I’ve returned from Australia and my final road trip through the northern regions of New Zealand safe and sound. But there were definitely some close calls!
After arriving in Australia and meeting up with my former Halifax roommate Ben, we made our way to his place in Burleigh Heads (just south of Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast). He’s very lucky to be able to call this place home, where he lives only a 3 minute walk from one of the world’s top surfing destinations. My first full day in Aussie was spent in the ocean, attempting to surf. Though the weather was much nice than that in Wellington, wetsuits were still needed as the water was just past the comfortable temperature. Regardless of only catching a few waves it was incredible to just relax out on the water, float around with Ben and his mates, and watch some pretty talented surfers.
As things were winding down and the sun was setting I noticed a large, dark grey fin pop up out of the water only 15 feet in front of me, and only 5 feet ahead of Ben’s mate Adam. Without wasting a second, I swam for my life. (Ben later told me he’s never seen someone move their arms so quickly) After only 2 seconds of swimming Adam called out to me that it was a dolphin – but I was still swimming. He yelled for me to look to my right, and I noticed a 10 foot bottle-nose dolphin surfing in a wave only 20 feet away from me! It almost felt like a religious calling from nature. The image of both the fin, and then the dolphin surfing are engraved in my mind and will remain crystal clear for an eternity. While I was relieved, my heart must have still been racing well over 200 beats per minute. Overall, a very exciting first day in Australia!
Unfortunately Ben was bogged down with school work for the majority my time there, yet he introduced me to many of his friends which I surfed and spent a few days relaxing on the beach with. On the whole the trip was a great way to unwind from my one week of heavy school work!
My last day in Australia was very busy. It began with an early morning surf as the sun was rising. Though my ability to catch waves hadn’t improved, it was incredible to see the older gents out on their boards for their daily session before heading to work. It reminded me of my dad heading to the gym at 6 am before taking off to the office; there seemed to be a great community of white collar men enjoying the swells in their wetsuits before tossing on their ties and suits. What a life. After taking the two hour trip back to Brisbane, I managed to meet up with Lynn – who was the trainer for the Kings Soccer team this past season. She had just arrived in Brisbane that morning to work for one year, and it was a very nice coincidence that we were able to spend the day together. Just before we took off for a National Rugby League game, Ben, Lynn and I met up with Lenny and his girlfriend Shayna who were touring the Gold Coast during Lenny’s exam break. Even though it was only a 45 minute encounter, it was a very nice way to see each other for the last time until Lenny and I reunite somewhere in Canada – and finally meeting his girlfriend was great too! After watching the rugby game and heading to an international student’s party, Ben and I crashed at Adam’s house and I left early in the morning to head back to New Zealand following a great week in Aussie.
After an uneventful flight to Auckland, I picked up the rental car, waited for Sonja to land, and we on the road heading north. With no set plan on where to go or what to see, it was a rather laid back trip. Our first night, we were a little too easy going and couldn’t find a hostel so we ended up sleeping in the car – which was a Toyota Yaris. We folded the back seats down but my head was touching the rear hatch door, while my feet were touching the gear shift; needless to say, it wasn’t comfortable.
We spent the next few days touring all parts of Northland and the Bay of Islands. Some of the highlights were finding some great wind and kite boarding at 90 mile beach, watching the sunset at Cape Reinga (New Zealand’s most northern point), finding the giant Tane Mahuta (Lord of the Forest) in the Waipoua forest, and exploring around Goat Island marine reserve. I thoroughly enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere of road tripping without a set timetable, especially with all the beautiful scenery of northern New Zealand.
After returning to Wellington, I played in my final football match for the University team; a 4-0 win. A clean sheet was a great way to culminate my experience of playing football on NZ soil. The team expressed their appreciation for my contribution over the past four months, and saying goodbye to them was tough as I have spent more time with those guys than just about anyone else. I know that they’ll be some of the first people I contact when I get back here.
That same night, I attended a New Zealand All Black game. I secured my tickets months ago, and I was pumped to watch the legendary team square off against France. While Westpac Stadium wasn’t completely sold out, the place was filled with great enthusiasm for both teams; I was shocked at the number of French supporters besides the three French exchange students I went with. Witnessing the Haka (war chant performed by the All Blacks) was truly an incredible experience. Though the weather was terrible (with rain, wind and 5 degree weather) the All Blacks came out on top – it was a very memorable experience!
I’ve got my final exam of my undergraduate degree tomorrow, and I’ve been spending the last two days preparing to leave. My bags are almost packed, and I’m about to embark on the longest day of my life. I leave Wellington at 6:40 am, fly to Sydney, then to Vancouver and I’ll arrive in Ottawa just before 7pm, same day. I’m praying that everything runs smoothly through each airport and that I can get home to see my family before racing up to camp the day after.
This truly has been the trip of a life-time. I have done some amazing activities, seen much of the stunning scenery this country is blessed with, and made lasting relationships with individuals from all corners of the globe. Though this fairy tale had to end at some point, I have many good reasons to return. I have no doubt I’ll be back!
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