New Zealand had come highly recommended. It had been on my "list" for a while, and I had heard so many stories about it. Even on my first day in Auckland so many shopkeepers had recited stories about visiting for 3 weeks and then moving lock, stock and barrel over here. And the Kiwis love everything! I can understand their enthusiasm. It is indeed a magical place. I have been so over awed by the scenery that it almost became too much. I am sure it will take a while to all sink in, and perhaps on a random rainy day in February the enormity of it all will hit me.
It's like mushing together the Alps, the Lake District, the Highlands, the Yorkshire Dakes and the Moors, taking out most of the people and properties and adding lots of sheep!
- Springtime / early summer (seeing the lambs, the blossom, everything was green, the shops had the summer clothes in)
- Ice cream and Japanese food!
- Sheep (they really are daft creatures, but they are everywhere! From the "normal" sheep, to recently shorn, and rather pathetic looking merino sheep, to the lambs frolicking around.
- Being called Mate / Bro / Doll, and hearing "sweet as" and "no worries" ALL the time
- The views!
What I will not miss:
- Working out if "pohutukawa" and all the other Maouri words are referring to a tree, mountain, lake or town! (Pohutukawa, which it has taken me 3 weeks to learn how to say, is a tree!)
- Being given butter when you order a muffin ( you were spot on Zoe!). It's plain wrong!
- It is expensive. From shampoo, to food, to excursions. Nothing is cheap. And you have to pay to see/do everything.
Highlights:
- Hobbiton, no question!
- Seeing my first wild penguins, and all if the dolphins
- Helicopter flight around Mt Cook
I can completely see why so many people rave about New Zealand, and I totally get why so many would wish to move there. For me though, whilst I could easily live in Auckland, it is a bit to far away from everywhere else, and I know that this is going to sound like a spoilt child and is completely a First World symptom, but as a visitor it was all too easy!
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