New Zealand, Initially

10-15-10

The rest of the world is quite forgettable, at least my first time in New Zealand.  Heavy European influence alongside Asian traces, mostly in cuisine, this is a refreshing blend of cultures in quite the small bowl.  The senses will not work fast enough; one’s body cannot accept this beautiful country in full.  To call it mystical or magical would be strict embellishment.  It is not a theme park, rather it is simply pleasant and certainly can be enchanting if you realize just how uninhibited this country is.  If, mind you.



[Laura, Alex, Francy, Adam and I]





Locals in Christchurch;
Test subjects of my new camera

Once outfitted with our ECW gear, Alex, Adam, Francy, Laura and I rented a car for the two hour drive to a small ski village which encompassed the geothermal Henmes Springs.  The beautiful car ride was mostly a blur now as I could not process the intake.  Pulling into the little town, I immediately saw partly an old western town from every cowboy movie, Beford Falls from It’s A Wonderful Life, and a tinge of state park reminiscence.



Christchurch in Spring



We headed straight for food and it didn’t take long to find our calling.  Based upon the description and not the title, I ordered the chicken stack.  Literally a stack, it had chicken breast, fancy hard cheese slices, mushroom caps and a salad held atop one another by a party toothpick.  Oils and vinaigrettes were mixed beautifully on the plate with it.  It was a piece of art I did not want to foil.  But I gave in.  It was delicious and quickly after, we were on our way to the pools.

It was laid out like a water park, but with nose-crinkling sulfuric breezes and was mostly under construction.  The individual pools varied in temperature, in which we worked our way up, meeting locals and travelers while sharing stories.  We stayed late, enjoying natural warmth as long as we could before our stint on the ice.



Locals in Christchurch



We left that night with a wonderful feeling for a pretty chill car rider home.  That is, until we saw a car sideways in the twenty-foot-tall bushes in the ditch.  I looked towards the backseat and it might as well have been through a fish-eye lens.  I felt so far away, with everyone’s eyes as wide as mine.  We turned back to aid in any way we could, but with no result.  We were just a little freaked out thenceforth. 

Ultimately New Zealand hosted a wonderful and memorable two days.  I will return.  The beauty is dizzying, though prompting, since my appetite for adventure and wandering is perhaps more insatiable.