Last day in New Zealand: Christchurch (Day 25)

(Note to friends and family: We are safe and sound in Fiji and have been in the Yasawa Islands in some very remote places with no internet access, so I have a back log of entries that I will be posting every time we come across some wifi!)

A perfect rainbow over Mt Cook village

We woke up to a rainy, misty morning with constant strong gusts of wind, but that didn't stop us from preparing a bacon and egg breakfast at the back of the van. We were lucky enough to enjoy another incredible rainbow with us all morning long as we got ready to leave and head towards Christchurch for our final drive.

The scenic route

We took the scenic route, stopping at several lookout points along the way as we said goodbye to the incredible mountain ranges.  I drove for the first 200km or so, my second time at the wheel and my first taste at some of the crazy windy narrow roads that are all over the country.  It felt a lot more comfortable my second time around!

Me at the wheel driving out of Mt Cook National Park

On the way out of Mt Cook, what J has wanted to happen this entire trip, finally happened - we had to stop our car on the highway due to a sheep crossing!

We arrived in Christchurch mid-afternoon, selected a campsite with full facilities as we needed to do laundry, and went for a short walk to see a little of the city.  The part of the city we saw was one of the parts affected by the earthquake back in 2011, and it was strange to see entire streets still closed up and most of the area in a constant state of construction.  Someone told us that when the rebuilding first started, they had to fix everything that was underground first - all the plumbing, etc., and only recently has that all been done and they can finally start working above ground.

I had checked the geocaches in the nearby area because that's my first go-to for getting tips on what to do in a new city, and saw that one of the ones with the most favourite points was a temporary art installation regarding the earthquake, so we decided to go and have a look.

The installation was 185 unique chairs all hand-painted white, to symbolize the uniqueness of the 185 people who were killed in the earthquake.  There was a sign explaining the installation, along with the names, ages, and countries of the people who died.  The public was invited to sit in any of the chairs that they were drawn to, and to leave comments in a guestbook.  It was a very moving piece of art, and really helped to make a little bit of contact with how hard the city was hit and how many lives were affected.  It was also a very powerful reminder that earthquakes, floods, and other forms of natural devastation happen all over the world, to hundreds and thousands of people, who often live in places that don't have the infrastructure or finances to rebuild and recover in the same way that Christchurch has been able to.

Being in this city at the end of our 25-day journey through New Zealand made me reflect on the fact that life on this planet is more fragile than we sometimes realize in our sheltered western world.  Many of the locations that we visited throughout the country were conscious of the limited resources they had.  Even in remote campsites, people are encouraged to recycle everything they possibly can, into well-labelled bins, or to carry trash out with them, as the fuel it takes to transport garbage out of inaccessible places like Milford Sound means they try to make as few trips as possible.  All power outlets have an on and off switch, so that even plugged-in electronics/appliances/etc are not draining any minute bits of energy, and are only switched on when needed.  Places that are heated or have hot water often have these on a timer or a motion-senser.  And of course, conservation efforts of the native flora and fauna are everywhere.

The indigineous culture (Maori) is also embedded right alongside European culture in a fascinating way that does not seem to exist anywhere in North America that I've been.  I don't know the entire long history of them Maori's interaction with Europeans or what struggles I'm sure they've had to overcome and still need to overcome, but it was still very inspiring to see that any informational sign all over the country was written in both English and Maori, and that official names of places often include both the Maori and the European name (for example, the official name of Mt Cook is actually Aoraki/Mt Cook).

It was also really interesting, as we hiked and visited the various geological and cultural areas of the country, to see that all informational signs regarding things like flora, fauna, glaciers, lakes, etc., include the Maorian explanation of their creation right alongside the 'scientific' one, and are given the same visual importance (equal size of text and space shared on the panel, instead of just a small footnote, for example).  Important spiritual locations of the Maori are respected, with signs telling visitors not to eat in those locations (like Cape Reinga), or access to those locations for spiritual or cultural purposes still being given to them (for example, the Maori traditionally used the hot waters near the geyser we saw in Rotorua as a swimming area, so when the geyser park closes for the day, the people of the nearby village are allowed to enter the park and still use the waters as they traditionally did).

From the majestic mountains, to the stunning oceans, to the incredible hiking trails and native wildlife and everything in between, the 5038km that we spent driving through this country has been full of more memories, first-time experiences and once-in-a-lifetime moments than I can possibly list.
I could have easily kept traveling - just me, J, 1997, and the endless road of discovery ahead of us.
For New Zealand has a hold on me.  Often when I travel, I know I am seeing incredible things and places that I will likely never see again.  But I can't possibly imagine that for New Zealand.  I don't know when, and it likely won't be soon, but I know I will return here.

I will once again walk the deserted sands and splash in the crashing waves of Ninety Mile Beach; spend misty nights atop volcanoes; see the little lambs leaping over the rolling green hills; hike amidst the breathtaking scenery of Cape Reinga; climb the Moeraki boulders once more.

This country no longer seems like a faraway dream.  It seems like a place I intimately know. A place that it takes simply a little longer to get to than other places.  So I won't say goodbye.  I'll see you again one day, New Zealand.  I'm sure of it.