New Zealand had been on my bucket list for a while, and last year we finally got to bring this dream to life with our first New Zealand retreat! Like all travels, we had certain expectations and some idea of what we would discover, but there are always a few things we don’t quite expect. Here’s what surprised me the most about New Zealand.
First off, it’s REALLY nice. New Zealand might very well be as close to heaven on earth as it gets. It’s incredibly beautiful, like jaw droppingly stunning. It reminded me of all the best parts of California without any of the bad. Also, the critters are nice, meaning they don’t have dangerous animals like ticks, poisonous snakes, or really anything that you need to be terribly worried about. Considering the amount of nature in the country, that’s pretty mind blowing. The people are amazing and welcoming, and you feel completely safe everywhere you go. I mean, New Zealand really embodied the word nice on every level.
Secondly, there are WIDE OPEN SPACES! New Zealand is over 2 times the size of California but has almost 33 million fewer people. No matter where you are, you feel close to nature and have room to breathe! You don’t realise how good that can feel until you experience it.
Lastly, there are more adventures than one could experience in a lifetime. New Zealand is for the adventurer’s heart! Around every corner there is a river to be rafted, a mountain to be climbed, a wave to be ridden. One could spend a lifetime chasing the next adventure in New Zealand and never come close to experiencing even a smidge of what there is to do there, so you could visit over and over again and always have a new experience!
We are so excited to return to New Zealand in 2020 for our last trip for the next few years. If you can’t adventure to New Zealand with us, we recommend you travel there when you can. It’s truly a form of paradise, and a trip to New Zealand is always a welcome expansion of the soul, especially the adventurer’s soul!
