Mt. Ruapehu

New Zealand is now officially the second country I’ve travelled to overseas and in many ways, it is so similar to home, but also highly different.

I spent 10 days in a country that is famed for its incredible scenery and by the tenth day there was no doubt in my mind that New Zealand is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. No matter what angle, road, or view you see the country, it will take your breath away.

The sheer amount of green is astonishing. It rolls for hills and mountains as far as the eye can see, and I personally think that road tripping in NZ is an underrated experience. There is no better way to experience the sheer greenery and lush vegetation NZ is famous for, than epic road trips across the islands.

My partner and I chose to visit the North Island, considering she had already experienced the South Island and in a lot of ways, the more tourist-trap nature of Queenstown and Christchurch made me want to avoid it anyway.

Not that the North Island was any less stunning or tourist friendly. Because it still blew my breath away wherever I drove, whether it was through the Tongariro National Park, the suburbs of Auckland or through smaller towns like Hamilton.

The North Island was stacked with things to do, drive around and experiences. So without further ado, I shall dive into each of my most memorable moments on my holiday with my partner as well as give general opinions on architecture, food and the overall vibes we experienced.

NZ Atmosphere

The New Zealand atmosphere is a lot like my home country of Australia with one exception …. it’s even more relaxed. Roads crawl around at 50km/h, a far cry from the 60km/h I am used to at home. People walk slower when crossing the streets. Hell, even the iconic accent makes people seem more relaxed and chill.

In many ways, NZ really proves itself as the idyllic place to retire. The scenery, air, lifestyle and overall pace suits people who want to slow down and actually enjoy smelling the roses. At the ripe age of 30, I’m nowhere near that level of sedentary action. If anything, I found myself frequently breaking the road rules, consistently travelling at 60km/h in a 50 zone and deliberating and regularly, pushing my car to 150km/h in a 110km/h country road. It got to the point where I even maxed out my car at 170km/h but had to slow down for a truck in front of me.

Driving though, was the name of the game for the trip. There were very little public transport options, but in a place where number plates have yet to switch up their 3 letters/3 numbers combinations (it is still ABC 123 vs the Australian A0B 1C3), the road population was so small and relaxed that getting around was no issue at all.

Even the way how the New Zealanders treat each other is beautifully courteous and friendly. The amount of times where incoming cars flashed their high-beams at me to warn me of police cars up ahead was too numerous to count. It’s clear, especially in the regional roads, everyone speeds, but do their best to look after one another and not get busted by the highway patrol.

A big moment that stood out to me was when I was driving behind one of NZ’s iconic “traffic cones” trucks and the driver, knowing I was the faster car, checked the road in front of him, then waved me on, to overtake. It was a sweet gesture that I thumbed up, and he returned the motion. These little interactions with the local Maori people proved to me just how friendly, warm, and relaxed they are, no matter the occasion.

The only thing that really soured the road trip element was just the sheer amount of road works that were happening everywhere. I suppose it only makes sense, considering the fact that NZ lies on a major fault line in the earth’s crust, and hence roads need constant maintenance to fight against the detrimental effects of earthquakes, but it was still annoying nevertheless having to slow down so much.

Overall though, NZ is a stunning, beautiful location that gives other famous mountainous regions like the Swiss Alps and Japan a run for its money. It is so gorgeous that it looks fake. There were so many moments where I had to stop the car and just take a photo and the number of selfies my partner and I took at so many scenic landscapes are obscene. From our stop in Huka Falls which is a breathtaking view of fast moving water, to the top of Skyline Rotorua, New Zealand had some many gorgeous water features that it consistently took my breath away.

I cannot recommend visiting this country enough. It’s like Australia but greener, more relaxed and just as friendly. The people were just great, and I still laugh at my partner’s reaction to hearing the iconic Kiwi accent over an automated “Countdown” register (Woolworths to us Aussies).

NZ Architecture

If there is one thing I love doing when visiting another country, is checking out unique architecture. I don’t know when I became fixated on unique buildings and their styles, but it’s been a slow, but growing passion of mine to see and admire them whenever I can.

Unlike a lot of people, I tend to revolt against modern designs. I’m progressive in a lot of my views when it comes to politics, but regressive when it comes to art. I prefer looking at things that evoke some type of classicism.

And I was in for a treat in New Zealand.

