So we've been in New Zealand one week and haven't had much phone or internet connectivity. We're renting a camper van and driving around the South Island for 42 days. We started in Christchurch and are now on the West Coast in a town called Hokitika. We came here for the amazing nature and so far we've gotten a full-on experience with how mother nature uses water--tons of waterfalls, rainbows, water-carved rocks, streams, heavy downpours--and consequently, lots of wet clothes, shoes, socks, etc. It's been chilly and stormy most of our time here, but the West Coast is somewhat like the Pacific Northwest, so that's to be expected.
We were last in NZ about 13 years ago and the number of tourists here, and camper van tourists in particular, has skyrocketed. Campgrounds back then were practically empty; now they all fill up when a convoy of RVs of various shapes rolls in around 5pm. The shared campground kitchens and shower/bath areas are quite typically filled with socially awkward folks who don't like to even say hello to other travelers or make eye contact. Does nature-based travel select for social misfits?! It's created some culture shock for us here especially after being in Greece for over two months where we would spend 90 minutes in a shop because the proprietor wanted to have a deep, meaningful conversation with us while they ran their business! Needless to say we're pining for Greece a good bit, since it offers amazing nature and cheerful locals. Despite this, it's been interesting and when the weather improves we'll get in a groove once our Greece withdrawal symptoms alleviate.
Thankfully we've met a few people at the camps that do make eye contact and like to chat. We had a nice campground dinner with an Aucklander who is doing a sort of internship at a paper in town here called Greymouth and he helped us understand the local culture a bit more. And last night we had a fun dinner with a couple from Blackpool (near Manchester) UK who quit their jobs and are doing a yearlong trip around the world. Sound familiar?!
I've posted some photos on my Smugmug page and to save bandwidth, I'm not putting the photos on this page. Go here to see lovely NZ! Here's a photo of our camper van at one of the parks (after everyone else had left). I'm sure I'll write something about life inside it.
We were last in NZ about 13 years ago and the number of tourists here, and camper van tourists in particular, has skyrocketed. Campgrounds back then were practically empty; now they all fill up when a convoy of RVs of various shapes rolls in around 5pm. The shared campground kitchens and shower/bath areas are quite typically filled with socially awkward folks who don't like to even say hello to other travelers or make eye contact. Does nature-based travel select for social misfits?! It's created some culture shock for us here especially after being in Greece for over two months where we would spend 90 minutes in a shop because the proprietor wanted to have a deep, meaningful conversation with us while they ran their business! Needless to say we're pining for Greece a good bit, since it offers amazing nature and cheerful locals. Despite this, it's been interesting and when the weather improves we'll get in a groove once our Greece withdrawal symptoms alleviate.
Thankfully we've met a few people at the camps that do make eye contact and like to chat. We had a nice campground dinner with an Aucklander who is doing a sort of internship at a paper in town here called Greymouth and he helped us understand the local culture a bit more. And last night we had a fun dinner with a couple from Blackpool (near Manchester) UK who quit their jobs and are doing a yearlong trip around the world. Sound familiar?!
I've posted some photos on my Smugmug page and to save bandwidth, I'm not putting the photos on this page. Go here to see lovely NZ! Here's a photo of our camper van at one of the parks (after everyone else had left). I'm sure I'll write something about life inside it.
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| Our campervan at the Pancake Rocks campground |