Kia ora. This post will wrap things up. We’re currently in Kaikoura and tomorrow will head back to Christchurch to fly out on the 13th for the long journey home. This has been an exceptionally enjoyable journey and we’re not taking it for granted. We feel so fortunate to be able to travel so far from home and experience another country as in-depth as we have. Once you’re away from a city, the landscape is often astonishing. New Zealand is quite beautiful and the people here are dedicated to keeping it that way. You don’t see litter along the highway or hiking trails. I can’t be sure if that’s because people don’t litter or because there are people who clean it up. In any case, it’s much cleaner than back home.

We spent a couple of days in the Abel Tasman National Park, which is again an exceptionally beautiful area. We rode a water taxi along the coast up to Awaroa Bay, where we had lunch and a hike. We also tried out sea kayaks (very difficult) and I swam in the ocean. Definately a wow place to visit.

I’ve been using a Lord of the Rings travel guide to find filming locations. Most of them are only accessable via a helicopter ride, which are quite expensive. But we were able to have dinner in two restaurants that the cast and crew frequented – The Cow in Queenstown and Redcliff in Te Anau. We visited Jens Hansen The Ringmaker in Nelson, and I bought a pair of earrings, which entitled me to a photo op holding the very large ring used for several close-up shots. We did have one LOTR adventure – a rafting trip down the Pelorus River where the Escape in Barrel Scene was filmed. That was lots of fun!

In Blenheim, we were in the Marlboroulgh region where vineyards are everywhere. When I say everwhere, I mean everywhere. Miles and miles of rows of vines. We visited several for tastings. It’s also a hop growing region and there were miles and miles of them as well.

Here are some random observations that I found interesting:

You don’t see coffee pots sitting on a burner. All coffee, in all of the locations we’ve experienced, is made fresh for you. I’ve been drinking cappuccinos and Hal’s been drinking long blacks. I wonder how people in the US would react if you have to wait a few moments for your morning coffee?

In all the motels and Airbnbs (we only stayed in one or two hotels) there are french press pots and an electric kettle to boil water. There’s always instant coffee as well. We bring coffee with us because we don’t care for instant. There are no little plastic pots of milk/cream. There’s a small carton of milk or cream.

Eggs in the supermarket are not in the refrigerator. They are on the shelves and are about the same price as eggs were when we left. Not sure now lol.

In almost all restaurants, you order at the bar or some counter, pay for the order and then it’s brought to your table. You get your own bottle of water and glasses. No tipping needed. People are paid a fair wage.

There are a lot of bicyclers and hikers. This country has a pletora of tracks and people hike for days. There are accomodations specific for hikers. We happened to stay in a hotel that also accommodated them. Tents were allowed on the lawn. There was a large communal kitchen with a refrigerator for people to store their own food. Some of the food was labeled – help yourself. The bicyclers are sometimes a bit of a problem because they are sharing mountain roads that are winding and there is no shoulder for them. Other times, there are defined bike lanes.

Kiwi’s (the people) like to trim their hedges into very tall rectangles. All over the countryside you see them acting as wind barriers and property borders.

Chips are crisps and fries are chips.

Every outlet has a button you use to turn on the power and if you forget to do so, whatever you plug in, hoping to charge, is not charging because you didn’t turn on the power.

In one small town, we saw a boy on his bike delivering newspapers. I felt like I’d stepped back in time. Many of the moments here are like that. The First People are honored and the land is cherished. Maori language is interwoven into the culture.

E noho ra New Zealand!

https://www.kayak-newzealand.com/
https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/nelson-tasman/places/abel-tasman-national-park/
https://www.kaikoura.co.nz/
https://photos.app.goo.gl/LhLyM6wLoTdws9Yk9