New Zealand...Home

So everything about New Zealand while I was there has been right during the first week.  The second week was no different.  I really like the vibe of the place.  It just feels like a new home.  The scenery is beautiful, there's many different places to see, it's laid back, and people are really friendly.  I'd definitely like to come back one day.  I met a couple Maoris (indigenous peoples of New Zealand) as well.  It was interesting talking to them about their people and story.

Here's some last photos of New Zealand:

Quad Biking (this time on a dirt/mud track)

River Rafting (good workout but very serene)

Jet Boating (dodging the rock to my left...just in time)

By the way, because I only had 13 days in New Zealand and was towards the end of the trip, I decided to only see the top of the South Island.  I didn't want to rush and spend one night in each place.  Because of that I missed a glacier hike that would have been amazing to participate in.  It hit me hard at first but it ended up alright because I was able to see enough to keep me satisfied.  It just puts it at the top of my list to come back and see the rest of the country later.

The river rafting and jet boating was at a town called Hanmer Springs towards the north part of the island.  When I first arrived at the hostel there, it was weird because it was noticeably empty.  Most of the rooms were empty with all the doors open.  At one point, though, a group of like 15 girls came in at the same time.  I ended up watching TV with them and chatted a bit.  It turns out they're all 17 year old high school students in some kind of challenging outdoor competition for an award.  Talking to them was interesting because they were all from Wellington (capital), and weren't used to meeting backpackers from abroad.  When I said I was from New York, their eyes all lit up.  It was kind of cool.

Anyway, in Christchurch, a city on the east coast, there was the World Busker's Festival going on.  They had dozens of street performers and comedic acts performing on outside stages for 2 weeks.  I ran into a couple of them and some were funny, some were impressive.  Here's a couple photos of what it looked like:

Leaving New Zealand didn't feel the same as leaving Australia.  Maybe it was because I was only there for 2 weeks, or maybe because it felt like home, but it was business as usual.  It didn't kick in until I was on the plane headed for Fiji that I felt a little sad leaving.  I started questioning what I was doing leaving my home after I'd found it and doubting Fiji would be worth going to.  But then again, I doubted New Zealand would add much to the trip when leaving Australia.  One thing I was looking forward to in Fiji was scuba diving.  Regardless of how Fiji is, New Zealand was the best.