I have been trying to write every other day but I'm not beating myself up if I am not successful at meeting that goal. I was due to write yesterday, but Karla and I simultaneously hit a wall. Our morning was going fairly well as we both were up early and did our morning workouts. I watched most of the Blue Jays game, made breakfast and had coffee. In the afternoon our school hosted the new staff via Zoom to explain local health procedures and medical insurance. And that's when the wheels fell off.
Yesterday was Day 8. We made it over a week keeping up with all of our goals and maintaining healthy habits. Ironically, learning about medical insurance took me down first. By hour 2 of our 2.5 hour presentation my eyes had glossed over. We were passively listening with our video turned off which is when my posture began to suffer and my leg started bouncing restlessly. Luckily for me Karla was taking notes (and has a much greater understanding of terms like "deductible" and "co-pay" - we Canadians take our system for granted... why did I leave again?) so I took that as an excuse to exit.
As soon as the meeting had ended Karla was also restless and feeling demoralized by the idea of completing everything on her list. So we did what any sane person in a first world country would do: we ordered pizza. I spent the next six hours playing video games while Karla reconnected with friends and watched several episodes of TV on Netflix. It had us thinking back on simpler times.
Yesterday was Day 8. We made it over a week keeping up with all of our goals and maintaining healthy habits. Ironically, learning about medical insurance took me down first. By hour 2 of our 2.5 hour presentation my eyes had glossed over. We were passively listening with our video turned off which is when my posture began to suffer and my leg started bouncing restlessly. Luckily for me Karla was taking notes (and has a much greater understanding of terms like "deductible" and "co-pay" - we Canadians take our system for granted... why did I leave again?) so I took that as an excuse to exit.
As soon as the meeting had ended Karla was also restless and feeling demoralized by the idea of completing everything on her list. So we did what any sane person in a first world country would do: we ordered pizza. I spent the next six hours playing video games while Karla reconnected with friends and watched several episodes of TV on Netflix. It had us thinking back on simpler times.
The Best Meat pies and Views in the world are found in:
It has been a lifelong dream for both of us to travel to New Zealand. It is just such a naturally beautiful country it begs to be seen, hiked and photographed. The people from New Zealand (from here on out to be referred to as kiwis) are also extremely kind and I had been sharing an office with one (Hi Josie!!) for the last 4 years. She's been to Canada and the US several times so it was only fair that Karla and I visit her country in exchange. Despite the Earth being flat, the timezones and seasons are flip-flopped in the lower part of the map (aka the Southern Hemis-flat) and when North America has winter, New Zealand has summer. This is also the best time to visit New Zealand and we made the difficult decision not to see our families for Christmas (this would end up being a bit regrettable for me because I likely won't be in Canada again from Summer 2019 to Summer 2021). Despite being what felt like halfway there from China, flying to New Zealand is not cheap, so we designated this 'big trip' as our HoNeY-mOOOOOOn! Our Christmas break was 15 days long so we decided to spend one week traveling and camping in the South Island and one week of relaxing on the North Island.
We landed in Christchurch and were immediately struck by the quaintness of the airport. In a normal year New Zealand expects 250 - 550,000 tourists every month with December being the busiest month. It feels more like a regional American airport. We were picked up in an Uber by a chatty and friendly gentleman (this will be a theme throughout our time in NZ) and brought to our friend Sarah's house. Sarah and her brother Ollie are good friends of ours from Beijing and Sarah was spending Christmas break with her parents Al and Di at their home in Christchurch. We have spent time with them because they had been working in Beijing before retirement and it was so nice of them to welcome us into their home and even treat us to a Christmas meal!
We landed in Christchurch and were immediately struck by the quaintness of the airport. In a normal year New Zealand expects 250 - 550,000 tourists every month with December being the busiest month. It feels more like a regional American airport. We were picked up in an Uber by a chatty and friendly gentleman (this will be a theme throughout our time in NZ) and brought to our friend Sarah's house. Sarah and her brother Ollie are good friends of ours from Beijing and Sarah was spending Christmas break with her parents Al and Di at their home in Christchurch. We have spent time with them because they had been working in Beijing before retirement and it was so nice of them to welcome us into their home and even treat us to a Christmas meal!
With the help of Al we loaded up our van/home and hit the road for Lake Tekapo. As you can see from the photo above, we decided to ride in style.
This would be a tight fit so we packed pretty light, but we had time to get used to the space because we would spending our first night "glamping" at Lake Tekapo. Driving on the left side of the road takes some getting used to but its pretty much exactly like driving on the right side of the road. If you drive regularly you may accidentally confuse the windshield wiper with the turning single but its mostly smooth sailing.
After stopping at a gas station for a meat pie (a local delicacy) we made our way to Lake Tekapo. Luckily we had friends here too, and we met up with our friends Skye and Matt for dinner and drinks as we walked around the quaint lakeside town. We had booked to "glamp" for one night while here, which was essentially a yurt under the stars outfitted with some creature comforts like a queen-sized bed and electricity. We shared some wine we picked up along the way and watched the stars before washing up and going to bed.
