10 Days in NZ

At the beginning of February, we spent ten days on New Zealand's South Island. Picturesque and cultural, it reminded me of growing up in the Pacific Northwest. The natural beauty, the outdoorsy lifestyle, and the native influences felt familiar, like home.


On our drive over the Southern Alps towards the western coastal town of Greymouth, most of my view of scenic New Zealand was from the rear seat of our rental car. Mist hung heavily in the morning air, covering the mountain tops in its thick white cloak.

As we drove up to Arthur's Pass on our return trip to Christchurch, however, the sunshine broke through the white blanket to reveal balding, dry mountains, thirsty from the long-time drought they've been suffering through. The forests, though, remained lush with evergreens, alpine trees, and tropical brush.

I have been charmed by this beautiful country, with its unearthly beauty, kind people, and quaint towns. Nestled along the eastern side of the mountains, just about 90-minutes drive from Christchurch, sat a small resort town called Hanmer Springs. With its small shop-lined streets and tourists strolling about, we stopped for a stretch just as a light rain began to fall.

It's not uncommon for a two-lane road to share a single lane bridge to cross many of the low riverbeds. In one instance just outside of Greymouth we crossed a bridge that was shared between two lanes of oncoming traffic AND train tracks.


Sheep were, of course, everywhere. The meat of choice Down Under, I expected to see many sheep, but I met this fine specimen not in the wild, but at the Willowbank Wildlife Reserve just outside Christchurch.

Most of the week was spent in Christchurch exploring the city. I visited the Christchurch Art Gallery/Te Puna O Waiwhetu, where I enjoyed the exhibit highlighting art by graduates from the University of Canterbury Fine Arts program of the past 125 years. We learned more about the Maori culture and the lives of Christchurch's early settlers at the Canterbury Museum. There is also a huge connection between New Zealand and Antarctica, which may be common knowledge, but I was unaware of before my visit.


The highlight of my time in New Zealand had to be the Nature Cruise we took in Akaroa Harbour. About an hour and a half bus ride brought us along winding, narrow roads down Banks Peninsula from Christchurch into town. Shops and cafés line the French-named streets, and occasional French flags remind visitors of the town's original settlers around 1840. Now the town attracts travelers with its offerings of eco-based tours.


Endangered Hector's dolphins swam alongside our boat as we entered the deeper waters of the harbour, cruising along towards the great Pacific Ocean. Mother and calf joined at least six other members of their pod to greet us and play in our wake. Upon reaching open water, the swells felt like they'd launch us from where we stood at the bow into the cool, crystal blue water. After several breathtaking lurches up, then down, then up, then down, we entered another inlet where seals slept, sun bathed, and play within the sheltering cliffs. On the ride back into the harbour, we withstood 80km/hr winds as we, again, clung tightly to the bow.

Our last day in town we caught a free performance by a trio of actors set up in the Botanic Gardens, "The Complete History of New Zealand (Abridged)." In 90 minutes, with some outrageous humor, they summarized the volcanic land development, native history and colonization, Waitangi Day (kind of like their Independence Day), politics, pop culture and the Lord of the Rings, of course.