TRENZblog – Bye For Now

June 14th, 2010

This is always a sad post to write. It means that it’s really all over for another year. It is always a privilege to be the TRENZblog writer. The two weeks that I get to be in New Zealand are always busy. And I do mean BUSY! We’re talking 18-hour days, multiple interviews, activities and then getting the blog posts up in a timely fashion for you to read. And now that Twitter has become more popular, we’re tweeting on a regular basis too. It is definitely challenging. I come home in desperate need of sleep and don’t want to talk to anyone for at least two days. But I wouldn’t change a thing about it!

Each time we produce TRENZblog, I learn a few more things about the right way to travel. First off, that old adage about “packing half of what you think you need” is right. I had a very heavy suitcase (ok, that’s plural – suitcases!) and I didn’t need to bring that much clothing. Next time, I will travel with one small bag and that’s it! (Everyone at AHA is rolling on the floor laughing hysterically at the idea that I could ever not have too much luggage.)

I also had the opportunity to do some different things on this trip – including a coach tour through APT. I have to tell you it’s a stress-free and interesting way to travel! I am a pretty independent traveller and I wondered if I would like this approach. Well, let me tell you – I am sold. The only thing you need to worry about when you take this kind of freedom of choice coach tour is what activity you want to do (there are lots of choice) and what kind of wine to have with lunch!

Another tidbit that I learned is that if you really want to learn about a country or a city, go to the local farmers’ market or take a food tour. I took the Zest Food Tour in Wellington and checked out three local markets. They gave me a real sense of the place and the people – and everyone was so friendly.

And following on the food theme – especially in NZ where excellent food is the standard – finding a place that allows you to connect with the earth and have great food can be an amazing experience. The Wild Food Cooking School at Treetop Lodge (what a place!!) was a highlight for me.

Get out of your comfort zone!! One of my more extreme experiences included going to ZORB and rolling down the hill in a giant ball. It was something I will never forget. Now I can check that off my list and find another whacky thing to do since I have already bungy jumped twice. I am thinking that next year, maybe I should try the Ziptrek in Queenstown.

Get off the ground. While I didn’t have the opportunity this year, I did spend some time with the amazing women from Volcanic Air Safaris in Rotorua. Their tours sound incredible and I am keeping my fingers crossed that next year I get to check out the White Island Active Volcano Tour. Everyone I have spoken with that takes this tour raves about it!

And last but not least, expect to have life changing experiences. I had several while in New Zealand and while most of them started with a special moment in nature, what made them extraordinary could be directly traced back to the person I was with at that time.

I mentioned Tom Bryant of Abel Tasman AquaTaxi – you might remember him, he’s the one that made me eat bug pee! He also shared an important life lesson with me about living in the moment – all while bossing me around in a kayak! I spent time on a horse on a beach with Fiona of Pakiri Beach Horse Rides and that gave me a valuable connection to the world as well. Maori Chef Eru Tutaki at Treetops also opened my mind and my heart about the importance of connecting our food to Mother Nature and being appreciative and grateful for the bounty of the earth. Our volunteer guide Allison at Zealandia was so passionate about the work being done there, you couldn’t help but feel engaged.

Everywhere I turned in New Zealand, a stranger was reaching out and sharing something with me that made me see the world differently – better. They weren’t trying to impart some big picture wisdom of the ages; they were just being who they are and shared their special part of New Zealand with me.

Even at TRENZ, where they could only show me video or images and tell me about their tourism product, the passion and pride that tour operators – like the incredibly charming Kate of Dive Tutukaka – shared with me was inspiring. The people that share their piece of New Zealand with tourists do it because they have a passion for it. They know that it can create a lasting impact, something more than just a pretty picture and a checkmark on a bucket list. They do it because they want to find that special moment with people like you and me, where we share laughter or a quiet moment in awe of the beauty of the world we live in. Or perhaps we get the chance to watch a sea creature, land animal or bird in its natural environment and we feel that connection to other living things. They do it because we carry those memories with us as we go home and we call them up again and again to remind us of how very fortunate we are to be able to visit places like New Zealand.

As I say goodbye for another year, I want to say thank you to all of the people that went out of their way to help with this blog. Thank you to the teams at TIA and Tourism New Zealand – who have never once tried to edit me and who always go out of their way to provide leadership, guidance and support. And a big thank you goes out to the Kiwis who invited me to experience their world, took the time to tell me their stories, and shared extraordinary moments with me in a very special part of the world that I have grown to love.

I hope that this blog helped bring New Zealand and the incredible people I met there to life for you.

If you get a chance, go! I promise you – it will be the trip of a lifetime.

Until next year…Kia ora!

Ruth Atherley