In a moment of sudden thought, I looked at my calendar in consternation, counted, was surprised, counted again, and sat back in a stunned heap. I had now been in New Zealand more than eleven weeks, which meant that only eight weeks remained until I returned home.

The thought that more than half of my time is now gone is something of a shock. True, everyone who goes abroad says it, that one needs to take advantage of every moment because the trip is over in the blink of an eye, but still, they couldn’t have meant this fast, could they?

And yet...I know I’ve already accumulated a lifetime of memories here. There have been adventures, embarrassing moments, sure, but…it’s the quiet days I’ll remember, reading in the flat, looking out of my window on occasion and seeing the odd person sunbathing on the roof. Music drifting from ten different windows, the chatter of the flatmates downstairs, the rustle of my jacket as I slip it on because it’s colder in the flat than it is outside. These reminiscences are the ones that will resonate most strongly in the years to come, because they will have been so real, so full of hushed joy that even the dullest moments have a subtle euphoria about them.

So to me, it’s the everyday that makes for a spectacular adventure. It’s in those little things, a walk down the street, the simple laugh of a child, so different-sounding; and yet espying that little bit of familiarity, the same jokes, the same problems, the same yellow sun shining down under the same blue sky. It’s all that that makes me feel, if only for a moment, that I’m part of something bigger, something encompassing all of us, somehow, and at that moment, it’s difficult to feel lonely, no matter how distant my separation from another human being. It is those moments, above all, that I cherish in this lifetime, and have found in abundance these few weeks.

Right here, right now. Those words have driven me relentlessly forward during my journey throughout New Zealand. This is one of those “once in a lifetime chances,” right? Yes, of course, but…my time here has made fully real that concept that it’s all a once in a lifetime chance. Our whole life. Whether or not you believe in an afterlife, or a deity, or reincarnation, or nirvana: who you are, what you’re doing, right now is only going to happen once. No matter what, you’ve got to make the best of it, whether you’re around the world or around the corner.

I came to Aotearoa to dream. And such dreams I’ve had…



Our next destination was Jack’s Blow Hole. We had no idea what a Blow Hole was, and why we had to walk through a farmer’s pasture to get there. There were lots of sheep, all of which ran away when I tried to baa at them. I hope I didn’t offend.




Jack’s Blow Hole had this hand-made Honesty Box, which was so quaint that none of us objected to paying a whole dollar (about 70 cents US) to see…whatever it was.



Jack’s Blow Hole, which is impressive in a way that film simply failed to capture. It’s a massive gorge, formed when an underground cavern caved in some time ago. To get a sense of perspective, all of the plants are bigger than two of you.



Walking back from Jack’s, we caught an incredible sunset. Our journey nearly over, we made one final stop.



Nugget Point is a beautiful sight by day, but it is spectacular on a clear night. The only light for miles around was the intermittent glowing of the lighthouse, shown next to Alice. We looked at a hundred thousand stars, accompanied by the crashing of the waves ten stories below us on all sides. The railing shown is all that there is in the way of fall-off protection; much of the track doesn’t have so much as string separating you from a very far fall. It was difficult to navigate, armed only with small flashlights, but it was well worth it. This concludes the picture-story of my day trip through the Catlins; I hope you enjoyed it!