The tramp wasn't so much fun, for once. It was maybe the hardest thing I've ever done - all knee deep in bogs, scrambling round landslides, and then pulling myself up a mountain by tree-roots. It felt like the Krypton Factor, eight hours a day for four days. I was reminded of that episode where a guy broke his leg and then JUST CARRIED ON - hobbling lamely along the crossbeam before taking the rope swing to Krypton History. No broken bones for me, but I emerged four days later covered in mud and cuts and bruises. At a huge James Bond style hydroelectric dam, strangely. That's kind of what New Zealand is like.
Anyway I think I've got the walking out of my system, for a while at least.
New Zealand was incredible but not at all what I expected. It's much more like the Isle of Wight than I expected. A little bit 1950s, a lot local, very rural and loads of campervans. But better scenery than the Isle of Wight - Blackgang Chine is nice, but it doesn't have glaciers or granite mountains or fiords.
New Zealand was incredible but not at all what I expected. It's much more like the Isle of Wight than I expected. A little bit 1950s, a lot local, very rural and loads of campervans. But better scenery than the Isle of Wight - Blackgang Chine is nice, but it doesn't have glaciers or granite mountains or fiords.
The other thing that got me about New Zealand was how young it was. The Maori only settled it in the twelfth century and European/ Anglo explorers only arrived in numbers in the mid to late 19th century. It still has some quite interesting history - of Scottish Presbyterian idealists, or middle-class English Anglicans, or escaped Australian convicts or Chinese itinerant gold-miners - but there's something strangely impermanent about it too. For example in the whole country there's only one stone-vaulted church. I think there are more than that in the boundaries of Worthing.
All of this makes it sound like I didn't like New Zealand. I did - I loved it. Incredible hiking, great views, huge skies, and really civilised, friendly lifestyle. I was sad to leave after so short a time. But it was time to leave. And on to Australia, where I can see Bondi beach through my window and have a proper city on my doorstep. The people all sound the same to me, but I'm beginning to realise that there's a world of difference across the Tasman Sea. Fewer crazy mountains and fiords here, but more surf lifesavers, desert and poisonous creatures. Time to explore.
All of this makes it sound like I didn't like New Zealand. I did - I loved it. Incredible hiking, great views, huge skies, and really civilised, friendly lifestyle. I was sad to leave after so short a time. But it was time to leave. And on to Australia, where I can see Bondi beach through my window and have a proper city on my doorstep. The people all sound the same to me, but I'm beginning to realise that there's a world of difference across the Tasman Sea. Fewer crazy mountains and fiords here, but more surf lifesavers, desert and poisonous creatures. Time to explore.
(I should add that I like the Isle of Wight, too.)
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