Harvey Scholar Travels - Dani in New Zealand

Although I didn’t know it at the time, my decision to book an overpriced ticket through Air New Zealand (instead of any other airline) shaped the entire course of my trip to the country. 

It began as a slightly better than average flight--cleanish airplane, mostly edible food--and then became the best airplane experience of my entire life shortly after I struck up a conversation with the friendly stewardess serving me drinks. Upon learning this was my first trip out of the US she enthusiastically gifted me with an entire bottle of sparkling wine. Needless to say, when I landed in NZ seventeen hours later, I was a bit...dusty. While my fellow international students ran around registering for classes, eating free ice cream and and bonding over long chats on the beach, I sat in my closet and slowly plowed my way through four packets of instant noodles. 

By the time I finally dragged myself out of the dormitories it was nearly evening and all the other internationals were at some sort of free concert. I set off in the general direction of the grocery store, intent on buying some more instant noodles, but slowly found out I was no match for Christchurch streets without a functioning phone. 

Fifteen minutes later I had given up on finding the grocery store and was now trying to find my way back with similar success. I was bashing my way through some shrubbery in what I thought was an alleyway when I realized that I was not, in fact, in an alleyway. What I had mistaken for dirt and trash littered pathway between two houses was actually some college students’ poorly maintained yard. And these students were currently having a barbeque. With all of their friends. Cue one of the most awkward introductions of my entire life.

I ended up staying until 2 a.m. Through sheer luck, I had stumbled upon the one thing I had hoped most to find in New Zealand: the university kayak club. The University of Canterbury Canoe Club (UCCC) was full of the rowdiest, most fun-loving Kiwis I’ve ever met, all of whom shared a curious affinity for bagged wine*. They also became some of the best friends I’ve ever made. 

*Also known as “goon”. While I came to appreciate many aspects of Kiwi culture, I could never really stomach this one.

The UCCC in a surprisingly organized state.

There’s not enough words to describe all of the fun had that semester. It is hard to even list only a few of my favorite memories. Like getting pounded by the waves during a surf kayaking session until your nose literally can’t take any more saltwater and then sitting in a parking lot eating fish and chips with “t-sauce” afterwards. Camping out under the stars on a kayak trip in a dark space preserve while my friends taught me how to tell South from the southern cross. Waking up one morning and deciding to test whether dropping waterfalls is the best cure for hangovers (it totally is). Finding out you can sleep four people in the back of a 2000 Subaru Legacy for an entire week.

Hot water beach: exactly what it sounds like. Hot springs + beach

Panorama of the Blue Pools, a nifty little hike on the West Coast

Hiking in Glenorchy (it was cold)

Hot springs in the mountains with Kate (not cold)

The unglamorous side of car-living: what do you do when you need to cook breakfast but it's raining (per usual)?

Above: the author field-testing the waterfall hypothesis

A rainy hike in Arthur’s pass. Contrary to what I believed prior to arriving in the country, NZ is NOT tropical. 

The Maori have a saying:

He aha te mea nui o te ao
What is the most important thing in the world?
He tangata, he tangata, he tangata

It is the people, it is the people, it is the people

And I came to realize in NZ this is so very true. Which is probably why, when all my favorite New Zealanders assembled for my potato-themed goodbye potluck, I bawled my eyes out. Both with happy tears and sad: sad because I knew it’d be a long while before I saw these Kiwis again, and happy because I had come to recognize just how important the people we share our lives with are. I am so so lucky to have important people in both hemispheres now.

End Note: I flew home with United, and the flight was much less entertaining because it did not involve sparkling wine. I am going to keep this bit of information in mind next time I book another international flight.