Kiwis and Fairy Bread

It’s time to start letting go. But how do we end this record of our travels? Do we post our own “Top 10”? Do we finally answer our “Burning Questions” from the middle of our trip? Do I write about what Mike and I learned about ourselves, how the trip changed us? Do we thank all of you for following along with us? I think I’ll try to do all of that.

Top 10 New Zealand Experiences (in no particular order): Miranda Maui camper van, holiday parks, hot springs, Mount Maunganui, Tongiriro Alpine Crossing, Hobbiton, Blue Ridge Ferry across Cooks Straight, kayaking in Able Tasman, the ice cream at The Lavender Farm, Vogels Vanilla Almond Muesli/Whitakers Chocolate/Chit Chat Cookies, Hooker Valley Track/Mount Cook/avalanches/White Horse Hill/star gazing, Queenstown/steamship, Milford Sound/endless waterfalls/New Year/new friends, and EVERYONE that we met along the way!! Ok, that’s more than ten. But it sums it all up pretty well.

Mike and Ellen’s Burning Questions (from post dated 20 December) The ANSWERS: #1: The coffee shops all close at 3pm because that’s when the bars open. #2: A Lolly Slice is a combination of malt powder and (I think) colorful, flavored marshmallows. It wasn’t as tasty as I’d hoped. #3: The moon did not appear quite upside down, but it was turned so the “rabbit” was on all fours. It wasn’t really that the constellation Orion was standing on his head, it was us! (From our usual perspective, of course). #4 Roley Poley Ice cream is a creamy base of honey vanilla with chunks of honey comb candy. SOOOO good. Wish I could find it here. #5: New Zealanders see themselves as more relaxed than Australians. And according to Aussies, with the constant changes in the weather, they have to be. #6: The reason that so many New Zealand place names start with the letter “M”, contain the letter combination “ng” and have so many syllables is because these are basics of the Māori language. #7: There are so many beautiful postcards in New Zealand because they still understand that this is a great way to share their country with the world. I couldn’t agree more.

What did we learn about ourselves? Mike learned that he and I can work together very well to plan a long and full vacation. And that I am a good travel writer. I second those thoughts. But I also learned that I loved writing nearly every day not just for myself, but knowing that I was (am) sharing this writing with you. Whether a blog post or a story, I will be making the time to write more often more regularly.

I learned that Mike thinks about every detail of his photographs from framing to shooting to developing to choosing. He’ll walk miles for the right shot. Our talents are very compatible.

We learned, or perhaps were reminded, that discussions with interesting people over a meal or drinks make us feel good. It teaches us about different perspectives, how others feel and live, work and travel, eat and cook. It motivates us to do better for our family and indeed our country.

How did this trip change me? I will deal with airplane turbulence, flights across oceans, double kayaking, restaurant food and all day hikes with less trepidation. The effects of panicking go way beyond the moment. I recognize that now. I will trust myself and my knowledge and my instincts. I shouldn’t assume I am incorrect just because another option is in front of me.

Another change has been in my dreams. Always vivid, my dreams create places I love, feel comfortable in, am excited to be. There is a new place now. A holiday park full of trees with a view of a wide valley lined with snowy mountains of impossible heights and a waterfall streaming down the middle. I step out of Miranda and know my way around the whole area. It is a good place to be.

What’s next? Mike and I have decided to continue kiwisandfairybread as a blog of all our travels. We have two trips coming up. The first will be in early April when we’ll travel to upstate New York to see the total Solar Eclipse. In late June we’ll go to England with Ben, Emily and her husband David. And after that, who knows? A return to Bermuda? Costa Rica? Overnight train across the US? One thing I can tell you for certain is that in the fall of 2026, when my own 60th birthday comes around, we will return to Aotearoa, New Zealand.

What better way to end this post than that?

Kia Ora my friends. And thank you.