24 April 2023

We are ready to go back to New Zealand. Soon. Probably October. Our fishing company has already sketched out a new itinerary for us.

For Bonnie, New Zealand is a second home. Very familiar despite huge gaps of time between visits. On the fourth day of the trip, our fishing guide drove us through a farmer’s field and pulled up to a gate. Without thinking, Bonnie jumped out, opened the gate, then closed it securely behind us so no animals would wander out. She is absolutely not a rural girl, but some New Zealand experiences are deeply embedded. And the four households of her Kiwi “relatives” feel more closely connected to us than ever.

For Robert, the big trout are a revelation. No rivers in California or Oregon offer him an experience anything like this.

New Zealand is remarkably sane and comfortable. Places are uncrowded. There is little crime. People are always helpful. New Zealand is a long way from world conflicts, although Ukraine flags are flying. But the stress from current news isn’t right in your face. At a restaurant, no one is on their phones except us. People seem to move effortlessly between jobs and careers. (Let’s exclude Auckland because we don’t know how things work in the big city. Most Kiwis we met don’t even want to visit there.)

The natural environment is a national religion. Without prompting, almost all Kiwis mention early in a conversation how important it is to their physical and mental health. Although the big swaths of clear-cutting, the open-pit mining, and heavily eroded slopes, and spraying to kill unwanted vegetation disturbed us.

We do notice changes. We are aware of more people and more cars on the road. The population is more multicultural, with many Asian immigrants without any obvious social friction. Asian food completely dominates the restaurant scene. There are many more tourists. A few less sheep and more dairy cows. No flocks of sheep crossing the road. The silver fern is still a national symbol but perhaps fading; our nephew Simon admitted he couldn’t identify one in the wild. Lord of the Rings is a common reference point for most Kiwis.

The most impressive change is the promotion of the Māori language everywhere. Many texts no longer say “New Zealand” but “Aotearoa.” We will study some basic vocabulary and pronunciation before our next trip.

That’s it . . . until our next adventure!