Flying over and into New Zealand is like flying into a nature lover’s dream: snow capped mountains and miles and miles of green foliage embrace the landscape like a magic carpet. My heart leapt in anticipation over what was to come as I landed in Wellington and was welcomed by Marianne, a friend I met at the Yoga Retreat in Bali back in June. As we drove to her beautiful home in Paekakariki, a small village which is located on the West Coast South tip of the North Island, I couldn’t get over the views of turquoise water and lush green hills.Marianne is a Yoga teacher and human rights activist who recently left her job at Oxfam to focus on writing a book about her experiences in Afghanistan. She very kindly opened her home to me without hesitation despite the fact that we don’t know each other that well and that she is under pressure to finish her book. I had mentioned that I was interested in volunteering with a local conservation group while I was visiting and she put me in touch with Nga Uruora. Nga Uruora - Kapiti Project Charitable Trust is a community based conservation project with a big work program and an even bigger vision. Set up in 1997 to reverse the drastic decline of coastal forest, they are aiming to create a continuous ribbon of bird-safe native forest running from Porirua through to Waikanae.
I was all set to begin planting trees the minute I arrived in Paekakariki and contacted Joe, the head of the organization the following day. I was instructed to meet him and a group of volunteers on the beach the next morning. When I arrived Joe informed me that our goal for the day was to plant 680 trees along the coastline as well as along the highway. Eight other volunteers and I began the task of digging and planting and five hours later we had miraculously achieved our goal and blessed 680 trees with new Earth homes. It always amazes me what a small group of focused and dedicated people can achieve in such a short amount of time.
The following day I began plotting my journey to the South Island, which I was told was an essential trip to make. After doing a little research, I decided to take a Stray bus which is a tour service that gives you the freedom to hop on and off the bus wherever you like, so if I fell in love with an area I would be able to stay there for awhile and then book another bus in my own time.
I spent a few more beautiful days practicing yoga with Marianne and getting myself prepared for the excursion that laid head. I hopped on a train to Wellington and boarded a ferry to Picton in the South Island. I got on the Stray bus upon my arrival and the next thing I knew I was sipping wine at the Hunter Vineyards in the Marlborough Region with new friends.
The Coastal drive to the Abel Tasman National Park is spectacular and reminds me of the Pacific Coast Highway back home. The road is steep and windy in places. The turquoise ocean dances on one side and glorious luscious hills ripe with palm trees, exotic ferns and hundreds and hundreds of sheep and adorable lambs grace the other. As we pulled into The Barn hostel driveway, I smiled with amazement at the beauty I had just witnessed and thought about how fortunate I was to be in New Zealand, a country I never in my wildest dreams imagined ever getting to.
I was put in a room with four girls from Ireland: Niamh (pronounced Nieve), Elaine, Clare and Mary. All of the girls work with children in some capacity so we developed an immediate kinship. The next morning, we set out to explore exquisite Abel Tasman with a beautiful 3 hour hike. Once we reached the ocean shore line, we embarked on a sail boat and drifted in the waters to get an alternate view of the National Park. The boat ride was stunning despite the rain and chilly weather.
The following day I began plotting my journey to the South Island, which I was told was an essential trip to make. After doing a little research, I decided to take a Stray bus which is a tour service that gives you the freedom to hop on and off the bus wherever you like, so if I fell in love with an area I would be able to stay there for awhile and then book another bus in my own time.
I spent a few more beautiful days practicing yoga with Marianne and getting myself prepared for the excursion that laid head. I hopped on a train to Wellington and boarded a ferry to Picton in the South Island. I got on the Stray bus upon my arrival and the next thing I knew I was sipping wine at the Hunter Vineyards in the Marlborough Region with new friends.
The Coastal drive to the Abel Tasman National Park is spectacular and reminds me of the Pacific Coast Highway back home. The road is steep and windy in places. The turquoise ocean dances on one side and glorious luscious hills ripe with palm trees, exotic ferns and hundreds and hundreds of sheep and adorable lambs grace the other. As we pulled into The Barn hostel driveway, I smiled with amazement at the beauty I had just witnessed and thought about how fortunate I was to be in New Zealand, a country I never in my wildest dreams imagined ever getting to.
I was put in a room with four girls from Ireland: Niamh (pronounced Nieve), Elaine, Clare and Mary. All of the girls work with children in some capacity so we developed an immediate kinship. The next morning, we set out to explore exquisite Abel Tasman with a beautiful 3 hour hike. Once we reached the ocean shore line, we embarked on a sail boat and drifted in the waters to get an alternate view of the National Park. The boat ride was stunning despite the rain and chilly weather.
