape on the way down. The vegetation gradually becoming more welcoming, some Czech guy was walking with no shoes on – his feet must have been pretty bruised by the end of it.  We hiked on for another 3 hours until we arrived to the car. Exhausted. But happy 🙂

From here, we set off in our Suzuki Swift on the Forgotten Highway. Where we got lost. And forgotten. And then remembered when we reached a small township called Whangamomona, or “Whanga” as the locals say. Greeted by a groundskeeper who’d had too much to drink for too many years, we parked and set up tent. It’s good to be somewhere with a kitchen and hot water (as free campsites like the one we stayed in last night have no facilities at all). 

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04.04 // Day 8: Whangamomona – New Plymouth
By Anthony 

With a window view of the Mt Taranaki volcano, bearing striking resemblance to Mt Fuji in Japan, we have come across one of those special home away from homes and we couldn’t be happier. 

After another cold night of sleep (NZ is too cold to camp with our gear anymore), we left Whanga for Stratford driving the remainder of the Forgotten Highway. It was a glorious drive through what I imagine to be some of NZ’s most prized and isolated farmland. Unlike most farmland, plains and crops, this farmland is only for grazing. Sheep and cattle. 

Hills roll like an accordion stretching and bulging and releasing and bulging again. Paths carved by the treading of animals stripe the hills in neat ways. 

Nothing to see in Stratford except some “all-day breakfast” joints and “Chinese, fish & chips, pizza” places too. The city was named after Stratford-Upon-Avon, where William Shakespeare was born in England. I hope it bears no resemblance to the original. 

We arrived too early to check in our Airbnb so we killed a few hours with a walk, coffee and cake and another walk. 

When we did arrive to our home, we were warmly greeted by our hosts Jacqui and Nick. Brits who emigrated around ten years ago from the UK here. They had never even been to New Zealand before when they decided to pack their life and move here. But they came with a make-it-or-break-it attitude, and they made it, and it was one of the best decisions they’ve ever made. 

After a lot of good, easy chats, and a bit of play with their two dogs, Nick showed me around his fishing gear and kayaks. He goes fishing in the ocean with a friend early on Saturday mornings. Catching, cleaning and cooking a fish is a hard job. But it’s really worth it. 

Now I’m too sleepy to continue. Goodnight for now.

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05.04 // Day 9: New Plymouth – Ohau 
By Agathe

Waking up to see the Taranaki volcano majestically emerging from a bright pink sky was just the type of things that makes you realise how special of a trip you are currently undertaking.

The sensation of serenity and strength this tall volcano in the distance gave off was breathtaking. What a way to start a day. 

While I was half asleep and soaking in the view, Anthony was brave enough to go outside in the cold morning breeze in order to take a full-on photoshoot of the Taranaki volcano in the sunrise.

I was just too happy to be in a warm comfortable house, after having spent two damp and cold nights camping! It was such a contrast for me and I was determined to make the most of it while it lasted! Cozy atmosphere, large windows with amazing views, sun rising over the volcano, fresh coffee being brewed and happy dogs coming around to be pet, I was just in heaven!

We chatted up with our Airbnb host, Jacqui, who is a funny and quirky woman (she taught me that word! lol)! They really hosted us so well, we really felt like we were distant cousins that were warmly welcomed! We talked extensively about life, their family and how one day they had decided to move from England to New Zealand 12 years ago, pack up and go, bring their children and eventually find a job! 

That really impressed me. I love meeting people that took a drastic decision and changed their life because they wanted more adventures!

After a hearty breakfast (yes we had gone grocery shopping the day before and had plenty to eat! AND the hosts let us use their kitchen! #yeah) we enjoyed another hour of comfort and wrote our journals and planned out the day. 

Time of check out came and we reluctantly left. We headed for Taranaki, which was an hour drive away, to do the wonderful day hike that we had heard about. Once there, we parked at the gift store/start-of-the-hike point and were completely disheartened by the heavy winds and cold temperatures that were pushing us back into our Swift! Too bad!

Too bad, but I have seriously no regrets as I did not want to go through the pain of a long hike under equipped in the cold. 

We turned around all the way back to New Plymouth (probably lost 2 hours and $40 in gas!) and took the scenic “Surf Highway”. Once more we were a bit unlucky as it poured rain and we did not get any of the views you are supposed to have from this road. 

Anthony drove stoically for a couple of hours, until we stopped to eat our sandwiches in the car on the side of the road, under the pouring rain.

We carried on with a full day of driving till we reached the Airbnb we had booked earlier in the car (a lot of planning headed is going on as you can tell!). 

While chatting in the car we invented a game that occupied us for hours. We call it “Swift!”. Yes, we realised that the car we were driving was probably the most common car in NZ. So the way you play is the first to see a Swift says “Swift” and scores a point. If you say “Swift” and the car is actually not a Swift you lose a point (I was very good at that one!).

We really had a blast and laughed the rest of the drive. 