Architecturally, New Zealand has a lot of old world charm. Unlike Melbourne, which is constantly updating itself with new designs that evoke the year we live in, New Zealand is decidedly against a lot of modern aesthetics. So many buildings in NZ are examples of bygone eras. From art deco, to more brutalist architecture, NZ’s cities have a very unique, and simple style to them that I really like, especially since I come from a city where everything is always so polished, new and sometimes very bizarre.

Of the two cities, it was Auckland that really stuck out to me as the most interesting. Wellington in a lot of ways, reminds me of Australia’s tiny island capital, Hobart. They are both coastal cities, facing out the open water, built into the side of mountains and possess similar, old, battered buildings that are more functional than aesthetically pleasing. The buildings are very plain, and short, without much height or differentiating features.

In short, Wellington is a small port city with no real distinctive flair.

Auckland on the other hand, had a lot more diverse architectural styles within its borders. Beyond the obvious Sky Tower, there was also the incredible Domain Wintergarden which looked amazing as it resembled the neoclassical style that was so popular during the World’s Columbian Exposition (Chicago’s World Fair), an architectural movement that I have been obsessed with since I saw images of the fair held in 1893.

With its Greco-Roman inspired marble statues, large central fountain and courtyard combination and beautifully rounded domed roofs and crystal clear glass structure, the Domain Wintergarden was a brief portal for me. It transported me into a time when the world was a bit more exciting, because of all the things we didn’t know. A time where you had to visit these fairs to see what the outside world held. The flowers that were on display in the Wintergarden was amazing, as was the incredible Fernery nearby that had this brilliant support roof that allowed ferns and vines to grow all over it. It was so lush, green and dense that it was like stepping into a forest, except in the middle of a bustling urban environment.

Other notable buildings included the very odd, very traditional Chinese pagoda style building known as Choice Plaza. Red, green and so very Chinese, it immediately surprised me, because such buildings were rare to see, but it made all the more sense, for being in the very Asian oriented street of Auckland.

In fact a lot of Auckland’s architecture had this old school vibe to it. Certain buildings were fully Gothic in their facade, others like the Guardian were “Stripped Classical” with their faded dark colours, antique clocks overhanging the streets and so many others looked like they were built in the 90s and never progressed beyond their yellowing old tiles, dated columns and 80s rooftops.

The prime example of course being the highly bizarre and supremely ugly Sky World Indoor Entertainment, with its strange mix of old and new clashing together in an ad-hoc fashion. The front of Sky World with its brown marble and glass curved exterior that has a strange crown up top is meshed into a 90s style glass building that is devoid of any real personality. Its bizarre, its weird, its ugly and when I walked past it, in late 2023, it was for sale and in dire need of refurbishment. Not a good look for what is supposed to the main public square of Auckland.

In a lot of ways, it reminds me of my own work place at Federation Square. I don’t know what designers were thinking back then, but honestly, I really wished they scaled back the outlandish ideas to make public square eyesores.

Overall, the architecture in the North Island is very similar to Australia. A mix of ultra modern buildings that grow over the mess of old decaying 90s malls and wide pedestrian streets that are beautifully lined with tall green trees.

It felt like home and overall I would argue that Auckland is much more reminiscent of Sydney than Melbourne. Sydney has a lot of similar styles that can be seen in Auckland and I think they are much closer to sister cities. Melbourne, for all her beauty, is a newer city than loves to destroy old remnants than sully her overall modern theme.

I’m happy to see that Auckland does nothing of the sort and remains as eclectic as it first started.

NZ Food

Food in NZ is more Americanised than I realised. But I say that with a biased lens as a guy who has grown up in Melbourne food culture. The servings are a bit bigger, the food doesn’t quite hit my palette as hard as it does at home, and overall, it wasn’t anything to really write home about.

I never really got to try what authentic kiwi food really is, as we mostly ate road-trip food and found random Asian spots. What I did notice though was the sheer number of fast food options that NZ has. Taco Bell, KFC, McDonalds, Burger King, Wendys … the chains were everywhere. It was no small wonder that local restaurants weren’t pushed to exceed, because these options dominated so much of the local market.

All in all, I didn’t find many restaurants that were worthy to write home about in NZ, with the exception of 2 places. An Italian place in Wellington called Scopa, and a Vietnamese place in Rotorua called Saigon ’60s. The Vietnamese place was a surprising stop, because the food was actually OK.