The next morning, I taught our group a lovely yoga class on a deck at the base of Abel Tasman at sunrise and mentally prepared myself for the hang gliding that I had signed up for. A few years ago, I had experienced sky diving and loved the sensation of drifting through the sky like a bird. When I arrived at Sky Adventures, I was helped into a suit and placed into the Hang Glide which was attached to the back of a small plane. I thought about how insane what I was about to do was and decided to let fear fall to the wayside. As we drifted up into the air and detached from the plane, my heart sunk into my stomach and then I felt a tremendous amount of exhilaration. How beautiful it was to float above New Zealand, looking down on all the sheep, cows and patches of green landscape.
Upon landing, I boarded a bus once again and made the way to Franz Josef Glacier. The magnificent Franz Josef Glacier is widely regarded as the gem of New Zealand’s West Coast Glaciers. After putting spikes on my boots, and being handed an ice pick I was on my way to hike up the spectacular and most challenging glacier terrain imaginable. The climb took a total of 5-6 hours on the ice. We found ourselves in all manner of situations, from squeezing through tight blue crevasses and sliding through ice caves to “Franz shuffling” down near vertical walls of ice. The experience confirmed my absolute love of adventure and proof that my body and spirit are capable of just about anything I set my mind to. At the end of the day, I happily submerged my weary body in a natural hot spring and contemplated the ongoing bliss that I was experiencing.
Upon landing, I boarded a bus once again and made the way to Franz Josef Glacier. The magnificent Franz Josef Glacier is widely regarded as the gem of New Zealand’s West Coast Glaciers. After putting spikes on my boots, and being handed an ice pick I was on my way to hike up the spectacular and most challenging glacier terrain imaginable. The climb took a total of 5-6 hours on the ice. We found ourselves in all manner of situations, from squeezing through tight blue crevasses and sliding through ice caves to “Franz shuffling” down near vertical walls of ice. The experience confirmed my absolute love of adventure and proof that my body and spirit are capable of just about anything I set my mind to. At the end of the day, I happily submerged my weary body in a natural hot spring and contemplated the ongoing bliss that I was experiencing.
The following morning I received an email from my friend Denise who I had travelled with in the Australian Outback. She works for TNT Magazine, a very well known backpacker publication in Australia. She had entered me in a contest, unbeknownst to me, for a free week of skiing and accommodation in Queenstown and I won! The package included free gear, lift tickets and accommodation for me and a friend. I was absolutely thrilled because I was hoping to ski while there but knew I couldn’t justify the expense. This was confirmation once again of the power of the Law of Attraction and the pure generosity of the Universe.
I invited Niamh and Elaine to share the room with me at the Pinewood Lodge and we figured out a way to share in the lift tickets up to Coronet’s Peak gorgeous mountain. We spent the next several days relishing in the freedom of skiing down the lush trails, while absorbing the glorious breathtaking views.
After Queenstown, we drove down to the Milford Sound region and boarded a ferry onto the water. The area is absolutely breathtaking. Tree covered hills, mountains and rocks overflowing with multiple waterfalls peak through magical mist. Seals dance and play without a care in the world. We spent the night in the “charming” Gunn’s Camp which was cold and damp and quite miserable at the time, but added to the unique experience in retrospect. We all bundled around the coal burning stove which doubled as an oven to cook soup and make tea on.
My four Irish friends and I decided to rent a car upon returning to Queenstown and set out on a cross country drive to Dunedin, a small university town which is located on the East Coast. The drive was spectacular. The scenery never gets old in New Zealand. If I could have put one of the lambs into my backpack, I would have. There I met up with my friend Holly, another Kiwi friend that I had met at the Yoga retreat in Bali and she treated me to a reggae show by the local group Kachafire which was extraordinary.
After a couple of days of exploring Dunedin, we made our way back to Queenstown and then jumped on yet another bus to Christchurch. A few days later, I sadly hugged my Irish friends’ goodbye and continued the journey up the coastline on my own. I drove up to Kaikoura and spent time falling in love with baby seals before making my way to Nelson, an adorable hippie town that I was told I would adore. I checked into the delightful Accents on the Park hostel which felt more like a Bed and Breakfast and inquired about the local yoga schools which the town was well known for. I spent the next week submersing myself in multiple yoga and meditation classes and even took a day to Paraglide off a mountain top.
