Xtreme, Yoga, Zoo

X is for Xtreme snow sports.  I took the opportunity to learn snowboarding over here.  Slowly I got the hang of things and managed to look a little impressive as long as I stayed on the beginners trails.  The need to feel more competent and the desire to get to the higher points of the fields saw me share time between snowboarding and skiing – my easier option.  Alas, skiing is now all I do on the slopes but I am glad I can now say I’ve done it.

Y is for Yoga.  Something I had never really had any interest in doing before, but again, a change of scenery made me realise how easy and important it is to learn new things.  A local instructor was starting up beginner classes, so off I went and my body has never felt better.  Stretching and twisting is a lot harder and tiring than it looks.

Z is of course for Zoo.  Without the Zoo here at Hamilton and all of its superb staff and animals, this adventure in New Zealand may have ended long before now.  It’s what has kept us here past our original plan of a year and it’s a place to be cherished forever.

Unknown, Volcanoes, Wanaka

U if for the Unknown.  Everything was such a big unknown when we left Australia.  There was no certainty, nothing solid and all sorts of potential roads to go down – some would be our choice, others would be dictated to us by circumstance.  It was a little scary and possibly even reckless, but it has been exhilarating beyond all expectations.

V is for Volcanoes and this area of the north island is one of my favourites of all New Zealand.  These mammoth natural wonders rise nobly from the central plateau and command your attention from hundreds of kilometres away.  Their beauty is only equal to their mystique and provide a range of activities from bushwalking to skiing in what can only be described as a place of incredible power.

W is either for Wanaka or Wellington as they are both deserving of a mention.  Wellington has always been the favourite of my New Zealand cities – full of charm and fascination it won me over before it had even said “hello”.  Wanaka is a small town not far from Queenstown, but has yet to be tarred with the hype of it bigger sister.  Nestled on an alpine lake with a backdrop of dramatic ranges it was always going to be a favourite.

Queenstown, Raglan, Snow, Travel

Q has to be for Queenstown.  My original visit about 5 years ago left me feeling more than a little disappointed.  I had heard so much, probably too much, about the town and its bigger than life personality only to get there and think it was an empty hulk of a tourist town plumped up by the ‘you-have-to-go-there-hype’.  On subsequent visits though, I fell for the place and most specifically its dramatic location within the valleys of the Southern Alps.

R was either for Rain or for Raglan.  Rain because there is so much of it although I still couldn’t get enough of it.  Raglan because this is where I have spent many hours combing the beaches with Phil and the dogs, being tantalised by the every changing black sand coastline, the huge estuary, the flame red flowers of the Pohutukawa trees, the laid back pace of life and friendly charm.  There are more reasons why I love Raglan on this old post…………….

S is for snow and plenty of it.  Being so close to ski fields gave me change to really indulge in snow sports and I love it, love it, and love it!

T is for Travel as that was one of our objectives when moving here, not only within New Zealand but out to the Pacific Islands as well.  There is no corner of NZ which has not been witness to the Phil and John road show of adventure plus a number of Pacific Islands as well.

P is for Poi E

Poi E is sung by the Patea Maori Club, a very classic Kiwi song with great footage of New Zealand fashion in 1982!

O is for Oz

Australia, affectionately called Oz by its citizens, is the greatest country in the world.  I feel comfortable saying that without causing others offence because everyone feels the equivalent amount of pride about our home countries……don’t we? Anyhow, my positive impression of Australia has only been intensified since landing here in Aoteroa for no reason other than it is a big part of who I am.  I have mused before about what I miss from my homeland so will spare you the dribbles once more, but it really warms my soul when I think of these things.  How about another cliché – absence makes the heart grow fonder-lame but something definitely resonates for me from those words.  So it is with great excitement mixed with a slightly heavy heart that I can share that my time in New Zealand is drawing to an end.  A decision was made recently by my other half and I that it is time to head back to Australia to live.  This decision was nothing at all to do with being dissatisfied with New Zealand as I can not seriously fault my adopted country in any way, shape or form.  It’s a very simple case of longing for that part of me that remains in Oz.  But rather than trying to go back to exactly the same place and time that I left, we are heading to Darwin.  Not sure what to do or how it is going to work out, we don’t have jobs to go to or anywhere to live.  We sold almost everything to move to New Zealand, so it is going to be another real adventure in change.  On the move….again……