Road trip: the South Island of New Zealand
Part seven
Now on the final throes of this trip, I took the road east from Marlborough Sounds, which looped around the north part of the island, past the port of Picton, then southeast to Kaikoura. I was back for one final stop at the waterfall with the seal pups.
Upon reaching the seal colony in early evening, the tree cover meant it was shaded by the waterfall. There, in the shallow water, three baby seals were swimming together in the pool. I found a rock nearby, sat, and watched them as they splashed and played together.
After a few minutes, one of the seal pups that was submerged under the water swam closer to where I was sat, before raising its head out, staring at me with puppy-dog eyes. It is probably the more adorable animal I have seen in the wild.
The seal pup then began to swim in the water nearby, not far from my feet. I can’t rationalise my thought process in that moment, but I decided to pick up a stick nearby, and dangled it on the water’s surface, in front of the baby seal. To my amazement, it engaged with me, following the stick as I moved it in circles above the water. The seal would attempt to clutch the stick in its jaws – barely strong enough to hold it, and then follow it against as I continued the game.
I couldn’t believe I was in the midst of a game of fetch with a wild baby seal. And I couldn’t have imagined a more special way to end the trip. I had enjoyed three weeks of journeying around the majestic nature of New Zealand, which was now culminating with an intimate encounter with one of its cutest creatures.
After that moment of wonder, I had to get back to business. I had advertised my car for sale online, and I a potential buyer contacted me from Christchurch, with a meeting set for the following day. That allowed a final stop not far away, at the popular Hanmer Springs – the pool and spa complex in the mountains – for a relaxing end to the road trip.
After selling the car to another traveller (I hope the car was able to enable its next owner with as many special moments as it did for me) the next task was to hitchhike back north. On an almost identical path to the year before, I hitchhiked up to Picton for the return ferry to Wellington, with one night in the capital. The next morning, it took just three consecutive trips to reach Taupo from Wellington. Finally, from Taupo, it was a three-hour coach ride home to Mount Maunganui.
The ease of getting rides as a hitchhiker on this trip highlights an observation about New Zealanders – they are, in my experience, kind, accommodating, and generous. On the whole, I found the people living in New Zealand extremely friendly. They were quick to help me out, offer support, guidance and kind words.
The country felt largely removed from problems other parts of the world face. It is mostly very safe, for adults and for children. Although natural disasters are known to occur, and they have been devastating – particularly the earthquakes in Christchurch, they are relatively few and far between.
There is much to appreciate about New Zealand, that makes it a wonderful location to visit. On top of the natural beauty, there are countless activities to enjoy for all.
This trip was done on a relatively small budget. The biggest expenses, by far, were food and fuel. If I were to do a few of the more expensive activities, such as sky diving or whale watching, or, I daresay, paid for more comfortable accommodation, it wouldn’t have been as cheap. And I wouldn’t have been able to have the extended time on the South Island. I think it was a worthwhile exchange, to swap comfort and luxury, for a longer and richer exploration.
I had considered exploring the South Island with a combination of hitchhiking and bus tours entirely. But the decision to keep my car, although it was the biggest expense, allowed me autonomy over where I went, and to include many destinations. One of the wonders of the South Island is that the landscape seems to change almost every half an hour on the road, and driving through so much of it uncovered the diversity of the terrain.
All those moments walking, driving, watching wildlife, and everything in between, will stay with me forever – and I treasure the fact I had the opportunity to delve into and immerse myself in the beauty of the South Island of New Zealand.
