When I first visited New Zealand in 1989 lamb and wool dominated the economy, there were a lot fewer cars, tourism was established but low key, and I had yet to hear the word, “Internet”. I hitch hiked everywhere which took a fair amount of patience at times but never had difficulty finding a place to stay the night. I never made a single reservation for anything except my flight out of the country. The people of New Zealand were refreshingly naïve like it was still the 1950’s and a foreign tourist remained somewhat novel. Sure, you would see other people at popular destinations but nothing was ever really crowded. New Zealand was known but not really discovered, yet.
Today the natural beauty remains unchanged as the country is full of outstanding beaches, mountains and countryside. Low crime and the friendly nature of local people add to the desirability of traveling the country. For those new to foreign travel it’s a great place to start. Infrastructure for the traveler is well established, it’s easy to get around and New Zealand is probably one of the safest places in the world to roam about. The one thing it does lack is the exotic factor. Unless you are really interested in seeking out indigenous Maori culture there’s not really anything exotic about New Zealand. It’s mostly all about the natural beauty.
If you want to seek out a quiet corner or set out on less popular hike it is possible to get away from other travelers but for the most part the tourist track is quite crowded. There are loads of young people in their 20’s traveling around mixing sporadic employment with a yearlong work visa. There are also plenty of tour buses full of older folks. Unless you are fine with carrying a small tent it’s often necessary to book ahead even if it’s a dorm bed in a hostel. The most popular hiking trails are regulated and require advance reservations. It’s almost impossible not to go through a town of any size without seeing a person wearing a backpack.
New Zealand has turned into backpacker mania. For me it’s a bit too much and detracts from any feeling of real adventure. It's exceedingly popular with young Germans. Germans are everywhere. There are also a lot of French. The majority of tourists come from Europe, China, and Japan. The ski towns of the South Island are popular with Argentinians. There are a few Americans here and there but very few American backpackers. Most Americans are older and with a tour group. None are traveling more than 2 or 3 weeks while folks from other countries are gone for months if not a year or more. Canadians are more adventurous than people from the states and I met them on a regular basis. Canadians are easy to notice with their pack because almost all have a Canadian flag patch sewn on and despise being mistaken for an American.
This all goes without saying that I chose to travel during the high season. Right now mid-March is comparable to mid-October in the northern hemisphere so things should slow down heading into the shoulder season before the ski slopes open. I greatly enjoyed the natural beauty, especially in the fiordlands on the Milford Track. However, I tired of the backpacker scene which I usually found myself a part of because that’s where are all the budget options are. New Zealand is not a cheap country to travel but thanks to a strong U.S. dollar I was able to keep it reasonable but I still had to stick with a backpacker approach.
As far as the people go I sort of have mixed feeling about New Zelanders, aka, Kiwis. On the surface they are as nice and friendly as can be. At times there are exceedingly helpful and usually very welcoming, however, beneath it all, I often got the sense that you never know for sure what a Kiwi is really thinking. I’m more comfortable with someone being a little brash and blunt than polite and passive. I prefer to know where I stand with someone. I once heard said that Kiwis are soft on the outside and hard in the middle. Sometimes I got that impression but of course not with everyone. Regardless, Kiwis are a really good people. As a whole I’d say they are hearty and independent. If the rest of the world blows itself up there is no doubt in my mind that Kiwis will have no problem taking care of themselves.
Overall New Zealand is a very healthy place. Clean air, clean food, clean water, and a culture of conservation prevail across the nation. People seem to be very aware of issues concerning environmental impact etc.
As I’ve stated numerous times, in previous posts, the last two months have been a little touch and go due to Meniere’s/vertigo. Ultimately this trip will likely go down in the books as Ok. Not great but not bad. Just Ok. With the ease of a flying direct out of Houston and the possibility of attaining another super cheap ticket on Air New Zealand I will likely return sooner than later. The next time around I might try a different time of year and focus on a smaller region. We’ll see.
No comments:
Post a Comment