I was sleeping soundly. It was cozy. We were in a tent under the stars beside a picturesque lake. and at 4am the air siren sounded. This is now Karla's time to shine. She has been preparing for a post-apocalyptic moment for YEARS. All those movies and episodes of the Walking Dead were finally going to pay off. She sprung into action. She turned all of our lights on and was fully dressed, had passports and snacks in a backpack and the car keys in her hand within 30 seconds flat. I meanwhile, had pulled the covers over my face because they were too bright. "It's nothing!" I protested. "Get up!" She pleaded, "what if it's a tsunami!? Don't you remember that story of the school in Japan who didn't listen to the warnings before it was wiped out?!" I had to admit I did not and I listened to my wife and groggily got out of bed and dressed. Had I more presence of mind at the time I would have outlined my case against acting on the air siren.
Case #1: A tsunami? We are on a lake:
This would be a tight fit so we packed pretty light, but we had time to get used to the space because we would spending our first night "glamping" at Lake Tekapo. Driving on the left side of the road takes some getting used to but its pretty much exactly like driving on the right side of the road. If you drive regularly you may accidentally confuse the windshield wiper with the turning single but its mostly smooth sailing.
After stopping at a gas station for a meat pie (a local delicacy) we made our way to Lake Tekapo. Luckily we had friends here too, and we met up with our friends Skye and Matt for dinner and drinks as we walked around the quaint lakeside town. We had booked to "glamp" for one night while here, which was essentially a yurt under the stars outfitted with some creature comforts like a queen-sized bed and electricity. We shared some wine we picked up along the way and watched the stars before washing up and going to bed.
I was sleeping soundly. It was cozy. We were in a tent under the stars beside a picturesque lake. and at 4am the air siren sounded. This is now Karla's time to shine. She has been preparing for a post-apocalyptic moment for YEARS. All those movies and episodes of the Walking Dead were finally going to pay off. She sprung into action. She turned all of our lights on and was fully dressed, had passports and snacks in a backpack and the car keys in her hand within 30 seconds flat. I meanwhile, had pulled the covers over my face because they were too bright. "It's nothing!" I protested. "Get up!" She pleaded, "what if it's a tsunami!? Don't you remember that story of the school in Japan who didn't listen to the warnings before it was wiped out?!" I had to admit I did not and I listened to my wife and groggily got out of bed and dressed. Had I more presence of mind at the time I would have outlined my case against acting on the air siren.
Case #1: A tsunami? We are on a lake:
Case #2: Flood? We are on high ground.
Case #3: Fire? We are in a tent, we cannot smell any fire.
I didn't have a case against nuclear holocaust but New Zealand is a relatively small island nation in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and doesn't strike me as a country with a lot of enemies (except maybe on the rugby pitch). We left our tent, simultaneously wired and bewildered where we encountered other campers looking wired and bewildered using this as an excuse for a bathroom break. Many others were as confused as we were but luckily a local kiwi told us that this was how rural towns in New Zealand call for their volunteer fire department. A simple text would NOT suffice it seems. I talked Karla out of double checking with the reception at the camp and we made our way back to the tent. The air siren stopped. Appeased, Karla quickly slipped back to sleep. I was not so lucky.
Having been vehemently convinced to get worked up, I could no longer get worked down. I tossed and turned until I decided shortly after sunrise at 5:30am that I was going to go for a run. There was a trail that ran along side the lake and I followed that for 2.5km before I rested to take a break. I chatted with a friendly kiwi on a mountain bike for a little bit and he let me know I was close to the peak of the hill I was on. Well, sure, I can get to the top! Two kms later I got to a plateau that was NOT the top. Kiwi again: "oh hey mate, yeah must be just up here!". On I went. Long story and 8 kms later I had made it to the top of the mountain, with no cell service. I tried messaging Karla to tell her where I was since I had been gone for two and half hours and that I was making my way back as fast as possible. I was exhausted but luckily I had found a steeper shortcut straight to the bottom. I was desperate for some water or food and was planning on strolling triumphantly to my worried wife and expected at least, for a hot cup of coffee. Karla had just woken up from her long sleep - she didn't even know I was gone.
Case #3: Fire? We are in a tent, we cannot smell any fire.
I didn't have a case against nuclear holocaust but New Zealand is a relatively small island nation in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and doesn't strike me as a country with a lot of enemies (except maybe on the rugby pitch). We left our tent, simultaneously wired and bewildered where we encountered other campers looking wired and bewildered using this as an excuse for a bathroom break. Many others were as confused as we were but luckily a local kiwi told us that this was how rural towns in New Zealand call for their volunteer fire department. A simple text would NOT suffice it seems. I talked Karla out of double checking with the reception at the camp and we made our way back to the tent. The air siren stopped. Appeased, Karla quickly slipped back to sleep. I was not so lucky.