I’ve made it a morbid habit to visit at least one Vietnamese restaurant whenever I travel somewhere foreign, and in this case, it wasn’t the worst thing I’ve ever had. It definitely toned down the Vietnamese flavours like lemongrass and fish sauce though, but I suspect it’s a way of mollifying the cuisine to a very Western area of NZ.

Scopa was another spontaneous decision. My partner and I had just finished eating at an Argentinian steak place and weren’t too impressed with the quality of the food or the decor. We needed something to cheer us up, after spending a decent amount of money. On a whim, I saw Scopa, and intrigued by the clear Italo-disco 70s aesthetic of the restaurant, I dragged my partner in for our favourite dessert, tiramisu.

Now, having tasted Melbourne’s greatest tiramisu at Grossi, I can honestly say that Scopa’s tiramisu is the closest I’ve ever had that comes to the greatness of Grossi and that is one of the greatest compliments I can give.

Finally, I have to discuss Wendy’s. The iconic redhead burger chain was everywhere in NZ and I’ve always been so curious about American fast food in general. To my astonishment, it was actually pretty good. The burgers tasted fresh, the chips were the perfect blend of thick cut and salty and the only complaint I had was that the “medium” size for the drinks were absolutely enormous. They could have definitely downsized the drink, but some things are too American to be tamed. My partner and I ended up visiting Wendy’s more than we originally thought, mostly because of the road trip nature of our holiday.

Hamilton Gardens

Hamilton Gardens was one of the biggest highlights of the trip for me. For those who are unaware, my father is big on gardening. Whilst that passion has not really caught on with me (I much prefer my books and firearms), there is an undeniable element inside of me that appreciates excellent horticulture and landscaping work because of how hard my father worked on the family home’s front and back yard.

And let me just say that Hamilton Gardens has one of the most incredible and original ideas for their vision of what a landscaping tourist attraction should be.

Instead of just one singular theme, like the Royal Botanical Gardens here in Melbourne, Hamilton chose to do multiple themes, giving visitors glimpses into the past and around the world.

Tudor. Ancient Egyptian. Surrealist. Modernist. Italian Renaissance. Indian Char Bagh. Chinese Scholar. Japanese Zen. English Flowers. Herb Garden … the list goes on. There is so much to explore, admire and soak in. In a lot of ways, it’s an incredibly immersive portal into the past and I found myself stunned by the sheer effort the staff put in.

For example, with the Ancient Egyptian Garden, there are actual walls with hieroglyphics that are faded on the outside, but the moment you step in, you are awash with colour. For the Tudor Garden, they actually had the small parapet of a medieval structure in the corner and the iconic striped ribbon poles adorned across the Garden. For the Italian Renaissance section, I laughed out loud when I saw the legendary female wolf statue that nursed Romulus and Remus, the Capitoline Wolf.

As a massive history nerd, I was truly in love with the Gardens. It was a time machine that really allowed me to catch an glimpse into the past that I always wanted to explore.

If you had to guess which Garden was my favourite? It’s a close tie between the Italian Renaissance and the Ancient Egyptian. I love both time periods and it made me sad that such ancient beauty isn’t as commonplace anymore.

The Lord of the Rings

Along with Star Wars, Star Trek and countless other random nerdy pop culture franchises, LOTR was one of the biggest formative cinematic experiences of my childhood. Described by my father as one of the greatest trilogies he has ever seen, LOTR exposed me to the world of fantasy and how incredibly fascinating it was to read about wizards, hobbits, elves and Uruk-hai.

Whilst I am certainly no LOTR expert, I knew what I saw on screen looked cool. Middle Earth is equally brutal as it is beautiful and New Zealand perfectly encapsulates that. Knowing that I was going to NZ meant that I had to at least indulge a little bit, in my nerdy passion for LOTR.

This meant a trip to Hobbiton and the Weta workshop in Wellington.

Weta was an amazing time, seeing all the cool props that have populated so many of my favourite movies. But what made it incredible, was the amount of knowledge that was dropped during the tour. There were so many fascinating, cool, realistic and scary props on display that showcased the artistry, talent and skill that so many of these prop-makers possess behind their hands.

It still boggles my mind how much work goes into every single little detail seen on screen. The chain mail seen in LOTR had be built on a mass scale, whilst balancing looking right, yet being light enough to wear for hours on end. The bristles on a giant wasp came from horse hair that had to be treated just right.

