Aus + NZ: #stogansabbatical top 10 (Miranda’s list)
It’s hard to believe this epic trip has come to an end. It’s gone by fast – though at times slow – and while our plans haven’t all worked out, it’s been perfectly imperfect – as every great adventure should be.
And among all our adventures there have been a few standouts. A top 10 if you will, here goes…
1.Wharariki, New Zealand’s (and likely the world’s) most stunning beach. If I had to live one day from this trip over and over again, it would be this last minute day trip we took from Abel Tasman. From the insane drive over Takaka Hill, to the hippie dippie town on the other side, from racing the tide to hiking with sheep, and even the crazy-delicious dinner we bought in a van called the Fat Tui. Everything about this day – in addition to the best beach – was total perfection.
2.Wildlife spotting. It really was like playing Pokémon Go (which, confession time: I have been playing in order to bring rare, regional creatures back for my sister). We lived by a veritable bingo card of animals to see and photograph, and we were determined to catch them all. It felt like we did!
3.Beautiful coffee. I loathe using the word beautiful to describe food. But when it comes to coffee, there have been a couple occasions when nothing else will do. With innovative establishments and views like these, it just was.
4. The ‘eco’logic of it all. I haven’t seen a plastic straw since leaving North America. And further, I’ve barely used a paper coffee cup or any takeaway packaging that wasn’t reusable, biodegradable or some form of better for the world. Reusable coffee cups are encouraged, and scores of kids books about litter and ocean plastic were everywhere. It’s not to say it was perfect, but there’s a notable difference in mentality. Even in restaurants (where we loved the no tax/no tip model, once we got over the sticker-shock of prices), there’s always tap water to be had. Sometimes you get it yourself since waitstaff often work for the whole restaurant and not you. Everyone does their part, and there’s a lot to be said for that.
5. Wave jumping at Doubtless Bay. This wasn’t our most spectacular day, but ‘Happy as a clam’ entirely sums it up. A beautiful beach practically to ourselves, and ‘world famous’ fish and chips in Maunganui. This day felt like we didn’t have a care in the world.
6. Endless breathtaking views. We barely went a day without some sort of lookout or ‘wow moment’ – the world is just a spectacular place. And particularly in New Zealand, where these cows get to watch it roll by every day.
7.Wanaka. That #wanakawannastay isn’t trending is mere proof that not many people have discovered this little slice of heaven in New Zealand’s South Island… and I’m ok with that. Let the masses head to Queenstown for those ‘remarkable’ views, I want Wanaka all to myself.
8.Hiking in the Grampians. I’d never have predicted a hike in my top 10 (…or 100). But this was a standout, and it made us crave bigger, harder, more stunning hikes. Not sure any of the others topped this one, but we kept trying.
9.Fjordland national park. People talk mainly about Milford Sound – and it’s amazing. But I would argue Milford is just the most visited part of the park, and that the rest of it is just as stunning. In the few hours we had to explore, we rarely saw another person, and every stop we made felt more magical than the last.
10.Sydney. We’re city people, and so we can’t help but evaluate every city on the criteria of ‘would we live there’. We’ve seen a few contenders. Wellington, NZ is perfectly primed for a craft beer and board game cafe. Wanaka, NZ (see # 7) is where I’d like to retire and write my novel from (soon). I loved the endless wander of Melbourne and even Hobart charmed us. But Sydney is in a class of own. A million times yes. Sign us up.
We’ve done some big things in the last couple months, but some of my favourite moments were all those little ones… rediscovering boysenberries, sussing out the best coffee in town, biking from winery to winery on a sunny day, having 3 hours to go on a beautiful walk. The kind of everyday stuff we rarely have time for, any day. Lucky and grateful to have had a couple months full of that. (I believe the kids would say #blessed).
And of course, some misadventures along the way. Check out the 5 times we really wished things had gone a different way.
It’s been quite the journey. Time to plan our next.
#stogansabbatical #stoganstories #thankyounext
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