Oops…I Forgot My Passport!

‘Hi!’ I say, as I hang my head in shame! It’s been an extremely long time and for this, I can only apologise, but in my defence, I put forward THREE arguments.

1. Internet here is unreliable. It’s like being transported back to the nineties when it took you an hour to illegally download one Spice Girls song.
2. Internet is EXPENSIVE! Apparently, in Thailand, wifi is free everywhere. But in New Zealand, a country so advanced that they have fluorescent sheep, internet costs a bloody fortune!
3. I’ve been FAR too busy having the time of my life to write lots of blog entries. Perhaps I should have written this as my first reason, as it’s the one that has the most truth!

It is amazing here, though, and as I continue my travels, meeting truly beautiful and amazing people, I feel like I never want to leave. However, leave I must. Come Saturday, I will be flying to sunny Australia. It’s not a bad life, I’ll grant you that, but I’ll miss this quirky little island and all of its splendour, perfection and the happy memories it has given me. Because of this, I will (cross my fingers and hope to die!) write more entries about NZ before I move onto Australia ones.

Reasons to go where people tell you not to!

Upon arriving in the beautiful South Island, I was immediately told not to bother with Punakaiki. ‘There’s nobody there’, ‘It doesn’t even have a shop’ Blah, blah, blah. However, people told me I’d love Rotorua, and I thought it was pretty mediocre at best. So, true to form, I ignored everyone’s advice and spent a couple of days in Punakaiki. Admittedly, I had to stay there longer because I didn’t book my bus ticket far enough in advance, but we’ll let that one slide!

How do I begin to describe Punakaiki? A blissful, quiet, unobtrusive paradise. I remember stepping off the bus, walking down the road (there are only about two in the whole place) and seeing the most beautiful, vast, deserted beach in front of me, spanning miles and miles.
It took my breath away, and I felt completely blessed. Blessed to be in a place where everything was calm and perfect. Not perfect in a sense of crystal blue waters, palm trees and Mojitos…it was more than that. The sea was wild, the breeze was fresh and I felt completely alive. I didn’t even care that, idiot as I am, I slipped on a rock and broke my precious iPhone in the place! Everything was just too gorgeous to care about silly things like that.

I’m aware, as I write this, that it might seem like a string of overblown clichés, but I don’t care! Punakaiki made me smile to myself, all alone, without the need for company. It was also pretty amazing to be able to dance along the beach, kicking the shore, singing little songs to myself with nobody to laugh at me! It was a special place, and one I’ll never forget. It also helped that the hostel I stayed in – Punakaiki Beach Hostel – was literally twenty metres from the beach. Every morning I awoke to the sound of crashing waves. At times like that, it’s very difficult to believe life to be anything but wonderful…

The perfectly situated hostel…

The stunning view after the Truman Track

Punakaiki sunsets

So, my advice to anyone travelling? It’s amazing to go to the busy places, meet backpackers, have drinks and be social…but sometimes the places that you’ll remember forever, are those you least expect.

Until next time – which will be much sooner!!!

Love x x x