Overall, walking into the workshop was like wandering into a cave of the most eclectic uncle you’ve have in your family. Swords, sci-fi guns, armour, books … random animatronics … I can only imagine just how much cool technology and gear the Weta workshop make on a daily basis and I left the workshop, more appreciative of the artisans behind the scenes of these movies.

What really stole the show though, was my visit to Hobbiton. It so happened that the day we went to visit the set, was actually the first ever day they opened up the expansion to the tour. An expansion that allowed you to actually go inside a Hobbit home and truly immerse yourself.

Walking in and seeing every single detail that populated the bedroom, the kitchen, the pantry, the living room, the hallway, the reading room … it was simply amazing. I couldn’t imagine going on the movie tour without this segment. It elevated the entire experience and I really loved looking at how much work was put into making the Hobbit home feel lived in.

It was truly amazing to see how much work Peter Jackson put into building the set in the side of the Alexander Farm’s rolling green hills. I couldn’t believe how they made the little tavern, the small lake and the sheer planning and detail that went into building this tiny fantasy town. In many ways, it represents the heart of the entire franchise and I was glad I got to visit it with my partner.

The NZ Cultural Experiences

This is just a quick recap on some key cultural experiences that my partner and I visited and experienced.

• The Waitomo Glow Worm Caves

The famous Glow Worm Caves of Waitomo was definitely a fun experience. Thankfully, I visited these caves before I became hooked on the Scary Interesting channel which has fundamentally warned me away from visiting a cave or swimming deep ever again.

The actual trip to the Glow Worm was already hectic. Rain poured the entire way there, soaking our rental car and making me thankful that I bought my Arcteryx Gamma jacket and On Running shoes. It didn’t help that we were running late according to the GPS, but my hours of driving F1 cars through thick rain on simulators came in handy and I was able to keep an average of 130km/h on the windy NZ roads the entire way there.

When we got there, I was struck by the way the tourist centre incorporated itself into the natural landscape. The building was echoing Maori architecture and it was grand how tall the roof was, shielding tourists like me from the rain. The mist that surrounded the entire area was cold, yet adding a touch of magic to the atmosphere. It was like walking into an older part of the world.

The cave itself was a humble entrance, with well designed walkways, handrails and plenty of stalactites and stalagmites to enthral everyone who walked in. But it was the pitch black descent onto a boat, that floated on an underground river that really got everyone. The moment the boat cast away from the dock and I could see our guide’s hand feeling her way through the river with rope, I felt a certain trepidation about the entire thing.

But that disappeared the moment the glow worms came into view.

It was like looking up at the sky filled with thousands of stars. The electric blue glows of the worms was beautiful, haunting and oddly peaceful. I remember squeezing my partner’s hand and feeling a serene glow overcome me as I stared the endless clusters of lights emanating from the roof. The only downside to this tour, was the time spent looking at the worms was far too short and before I knew it, we were struck by harsh daylight and the magic was over.

For a second, I wondered whether it would be amazing to be the first cave explorers to see these wonders, but after seeing how many times things go wrong in caves on the Sean’s Youtube channel, I’m going to hard pass on those opportunities. Caving isn’t for me.

• Te Puia Geyser

The Te Puia tour we took in Rotorua was a spur of the moment decision. I remember driving up to the Te Puia Centre and it was a hot day. So hot that I was sweating in my polo, and I was cradling a massive medium sized cup of Lemon and Paeroa (my new favourite soft drink) from Wendys. I looked like every fat Western tourist ever and the photo my partner took of me outside the centre was hilarious.

The tour we went on was actually a lot more of a cultural education than I anticipated. It wasn’t just to see the famous geyser. It actually took us to a small kiwi enclosure where we could see them for the first time, and they were just as adorable as I imagined them to be. It’s actually quite sad to know that they were close to extinction due to dogs and cats wiping out so much of the native population.

After the Kiwi enclosure, came the geyser itself and the hot mud pools which were both amazing to look out, but also highly uncomfortable as it was already hot and getting closer to these natural marvels meant I was burning up even more. Whilst I’ve never seen a geyser in reality, I wasn’t that impressed by the phenomenon. I was however curious at how much the surrounding rocks and water changed in look having put up with these spray for hundreds of years. The yellow-baked white spray across the water and rocks made everything look so alien, that I was briefly reminded of all the science books I read about other planet surfaces.

