Kiwi Time

• February 16, 2015
• Travel

I once saw a guy order a drink at Starbucks and jet toward the exit without his latte.  You could see the moment he realized his mistake,  like he stepped on an invisible turntable and spun back on track.  Guy was in a hurry,  and based on his cat like agility,  didn’t really need anymore espresso.

I get the same way before trips.  I’m excited,  my mind is scattered,  and I try to do things like go to the post office to get my car washed.  
People ask me questions like “did you hear me?” and make statements like “He-llo!”

It’s alright,  I’m learning to live with chronic wanderlust.  Traveling is so healthy man.  It jars your mind loose from the daily grind ( yes, even in Hawaii we have a daily grind….not to be mistaken with local grindz which I often have for lunch ).  It’s a master class in cultures,  giving you a glimpse of how people around the world see the world.  It get’s you out of your culinary comfort zone,  in some cases testing the very bounds of your stomach strength.

Christi and I learned early on in our relationship that we share a love for travel.  It’s a way for us to press pause on the busyness of our jobs,  hobbies,  responsibilities and simply reconnect.  ( we both work at hospitals,  so when I say press pause it’s a polite way to scream “We need a break!” )  The first time I met my future in-laws I was introduced as the dude she was going on a group excursion to Europe with.  Oh really???  I made good on my promise to return safely,  so we were solid in our new boyfriend/parents relations.  ( Swiss Chocolate helps. )

So we’ve been dreaming about New Zealand for a while.  About a month and a half ago we found a decent direct flight from Honolulu to Auckland and just went for it.  We like having a few things in place,  like where we’re going to stay what night,  but also like to leave room to improvise.

This place is unbelievable.  Beauty everywhere.  Great place to relax and do nothing or do heaps of tramping until you’re knackered  ( see dictionary below…please…)  Here’s a few scenes:

We received nearly the same reaction verbatim when we told people we were coming here:

“Oh,  that’s cool (beat) so,  you gonna see some Hobbits?”

So far we haven’t seen any Wizards or Orcs  (stay tuned),  but we have seen plenty of sheep,  a few deer,  and where Peter Jackson filmed Isengard:

Extras:

Pocket Dictionary:

Sweet As!: awesome, all good, cool

Kiwi: the bird, the fruit…but also the people that make this a special place

Lollies: seems to encompass any type of candy…not just suckers anymore friends

Knackered: tired

Heaps: lots of, tons

Tramping: hiking

Flat White: Got a blank stare when I tried ordering regular coffee…I’ve been on a steady diet of Flat Whites ever since. Coffee with milk. Here’s a photo of roughly my ninth cup. I hated to mess up that foam:

Bang On!: The reaction I got when I said I loved flat whites. The equivalent to right on!

Bonus Feature:

We did Airbnb for the second time and had a great experience in Auckland.  We found this modern flat just outside of the central business district for much cheaper than any hotel.  It was right by a skate park which made my inner punk shake a fist of approval.  Our host was very friendly, even walking us to her favorite breakfast place and giving us a bunch of recommendations for stuff to do.

Until next time. Cheers from Queenstown,

A

• AirBnB
• Flat Whites
• Lord of the Rings
• New Zealand
• Travel