NZ - A trip down memory lane

      "Kia Ora". The air hostess 
      greeted us when we boarded 
      the air NZ flight from 
      Melbourne to Christchurch. 
      The Maori greeting that had 
      faded from memory became 
      strikingly familiar again. 
      Yes, it has been that long. 
      37 years to be exact since 
      I left NZ. After spending 
      most of my early adulthood 
      there, NZ is like a second 
      home to me so the trip back 
      was nostalgic.

The 11 days road trip around the South Island brought back a flood of memories, like back flashes. The small towns that we passed through and the idyllic countryside landscape were ever so familiar. It looked like time had stood still. Nothing much has changed. The vast expense of rolling hills interspersed with the wild native gorse and brilliant yellow flowers in full bloom, sheep and cattle grazing nonchalantly in eternity and the occasional hares hopping around leisurely.

A distinctive attribute of the NZ people that I was not consciously aware of before was their friendliness and courtesy. Irrespective of whether it was at a petrol station, a fish and chips shop or a supermarket checkout counter they would smile and greet you first before serving you. In Malaysia a blank stare or a scowl is the norm .

The only major change to the country was unfortunately on the negative side. A section of Christchurch city was destroyed by two devastating earthquakes that hit Canterbury in 2010 and 2011.The iconic Christchurch Cathedral in the city center was still in ruins without its tower and spire. Rebuilding was painfully slow and the damages were still very much part of the cityscape. The Cardboard Cathedral can be considered as one the phoenixes that arose from the ashes.


My craving for fish and chips was fully satiated in this trip. There is hardly any place in Malaysia that can boast of a decent fish n  chips worthy of its name. In NZ every small town would have at least 2 chippy shops. The more traditional and authentic, the better it tasted. After savoring the dish from takeaways, restaurants and pubs, the verdict was - the best fish and chips still come wrapped in old newspaper. Nothing can beat this piping hot comfort food on a cold day. The fat crunchy chips served with a dash of black vinegar and salt was simply finger licking yummy good. Besides the varieties of fish they also served deep fried oysters, mussel, white bait and abalone patties and yes, even whole fried lamb shank. And then of course sausage and chips, that my first meal in high school. The good old sausage tasted exactly the same. The flavor was a bit pungent on first bite but it quickly became one of my favorite for lunch.

It was early summer in NZ and the flowers were in full bloom. Everywhere you turned, every corner, every front gardens there were cheerful brilliant beds of flowers. I have not visited so many botanical gardens in my life, but in those 10 days we must walked through more than half a dozen from Queenstown down to Invercargill, and up to Dunedin and Christchurch. Rose gardens were the center piece in most gardens and there were a riot of rainbow colors in every hue and tone conceivable. Walking among the roses was like being in a perfume garden with the sweet smelling roses  permeating all your senses. A perfect place to lay down your mat and have the picnic of your dream.

However, no matter how well designed the gardens were, how skillful their curators and how immaculately they are maintained, nothing can match mother nature. I literally saw heaven    on earth on the road to Milford Sound.  The wild Lupines growing along the banks of the Eglinton River were a sight to behold. The unimaginable sheer beauty simply took my breath away. If the legendary Garden of Eden really exists - that was IT. The unending field of pastel color Lupines on both sides of the river banks swaying gently in the breeze on a misty drizzling day was simply magical. I was hallucinating in this haven, and if not interrupted by other excited humans, was half expecting to see little fairies flitting among the flowers. Could even God conjure up such an exquisite creation?

Global warming has perpetrated every corner of the earth and the two famous NZ glaciers    were not spared. Both Fox and Franz Josef glaciers are shrinking and retreating. 30 years ago one can hike up to the edge of the glacier. Today it has retreated some 700 meters so we can only watch from afar. The only way to get near or hike on it is by helicopters.

  Besides the glaciers and fiordland NZ has plenty of beautiful lakes and beaches.

Another interesting part of the trip was that we got to stay in some cool Airbnb properties and the opportunity to chat with the friendly owners.  

  Simon    Dec 2017