Seeing how everything was bubbling, uncomfortably hot and smelled awful, just told me deep down how much other planets are inhospitable to humans.

The rest of the tour lacked that amusing anecdote but it was actually quite fascinating to see the New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts in action, with students crafting incredible Maori art and textiles. Whilst many of the items were beyond my budget, I did wish I had something to bring home from that exhibit and store.

• Shopping Centre

One of the silliest tests in my mind, when comparing things to back home, is going into a country’s biggest, and most impressive shopping centre and comparing it to Chadstone back home. For those in the dark about Chaddy, it is one of the biggest and most impressive in Australia. Luxury brands, entertainment, food … there is an unwritten rule in Melbourne about Chaddy. If you are a new brand, you need to open one store in the CBD and one in Chadstone to truly make it here.

The shopping centre my partner and I wandered around for a few hours in Auckland was Newmarket. Whilst it was impressive, in my mind, it reminded me too much of Doncaster. Whilst big, and boasting a few luxury brands, Newmarket was decidedly smaller and less impressive than I thought.

But that comparison is irrelevant. Because for the first time in NZ, I tried the famous St Pierre’s Sushi chain at Newmarket.

Needless to say I was disappointed with the quality, choice of sushi on display and the flavours. It has nothing on Sushi Hub here in Australia and for such a big chain, I can’t believe people enjoy St Pierre with regularity.

They don’t even do nigiri …

But that is enough ragging on St. Pierre. At Newmarket, it was nice. The shops were nice, the architecture was modern with plenty of natural light filtering through and to be honest, that was all it had to be …. nice.

• Alpacas

My partner clamoured me to visit an alpaca farm for the entirety of our planning. I was ambivalent about the whole thing, but in all honesty, who can deny cute animals?

So imagine my surprise, when despite her eagerness, she froze up in fear at the sight of the animals and couldn’t hand feed them.

I ended up having to feed all of them. Their teeth actually tickled my hand a lot and it was a really fun experience for me, getting so close to such fluffy and cute animals. One thing that I definitely could have worked on was consoling my poor girlfriend though. She was terrified yet entranced by the alpacas and I should have comforted her a bit more.

In the end, we did snag a very cute souvenir (a tiny alpaca plush) and my partner didn’t seem to regret going to see these cute alpacas in reality. So that’s is what is important.

• Street Market

There is an Auckland Night Market that bounces around the neighbourhood of the city every two weeks. This nomadic nature of the market means that it can appear in the most random locations and bring a party like atmosphere anywhere, any time.

The one we went to was in a Kmart underground parking lot and was dope as hell. Filled to the rafters with young people who brought their usual energy, vibes and custom cars, the night market was one of those experiences that made me feel like I was one of the locals. All kinds of people came to the market to trade their knock-off wares and buy random DVDs, croc charms and cheap NZ and Asian food. There was even a Vietnamese nail salon that offered its services and it was amazing to see lines of women waiting their turn.

There was a real authentic atmosphere in this tiny carpark where the night market had chosen its spot and that was what made it such an amazing experience. I loved walking around, checking out all the different kinds of food and trading cash with the cashiers. The down and dirty style of creating an event like this bought back so much nostalgia for me, because this was the kind of festival I liked going to as a kid.

The lack of safety oversight (no barriers between us and the hot cooking stove for example), the simple marquees, the eskies with drinks and ice …. this was the kind of festival I grew up around and being able to experience that same homely vibe in another country was just amazing.

The NZ Army

One of the most intriguing elements of NZ was the attitude towards the military. Unlike here in Australia, which largely dismisses or hides its military achievements, in NZ it was the opposite. I would like to argue that there is a direct link to the proud warrior traditions and culture of the Maori people to modern warfighting that ensures people who live in NZ are always respectful and solemn when it comes to all matters concerning the military.

After all, the national traditional dance, the haka is a war dance, designed to hype up its dancers to a bloodthirsty frenzy. Whilst it is a welcoming act, it is also a direct reminder of how Maori tribes used to fight each other for territory and supplies.

I think that this historical context is important to the reverence I can sense in a lot of people when it comes to war. They are proud of their small but capable military and are not afraid to show it.

