I timed the weather decently. Hawaii is not bad for a 5-day layover. Ordered some bomb kimchi from a food truck in an alley while staying on Waikiki beach. Coming from Alaska where I’m alone for months at a time, it’s nice to see and appreciate Asian culture. I quickly headed over to Kauai the next day to start my getaway. Hiked 12 miles down and back Napali Coast. Abundant tropical forest. Goats, chickens, pigs, food forests, waterfalls. Rains had passed but more were coming. Most abundant place I’ve ever been. Very difficult but not because of danger, but trail is up and down and I had gear for multiple months. Should have stashed some but kept it with me. Toenail started to rot because of the moisture. Met a couple on the hike out. They were from Alaska and gave me a ride to town. Great people, so I bought them dinner and told them I’d be in touch when we got home.
Fiji was cheap. Kind of disappointing stay at the hostel but people were nice. Drank a bowl of Kava. Hung out with a dude from India. Trash and construction everywhere. There was a fijian girl following me around the hostel. Asked me if I had a wife. I didn’t know how to respond. “Some day.” I wasn’t feeling too social so went back to get some sleep and try to stave off the jet lag. The Pacific is a huge crossing, even on a plane.
Arrived Auckland without my host. She bailed. I would have to hike alone, but it sounded like she was going through some stuff. We may have hit it off but I’m finding unfortunately Persian women abroad seem to have serious social and familial pressures. I had caught her in the crux of her PhD, she had very little time to breathe, so I left it at that. Maybe touch base later, but she is avoidant like me.
Auckland hostel was messy. People weren’t too warm but warm enough. Guys in my dorm mostly from Germany. Cami from France was great. I could have fallen in love but caught myself leaving the next morning. Airport on arrival wasnt flooded at least. They fixed it but more typhoon was coming. My flight wasn’t cancelled but rain was too much for paragliding. Stayed 4 days and decided to bus to Wellington.
Flew from Wellington to Christchurch. People at hostel super nice. Went to a few great beaches with the local hostel owner. Met up with Marin about some hikes. Our schedules wouldn’t line up. They hitchhiked to Christchurch and I drove on to Queenstown because the typhoon had chased me down. In the mountains to the west, I would find better weather.
Random thought: Discovering and accepting the truth is a process You and others may not like it but it is what it is. Learn and adapt to it. Maybe you can change it, maybe you cant. Accept that you may not even see ot for what it really is, so Repeating it if it feels negative may sound like self limiting behavior to others so make peace with whatever it is, find the positive and turn it into an opportunity to grow. If its your perception, prepare to be enlightened. If it is in fact truth, prepare to be humbled.
Ended up buying a van in Christchurch hostel from two German girls on gap year. It had issues but I fixed them all and converted it to a great overlanding self-contained camper van. As stated, weather started to suck so I decided to haul ass over to Wanaka, then QT. I would link up with Infinity paragliding school and over the course of the next two months, get over a dozen flights in. Regrettably the weather was hit and miss.
During days I couldn’t fly, went exploring overland in the van. Made it to some places I saw in Lord of the Rings. Made it down to Rakiura, the southernmost island. I hiked a few days through the jungle to get across to some of the most amazing deserted beaches I’ve ever been. The hiking wasn’t extremely mountainous but because of the roots, mud and terrain, it was still very hard going. At the top of one hill I ran into a kiwi. I just stood there admiring it as it waddled around.
I hiked and hiked. I made it to Mount Cook. I made it to the fjords. I made my way down parts of the T.A. It all reminded me of home. Of Alaska. But it was so beautiful. And no bears. No snakes. Nothing dangerous but me.
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