The sun had finally come out and we made it to our Airbnb. We were staying on a small farmstead or micro farm. Basically, the people there had decided to become self-sustainable and had taken on a very interesting approach. They had their own sheep, a cow (actually not anymore as they just had a home kill and were sustaining on its meat), chickens, several goats and a big vegetable gardens and fruit trees. They explained to us all the problematics of raising animals, milking goats without separating the baby goat from its mother, or how difficult it is to feed pigs (they eat too much!). It was extremely interesting to learn about it all and very inspiring.

I very much look forward to one day doing the same as I always have had animals and a vegetable patch growing up but I would like to take it further. This really teaches you the value of meat and the effort you have to put in to feed yourself.

Back to the Airbnb. We had access to the whole ground floor which was very nice. The unfortunate part was that they were not the best with the cleanliness and while I had my doubts on whether or not the bed shits had been cleaned, the bathroom definitely had not! 

Oh well! We chose not to dwell on it for too long. 

As dinner time was approaching, we went out to the nearest town to buy groceries. The town was a weird, tiny town remote from all that you’re used to that makes you wonder what it would be like to live there because it would suck so bad to live there! We laughed.

Back to our house for the night, we cooked pasta with cream (an attempt at carbonara but that wasn’t really good!). But the best part of the night was that we got to watch TV (it had been a while!) in their cozy and comfy TV room where the owner lit a fire for us (remember it is cold outside and all houses are freaking cold inside – so basically here we were in heaven!). Great night!

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06.04 // Day 10: Ohau – Wellington
By Anthony 

Last night we stayed in Ohau, a rural town along our drive south from Taranaki to Wellington, where I write this today.

Our initial plan leaving New Plymouth was to go to the visitor center at the base of Mt Taranaki for some info and then off on a hike. But weather was unwelcoming. So we changed plans and headed on our way. 

We decided to take the scenic route around Taranaki (Agathe more than me, added a bit more time but was worth it) to see it from all of its various shades and angles. It was mostly farmland, rain and more farmland. 

Once we made the circle route around, we drove another two hours south to our Airbnb in Ohau – a small lifestyle property owned by two Kiwi’s. The house is a two-storey slender home of wood, surrounded by tall trees and garden projects which we came to learn more about today. 

Two Jack Russell mutts were prancing around too. 

Just about all fruit you find in a market around here can be grown around here. Which is an incredible variety. The temperature remains in a comfortable above freezing range throughout the year. The soil is rich. The air moist. How lovely. 

After this inspiring time and hour spent with our host walking the property, we hit the road. Arriving in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, some time after. “Windy Wellington” as it’s sometimes called. We headed straight for the Te Papa museum – one of the foremost museums on the history of New Zealand and Maori culture in the world – where we fussed around for a parking spot in rainy Wellington before going inside.

It was a fascinating museum that illustrated New Zealand before, during and after the Maori and eventually the Europeans arrived. One of the the most powerful moments for me was watching a video of various Maori tribes performing welcoming ceremonies. 

From what I can tell, many ceremonies involve animated, choreographed dance, chanting and energy like I’ve never felt before. It’s as if they are the perfect expression of culture, environment, and spirit over time propelling towards you in a rush of sound, movement and facial expressions that hits deep inside of you and makes you want to put on your scariest face and channel the energy of nature, ancestors and emotions you’ve had bottled up for centuries. 

It is guaranteed to give anyone who really watches it goosebumps I dare say. Incredible. There was so much more we learned. We’re grateful to have visited. 

Our Airbnb was up in the hills of Wellington along streets which one car could fit but traffic flowed both ways. It is very cold inside. We will watch Harry Potter tonight in our heated room and warm bed.

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07.04 // Day 11: Wellington
By Anthony

We started the day planning the next two weeks. We’ve mapped out roughly where we intend to go and what we’d like to accomplish and it seems given our circumstances (time, money, weather) that we will shave three days off of our trip to fly early to Sydney and relax at our soon-to-be in-laws place before heading to Bangkok. But let’s see how that plays out. We still don’t know if we can change our tickets free of charge which is the most important factor to consider here. 

The house we’re in is an icebox. We learned that Kiwis only heat one room of their house and leave the rest unheated. Which doesn’t make any sense – they have cold winters. Go figure.

Today’s activity was to meet with a former classmate of mine from Lyon. A Kiwi. He’s a gentle giant, half Maori half Dutch, and a pleasure to see after 6 years. 

We caught up on Cuba St. a trendy spot for cafes and bars in Wellington, and settled on a Cuban themed place for brunch. Which was exceptionally delicious.

He’s a cultured and intelligent man with an easy sense of humor that may partially come from being born and raised in “quirky” Wellington. An all-around great guy.

And the perfect guide for a three hour tour around the city, parliament and war memorial. And later along the rocky green coast for a walk. 

Wellington is a small town, rains a lot, but seems to be a balanced place to live. Easy access to nature, as we’ve seen everywhere in NZ, makes it even cooler. 

Tomorrow morning we take the ferry to the South Island. We’re happy to be in NZ – ready for the journey ahead yet trying our best to remain in and enjoy, the moment. 

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