New Zealand

Posted by Marci on Dec 2, 2010 in | 0 comments

I closed my eyes. The scenery no longer looked real after hours of staring at its beauty. I opened my lids and took in the green hills decorated by waterfalls as the boat moved through Milford Sound. New Zealand made me feel like I walked through a fairy-tale land filled with Hobbits, elves, and fairies.

Mist sprinkled my cheeks. Springtime in New Zealand proved to be wet and cold. For two weeks I’d worn a winter coat as I traveled through the North and South Islands.

The Tongariro crossing, a twelve mile hike along volcanic terrain, had proved to be the coldest. Our guide dropped my friends and I in foggy weather with the plan to meet us on the other side. It seemed a great idea at the time, but little did we understand how quickly the weather could change. We journeyed through a rain forest, crossed streams and came upon a waterfall. The terrain changed to stumpy brush that provided no cover, then the dirt turned black as we hiked upon volcanic soil.

I danced along ahead, enjoying time alone. I’d been traveling with four friends for almost a week and a half. I was a stronger hiker with more experience and knew that I could back-track at any time. As I climbed over steep rocks the weather changed, and snow began to fall. On top of Tongariro Mountain the wind blew and a few inches of snow accumulated. I slowed my pace and waited for my friends, but I was too cold to stop moving. When I saw them in the distance I moved ahead over the highest pass.

Within moments I knew we were in trouble. The wind picked up, creating a white-out. I could no longer see the path more than a foot in front of me. Two prepared hikers, in winter clothing, with full packs walked towards me and told me to turn back. A winter storm was moving our way.

I returned to my friends and told them the bad news and pushed them to move quickly down the mountain. We didn’t have gloves, food, or the right clothing for this kind of storm. My friends stalled worried about how we would get to the hotel since our ride would be waiting on the other side.

We moved down the mountain, the storm soaking us. As we returned to the stumpy ground cover area, we shivered from the cold. A small backpackers cabin provided heat, but not food. The only way to get to the hotel would be for someone to walk down to the road and hitch-hike into town, ask where we might have reservations, since we hadn’t been to our hotel yet and didn’t know the name, and hope that the hotel could contact our guide. Five hours later, the ranger and our guide entered the cabin.

In Rotorua, I jumped out of an airplane, walked along steaming paths of sulphur that could blow at any time due to volcanic activity, and participated in a traditional Maori festival. On the north island I swam with wild dolphins in frigid waters of the Bay of Islands after walking through a forest of ancient Kauri trees that reached high into the sky. I boogie boarded down a sand dune, and then did the same in the ocean waves all while freezing. I didn’t care how cold I was, this country was more beautiful and adventurous than any place I’d visited.

New Zealand is the ultimate land of adventure. I guess when you live on top of numerous faults and volcanoes you seize the moment. The kiwis are fun people whose favorite saying is, “No worries.”. In Queenstown they jet-boat, gliding across their rivers at high speeds. They white-water raft and kayak. They invented the bungee jump and you can still dive off the original bridge or take a helicopter to a place high in the mountains to fling yourself from a cable car.

The country’s green landscape is dotted with white sheep. There are actually more sheep than full-time residents. You can hike a glacier, swim in the ocean with seals, and spend time in ancient forest. It’s a place of grown-up fun that left my heart racing, my eyes amazed, and my heart in love with the people.