This was seen in 3 major ways across my trip. The first, was obvious. A lot of the street names are named after famous military figures or battles. The second was the Gallipoli exhibition in the Te Papa national museum. Designed and created by the famous Weta workshop, these stunning, 3x larger than life statues are stunningly realistic and haunting. I was obsessed with the amount of details and care the geniuses at Weta put into these statues and they are a brilliant testament to the men and women who fought in WW1.

From the uniforms, the hairs on the statue faces, the oversized pistols and ornaments, the Gallipoli exhibition is truly a haunting experience. I don’t think anyone who walks out of that exhibition will underestimate just how seriously the people of New Zealand treat their military past.

The final major element for me was the amazing National Army Museum at the foot of Mt. Ruapehu (picture above). Even when you first walk in, you are greeted with the jade green of NZ’s national stone and hundreds of red poppies that commemorate NZ’s role in WW1. It’s a beautiful entrance to a huge museum that showcases every single aspect of every war NZ has ever been involved in.

From enemy weapons, to allies uniforms, there is so much to see, stare at and study in that museum. Japanese WW2 uniforms are shown next to Viet-Cong equipment. Then in a room over, you can see a mock-up what it is like to man a machine-gun nest in Africa, to experience what the infamous SASR go through in training, and even look at recovered weapons that feature bullet frag in them.

What really got the inner gun nerd in me geeking out though, was the gun room.

From flintlocks, to HK 416 rifles, there was just so much firearm history in the bottom. I loved that they featured every single faction’s common weapons, like German MP40s next to New Zealand marked M16A1s. I bored my poor partner to tears, listing off every single weapon I recognised, every single calibre, where they were used and what role they fulfilled.

To me, stepping into that gun room, was like a time portal, where I could appreciate every single individual soldier’s commitment to a cause greater than themselves and that these were the tools they used to prove that commitment.

I loved it, and I loved exploring NZ’s military history, because the same reverence for the military is not prevalent here in Australia. I got to really indulge in my inner military historian side and that is one of the main reasons why NZ is so high up there.

That and for some bizarre reason, as I was driving through NZ, I came across a repurposed Mil Mi-8 Russian utility helicopter near Huka Falls.

It was so random, bizarre and upon further study, it used to be Fidel Castro’s transport helicopter, and was even briefly a Nicaraguan presidential helicopter.

Now, it’s latest addition to its provenance, was a brief stint as a tour helicopter for passengers across NZ before her sister ship was involved in a horrible accident. Right now though, she currently sits dormant, waiting for the next random military aviation enthusiast like myself to come by and gawk.

Airsoft

Being able to experience airsoft for the first time, was a dream and a nightmare come true for me. I’ve always been jealous of the events Americans hold in their home country, such as Milsim West and other insane large scale events.

After all, who doesn’t want to pretend to be a solider for a day.

But I quickly learned that airsoft hurts like a bitch.

First, it humbles me, at just how fast I die.

Second, it fractures my ego when I realise how much it hurts to get shot.

Third, it proves that the idea of doing CQB solo means that I die within seconds.

Airsoft was fun, frantic and painful. In so many ways, you need a team with you to cover all the angles and I have never felt so much adrenaline being dumped into my body when I score hits or take them. It’s such a huge rush prepping your weapon, clearing corners and constantly scanning your surroundings.

But alas, the weapon they gave me, was a piece of junk, it lacked power, range and rate of fire and constantly jammed.

Despite that though, I was more pleased with my outfit and loadout. I was testing my latest shoes from On Running, the Cloudwanders, putting some serious pace in my Levi’s jeans, and Arcteryx henley and finally getting a chance to rock the paintball mask I had bought for myself all those years ago.

What absolutely sucked though, was seeing my poor girlfriend get shot so many times and having a miserable experienced. What made it even worse was that I couldn’t even protect her properly.

Which of course, humbled me right away. It dashed my dreams of being some ultra slick operator with the skills to protect my girlfriend in a terrorist attack.

And whilst airsoft did bring my ego down by a huge margin, it did motivate me to get fitter, and learn to take risks and be aggressive. Because whenever I did just that …. I often came out on top.

So, the moral of the story here is, after a few rounds of airsoft?

Get fitter, get quicker and get better.

Just get good.

Otherwise I’m dead.

Skyline Rotorua

Rotorua might be one of the most attractive places I have ever seen.

If there was an image of what earth, wind and water looked like in combination, to show to an alien, Rotorua might be the most idyllic image to present.

