Tues 29 Reflections on New Zealand

I am on my way home today, in fact, I am currently sitting in the Delta lounge in LAX.  The flights over the Tasman and Pacific were uneventful and I even slept a bit.  Once again, I got a seat with a little extra leg room, and no person in the middle seat--YAY!

Now that I am looking back over my trip, I thought I would capture a few thoughts on New Zealand and my travels there in general.

1. It is truly a postcard-worthy view just about anywhere you turn. The country has made, from an outsider's perspective anyway, a conscious effort to maintain that beauty and to promote clean air, water and land.  
2. The locals are very welcoming and friendly.  I purposefully chose to stay at B&Bs (AirB&B) so that I could meet native kiwis and chat with them and learn more about them. They are a lovely bunch.  They are also a fairly diverse bunch; all toll, 6 host couples of mine consisted of NZ men married to women from other countries.  People come to NZ for a visit or to study and frequently end up staying.  Regardless of which country they came from, they were all lovely.
3. The wildlife is abundant, especially the birds.  If you are an ornithologist, you already know this, but New Zealand is the place for you!  (Especially Steward island, which I would still like to visit sometime.) One wakes up every morning to birdsong and you can continue to hear it throughout the day. While I didn't go fishing on this trip, I know that both the fresh and sea water fish are also abundant, as were the shellfish.  I loved seeing the wildlife, and the domestic animals, the little lambs and calves were so cute.
4. New Zealand, especially Queenstown, bills itself as the adventure capital of the world, and I would have to say, you can certainly find your fill of it.  There are mountains, rivers, oceans, coves, fiords, plains, and caves to climb, ride, dive, kayak, swim, rappel, and jump into/onto/down through and every other which way.  If you are looking for an outdoors adventure, NZ can always fill the bill.
5. Even with all the outdoor adventure to be had, one doesn't need to do any of it to enjoy New Zeland.  If you just drove around the country, you would find fulfillment. See#1.
6. NZ food is pretty yummy...great lamb, beef and seafood along with fruit and veggies--all of which can be found pretty easily as locally grown and grass fed. They seem to really love their sugar too...local grocery stores had oodles of bakery goods and sweets and ice cream could be found everywhere.  
7. The tourist souvenirs could use a little bit of marketing help.  The items on offer are not all that great.  On the other hand, perhaps that is intentional, but they certainly could take a lesson from Australia or Ireland to build their country's brand and to allow people to take a piece of that brand home with them in the form of a decent souvenir.
8. They use hot towel warmers...why don't we?  They are the best thing ever on a cold morning and in a cold bathroom. I think in general, we do more house heating than they do, but, these things are amazing.
   
9. I loved having a 3-week vacation, but I was ready to come home too, as my time drew to a close.  I think it is really a matter of expectations, and what you set out to do.  I met many many folks who were there for a much longer duration than I, and I would guess that for each of them, they will feel the same way. When it comes time to go home, you simply look forward to it and I am grateful that I have a lovely home and people to come home to.
10. All in all, I loved my time in New Zealand, and would recommend it to anyone and everyone.  The country has made it really easy for tourists to enjoy; travel and accommodation are easy to arrange, signage on roads and in cities are easy to see and understand.  There is something for everyone who visits.  Thanks NZ, you are AMAZING!