Having been vehemently convinced to get worked up, I could no longer get worked down. I tossed and turned until I decided shortly after sunrise at 5:30am that I was going to go for a run. There was a trail that ran along side the lake and I followed that for 2.5km before I rested to take a break. I chatted with a friendly kiwi on a mountain bike for a little bit and he let me know I was close to the peak of the hill I was on. Well, sure, I can get to the top! Two kms later I got to a plateau that was NOT the top. Kiwi again: "oh hey mate, yeah must be just up here!". On I went. Long story and 8 kms later I had made it to the top of the mountain, with no cell service. I tried messaging Karla to tell her where I was since I had been gone for two and half hours and that I was making my way back as fast as possible. I was exhausted but luckily I had found a steeper shortcut straight to the bottom. I was desperate for some water or food and was planning on strolling triumphantly to my worried wife and expected at least, for a hot cup of coffee. Karla had just woken up from her long sleep - she didn't even know I was gone.
Taking the Leap
We made our way to Queenstown, winding our way through some beautiful mountain passes to get there. Mercifully, Karla drove most of the way (what with my sleep deprivation) until we got to the Peregrine winery along the way. We stopped for some incredible Pinot Noir and grabbed a bottle along the way to ease the tension for our Christmas Eve activity: BUNGEE JUMPING.
This was something I felt I had to do in New Zealand and I booked us for a day of thrill seeking for Christmas Eve. Karla had agreed to do the Nevis Swing which sends you on a 300m arc through the air. It was cheaper as a package, so I booked us both for the Bungee as well. We had to catch the bus in downtown Queenstown and while we were there they weighed us twice and had us sign our life away. Karla could not stop thinking about the bungee and decided to take something to help calm her nerves. She was downright zen-like as we took the bus to the Nevis headquarters. Because they were busy, we were able to do the Swing first. Karla mindfully walked right past the mom who was freaking out on the catwalk out to the platform (apparently her husband signed her up without asking her - rude!) Karla was excited to do this and we were happy we could actually do that together! Here we are:
This was something I felt I had to do in New Zealand and I booked us for a day of thrill seeking for Christmas Eve. Karla had agreed to do the Nevis Swing which sends you on a 300m arc through the air. It was cheaper as a package, so I booked us both for the Bungee as well. We had to catch the bus in downtown Queenstown and while we were there they weighed us twice and had us sign our life away. Karla could not stop thinking about the bungee and decided to take something to help calm her nerves. She was downright zen-like as we took the bus to the Nevis headquarters. Because they were busy, we were able to do the Swing first. Karla mindfully walked right past the mom who was freaking out on the catwalk out to the platform (apparently her husband signed her up without asking her - rude!) Karla was excited to do this and we were happy we could actually do that together! Here we are:
As we were still swinging Karla had already decided that she was not going to do the bungee. It seemed she had enough thrills for the day. I did not want to back out of it having gone all that way but I was definitely nervous, so I was not going to push her to do something she didn't want to. The platform for the bungee hangs in the middle of the canyon and you need to take a cable car out there. As we were making our way there the handler asked us if we were afraid of heights. "It looks pretty high from solid ground, but once you're up there it looks even higher. So don't look down." Got it. I was already shaking in my boots and was excited to get it over with. Even as I am typing this I can feel adrenaline in my bones. I've never been skydiving before, but if you get the sudden feeling like you have willingly leapt to your death like you do on a 135m bungy then well, what a rush.
Before you jump they tell you on your third bounce from the bottom to pull the straps and you will be set up right for being pulled back in. If you fail to do that you will be brought back upside down. That didn't sound like fun so after the first bounce there is literally nothing you can think about "pullthestraps, pullthestraps, pullthestraps".
Bungy jumping is nuts.
Before you jump they tell you on your third bounce from the bottom to pull the straps and you will be set up right for being pulled back in. If you fail to do that you will be brought back upside down. That didn't sound like fun so after the first bounce there is literally nothing you can think about "pullthestraps, pullthestraps, pullthestraps".
Bungy jumping is nuts.
We rewarded ourselves with a fancy Christmas dinner and enjoyed plenty of local beer, wine and delicious food throughout the trip. We drove 2000km in the first week and relaxed at the beach at a warmer area in the North Island called Cook's Beach. We saw crystal blue lakes. We missed out on a helicopter ride to the top of a glacier due to bad weather. We saw the ocean on both sides. We saw sheep and cattle. So much sheep and cattle. We saw waterfalls. We met friendly people. We loved New Zealand and we can't wait to go back. The people and culture is amazing, the beer is great, the wine is INCREDIBLE and the views are worth seeing at least once in your life. They are smart to close off their borders to the rest of the world. They have a good thing going for them.