The lake itself is practically a mini-ocean. The rock formations that form along the lake borders and the little islands in the middle are absolutely stunning. Everywhere you look, it’s an incredible view.

I don’t know how else to put it in words. There’s a peace and serenity to Rotorua that just makes you want to live an idyllic life by the water and the mountains. What’s more, is the Skyline attraction, in which you take a gorgeous cable car up the mountain, before sledding down in a tiny kart that only features brakes and limited steering.

I remember seeing the view as the cable car climbed and honestly, it took my breath away. It was such a beautiful, serene, untouched view of nature that I really wished more places looked like this.

After all, Australia does not have this level of green and blue. It’s much more golden and red, and I could instantly see why people in NZ seem much happier, less bothered by the troubles of the world. Because when you are graced with this kind of view every day, how could you stay unhappy?

Rotorua is just one of those places that lets you escape from the world with it’s beauty, slower pace and serene views. It’s the place where you want to retire to, and just live out the rest of your life in natural landscapes that let you breathe without stress, or fear.

Let’s just sum up Rotorua as … if I had to buy a retirement home … it would be there.

NZ Misadventures

My partner and I did a lot of random little things in NZ.

We accidentally stumbled across two festivals, one in Rotorua, a humble, family friendly one with local wares and food trucks.

And another, Christmas-beach themed one that prevented us from entering our apartment for 2 hours and nearly made us burst our bladders. It was there I got to see how different Australians are from New Zealanders. The traffic controller … could not give two toss about how much of a hurry we were in to get home.

He did everything with a nonchalance that was borderline infuriating yet oddly hilarious.

It was the classic Kiwi’s indifference that really sold to us the fact that we were in a different country. Because if it wasn’t for that, and all the green, we would have thought that the entire country was just another state back home.

All these small things though, paled in comparison to the night where I locked my partner and I outside our apartment at 9pm in the evening.

To clarify, in order to get into our apartment, it requires two keys or swipes. One to get into the apartment building, and the other to get into the apartment itself.

I forgot to take the apartment one with me when I went out with my partner to do some quick grocery shopping at night.

We had no idea what to do. We tried knocking on the neighbour’s door. I entertained the idea of parkouring my way up into the balcony and opening it from the inside. We tried searching up the building’s phone number. We scoured our Airbnb records for any phone number.

Nothing worked. No response to the numbers we had. It was too late. The owners were probably asleep.

In the end, we gave up and sat in our car, hopeless and annoyed that our home was so close, yet so far.

Full credit to my partner though, and this is one of those moments in our relationship where I know I made the right choice in choosing who will stay by my side for the rest of my life … she did not get mad at me.

She was upset, tired and understandably annoyed, but she knew I was beating myself up way more than she ever could. So instead, she worked with me to find solutions, talked me about of dumb ones and eventually just tried to settle herself comfortably in what was going to be a long night.

It was then, as I was looking at her with huge sorrow, and I was playing with the swipe card, that I noticed a phone number on the back of it.

I called it.

A WOMAN ANSWERED.

I was beyond ecstatic. The owner instantly empathised with our situation, and wracked her brain to find a way to get in. At first, she didn’t give us much hope, as it was likely we had to wait til morning to get back in.

But then, she remembered that there was a cleaning locker with all the copies of the swipe cards in the building, and we could access it via … the basement carpark.

The hope that sprung in our hearts was excessive to say the least.

We went on an immediate scavenger hunt for the key to the cleaner’s lockers. I found the key atop a carpark’s support beam and cracked open the locker.

We took every single combination with us and gripping each other’s hands tightly, we went to our apartment door and ….

Click.

Bingo.

Hallelujah.

We got in and gave each other the biggest hug, before I did the right thing and entrusted my partner with the swipe cards this time and returned the ones we borrowed, before sending off the biggest and most grateful thank you to the Airbnb owner.

It was around midnight when we finally got back into our apartment and honestly … that was one of the best sleeps we ever had on the trip.

It’s moments like those, where I look at my partner and just think to myself … I’m so glad, I’m on a holiday with the right one.

Yes, I shared some incredible moments on this holiday with her, but that right there, proved to me, that she was the right person for me and I cannot wait to go on another holiday with her soon.

They say that international trips can make or break a relationship.

New Zealand made ours even better than it already was.

And for that, Aotearoa will always have a soft spot in my heart.

~Damocles.