Back to the Beginning

I have been up, down and all around New Zealand over the past 8 months. "From Cape Reinga to Bluff" as the saying goes, though not necessarily in that order. I'm now back where it all began: Auckland, the city of sails.

When I arrived here in July, it rained... and rained... and rained. It was less than welcoming and I questioned my sanity in coming here. Happily, I've discovered that Auckland is much more pleasant in March. The sun in shining and I can walk through the streets with my hood down and my head up.

Even in these ideal conditions, Auckland is not my favorite place. It is small by world standards, but very big by NZ standards. A quarter of the country's population, many of them foreigners, live here. It lacks the personality of its little sister Wellington; the Kiwi kindness is missing; and there's not a sheep in sight! This isn't the New Zealand I've come to know and love.

I've always considered myself a city girl, but I've really enjoyed my time in the Kiwi countryside. The scenery is breathtaking, and you can lose yourself in the views. The roads are open; the beaches are bare; the livestock is plenty. Whether it be sleeping in a tent under the stars, standing in the face of a majestic mountain, or pushing yourself to climb said mountain - there's a lot of quiet time to spend with... yourself. These sweeping landscapes have a way of making you feel very small and putting life in perspective. It's been a healthy change of pace for me. I would never had said these hokey things a year ago, but I've managed to surprise myself.

I don't know that I'd want to live out the rest of my days like this, but I've grown to appreciate a slower, simpler way of life. I've joked about NZ's, shall we say "differences," but I've also secretly come to enjoy them. (Shh... don't tell anyone.) It's all part of the Kiwi charm.

The challenge, of course, is to retain this perspective and hold on to these moments long after they've passed. I'm still in Auckland and I already feel very far-removed from the "real" New Zealand. There are legitimate highways here and even - gasp - a toll road, the nation's one and only. Check it out at www.tollroad.govt.nz. You have to visit the website after your trip to pay the $2 toll. How annoying is that? Even more annoying is the cash payment option, which requires you to pull off the road, park your car, and walk into a gas station to hand over your $2 gold coin. Ugh. Okay, so maybe Auckland has a little bit of that Kiwi "charm" after all...