DAY 1: New Zealand (Aotearoa)

Unfortunately I did not document my last trip to SE Asia on this blog but do not fret. I have returned. After 2 years of living in my homeland, I am out in the wide world again. Currently on the ground in New Zealand and ready to share my stories and adventures with you.

Beautiful Sunset in LA

This trip has given me the incredible opportunity to experience time travel. Can you believe it? Of course you can! After a mid-morning departure from YYC, a long layover in LAX, I was on a plane to the land of the Kiwi's. New Zealand is 20 hours ahead of Calgary, meaning I basically lost February 2nd in time. I mourned briefly for this day only because whatever moment I spent of it was probably tossing and turning in my aisle seat on the Air New Zealand plane. It was not a grand day. My seat mates proved to be sufficiently adequate at entertaining me solely based on their ability to remain silent and immobile for the entire 13hr flight. Just think for a minute about how could one sit for 13hrs on a flight, not taking, moving, reading or even watching tv....A little hard to imagine right? Those were my seat mates. I on the other hand was up at least once every hour. 

Due to my incredible ability to change plans last minute, I had decided the night before I flew out to scrap my original plans of touring around and came up with an alternative grand idea to hop on a bus directly after my 0700hrs arrival in Auckland. I spent a grand total of 50 minutes in Auckland retrieving my luggage, convincing border security that the trail mix and dried cherries were near and dear to my heart in hopes they would not take them from me (they were gracious enough to let me keep them), waiting in the warm early morning sun for the bright green Intercity bus that would take me down the winding 646 kms to my home base of Wellington. Fun Fact: Wellington is the southernmost capital city in the world. 

Taihape, NZ

No part of the country is more than 128 km from the sea, which I find fascinating. From Auckland, to Manuka, to Hamilton, to Taupo, to Wellington, via many stops at little towns like Taihape, the Gumboot Capital of the World, and Bulls. This bus ride, which I was surprisingly awake for until the final few hours, was incredibly beautiful. I have never seen landscape change so frequently as I have during this ride. Cities, to mountains, to rolling hills, to pastures. To say this country's landscape is incredibly diverse is really an understatement. It is so lush and green. It is beautiful. There are even road signs that state "Expect the unexpected". I am falling in love with this country already :)