Marianne suggested I check out a Yoga and Meditation Ashram in Takaka which is located in the Golden Bay. I rented a car and drove up the astonishing seashore and arrived in what I consider to be the closest I have been to paradise. Upon pulling into the gates of the Anahata Ashram, I felt overwhelmed with a deep profound feeling of peace. After settling into my room, I was given my schedule for the week. Every day we were woken up at 4:30 am and were sitting in the Yoga Shala by 5 am for silent meditation and chanting which was followed by breakfast in silence until 8:30 am. From then to 12 pm we were given “Karma Yoga” shores which is work that you do with an open heart and mindful attention. I was asked to work in the garden which gave me a tremendous amount of pleasure. All of the food that they eat at Anahata is grown on the property which is completely sustainable. Yoga Nidra is practiced before lunch, then Karma Yoga is continued until 5:30 pm. Yoga class is given at 6 pm followed by a light dinner and then silence is enforced by 8:30 pm until 8:30 am the following morning.
Although most people would find the schedule at Anahata too rigid, I felt perfectly at home there. If I could, I would have stayed for months but it was time to head back up to Marianne’s home in Paekakariki to begin planning the next leg of my journey: South East Asia.
New Zealand taught me so much about myself. For one, it reminded me that I love adventure and spontaneity. It also confirmed, yet again, how important it is for me to reside in nature. I learned so much about gardening and the importance of living in a sustainable and efficient way. I hope to take all of the lessons that I learned there and apply them to my life back home, wherever that ends up being.
Much Love and Light.
xoxo
I invited Niamh and Elaine to share the room with me at the Pinewood Lodge and we figured out a way to share in the lift tickets up to Coronet’s Peak gorgeous mountain. We spent the next several days relishing in the freedom of skiing down the lush trails, while absorbing the glorious breathtaking views.
After Queenstown, we drove down to the Milford Sound region and boarded a ferry onto the water. The area is absolutely breathtaking. Tree covered hills, mountains and rocks overflowing with multiple waterfalls peak through magical mist. Seals dance and play without a care in the world. We spent the night in the “charming” Gunn’s Camp which was cold and damp and quite miserable at the time, but added to the unique experience in retrospect. We all bundled around the coal burning stove which doubled as an oven to cook soup and make tea on.
My four Irish friends and I decided to rent a car upon returning to Queenstown and set out on a cross country drive to Dunedin, a small university town which is located on the East Coast. The drive was spectacular. The scenery never gets old in New Zealand. If I could have put one of the lambs into my backpack, I would have. There I met up with my friend Holly, another Kiwi friend that I had met at the Yoga retreat in Bali and she treated me to a reggae show by the local group Kachafire which was extraordinary.
After a couple of days of exploring Dunedin, we made our way back to Queenstown and then jumped on yet another bus to Christchurch. A few days later, I sadly hugged my Irish friends’ goodbye and continued the journey up the coastline on my own. I drove up to Kaikoura and spent time falling in love with baby seals before making my way to Nelson, an adorable hippie town that I was told I would adore. I checked into the delightful Accents on the Park hostel which felt more like a Bed and Breakfast and inquired about the local yoga schools which the town was well known for. I spent the next week submersing myself in multiple yoga and meditation classes and even took a day to Paraglide off a mountain top.
Marianne suggested I check out a Yoga and Meditation Ashram in Takaka which is located in the Golden Bay. I rented a car and drove up the astonishing seashore and arrived in what I consider to be the closest I have been to paradise. Upon pulling into the gates of the Anahata Ashram, I felt overwhelmed with a deep profound feeling of peace. After settling into my room, I was given my schedule for the week. Every day we were woken up at 4:30 am and were sitting in the Yoga Shala by 5 am for silent meditation and chanting which was followed by breakfast in silence until 8:30 am. From then to 12 pm we were given “Karma Yoga” shores which is work that you do with an open heart and mindful attention. I was asked to work in the garden which gave me a tremendous amount of pleasure. All of the food that they eat at Anahata is grown on the property which is completely sustainable. Yoga Nidra is practiced before lunch, then Karma Yoga is continued until 5:30 pm. Yoga class is given at 6 pm followed by a light dinner and then silence is enforced by 8:30 pm until 8:30 am the following morning.
Although most people would find the schedule at Anahata too rigid, I felt perfectly at home there. If I could, I would have stayed for months but it was time to head back up to Marianne’s home in Paekakariki to begin planning the next leg of my journey: South East Asia.
New Zealand taught me so much about myself. For one, it reminded me that I love adventure and spontaneity. It also confirmed, yet again, how important it is for me to reside in nature. I learned so much about gardening and the importance of living in a sustainable and efficient way. I hope to take all of the lessons that I learned there and apply them to my life back home, wherever that ends up being.
Much Love and Light.
xoxo
