In the Corner of the World – Where hitchhikers are welcome

by Grant Martin on

Over the next few weeks here at Gadling, we’ll be bringing you updates from our recent travels across New Zealand – in the process, we hope to offer a range of perspectives about what visiting this truly unique and fascinating country is all about. You can read previous entries HERE.

We picked up Kevin near Springs Junction, nearly 200 kilometers southeast of Picton, New Zealand, standing on the side of the road with a backpack in the middle of nowhere. Like us, he was headed to Christchurch, so he tossed his gear into the back seat of our Mitsubishi Colt and jumped in behind it.

Among travelers, you always start with the same hour of conversation: Where are you from? Where have you been in New Zealand? Where do you think that we should go next? Kevin was traveling across the entirety of both islands on a series of hikes carrying his tent, sleeping bag and stove on his back and using the kindness of others for transportation. He was probably a few years younger than us, clean cut with a standard hiking fleece and khaki cargo pants. I could have confused him with the cashier at Whole Foods.

As a recent geography major from Canada, in fact, our friend had bounced around to a few jobs after finishing college, but had never found his groove. Eventually, he saved up enough money to voyage to New Zealand. Maybe to find himself. Maybe to stay. He never said.And that’s how most conversations went between Kevin and his drivers. Light fluff, catching up, swapping travel stories and talking about the beauty and luster of New Zealand. Amazingly, he didn’t have a bad experience from his entire weeks of hitching across the country. The longest wait that he had ever experienced was before we picked him up – a total of fifteen minutes. Among his worst stories? An art dealer in a Land Rover who talked a little bit too much.

We all agreed though: hitchhiking isn’t something that we would try in most other countries. Something about the friendliness and the culture of the Kiwis makes New Zealand perfect for backpacking – the warmth of their characters, the trust of another person, the wanderer buried in every single driver. It fosters a sense of security and altruism among hitchers in this corner of the world, and the resulting experience, especially in Kevin’s case, is definitely worth the risk.

Would he recommend it to anyone else traveling through this corner of the world? Absolutely. While not for everyone, hitchhiking is a unique experience. One meets random characters, saves a ton of money and opens oneself up to the improbability of mishaps on the road – in one of the safest countries of the world mind you. Isn’t that a core fundamental of adventure travel?

Before long we found ourselves in front of the hotel in Christchurch, Kevin with his backpack headed towards his hostel and our paths diverging. The phone number that we scribbled on our Gadling.com business card was wrong, I now remember — it went to a phone that had stopped working days ago. But it didn’t matter. Our service as drivers was done now, the exchange complete, two travel worlds briefly merging for a road trip to Christchurch.

In the Corner of the World – Bay of Islands

by Mike Barish on

Over the next few weeks here at Gadling, we’ll be bringing you updates from our recent travels across New Zealand – in the process, we hope to offer a range of perspectives about what visiting this truly unique and fascinating country is all about. You can read previous entries HERE.

I arrived in Paihia after a four-hour bus ride north from Auckland. I’d spent that time staring out the window at the lush countryside of New Zealand’s North Island. I’d seen rolling hills, green meadows and plenty of sheep. For all I had heard about New Zealand’s gorgeous coastline, my first 14 hours in this far corner of the world had been marked by a landscape that looked a whole lot like Vermont. That’s not to say that the interior of New Zealand isn’t spectacularly gorgeous, but I had selected the Northland as the first desitination on my trip because I was itching to see the dynamic coastal features of the South Pacific. And then it happened. My InterCity bus pulled into Paihia and it seemed as if all that lay between me and the end of the Earth was the bluest water I had ever seen and a few tiny islands speckled along the horizon. I had reached the Bay of Islands.

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The Bay of Islands is a must-see for travelers visiting New Zealand for two key reasons: Its history and its natural beauty.

Let’s start with a brief history lesson. Just across the Waitangi River from Paihia is the town of Waitangi where, in 1840, the Treaty of Waitangi ceded the nation’s sovereignty to Britain. The treaty was signed in the home of Captain William Hobson and was drafted in both English and Māori. It was signed by representatives of the British Crown and the five northern Māori tribes and copies of the treaty were disseminated throughout the island for review and agreement by the other tribes. However, before all of the signed copies were returned, Hobson claimed New Zealand for Britain on the basis that the Māori ceded the North Island in the treaty and that Captain Cook had discovered the South Island and claimed it for the British despite the fact there there was already a large Māori population living there.

Because of this deceit by the British (actual or perceived, depending on who is explaining the tale to you), the Treaty of Waitangi is a point of contention in the nation’s history. I visited the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, where you can see the house where the treaty was drafted, as well as the world’s largest war canoe. The museum explains the history of the treaty but whitewashes the story so as to make it more pleasant for the mostly Anglo tourists. Still, it’s worth a visit to see the birthplace of modern New Zealand.

Across the street from the Waitangi Treaty House is the entrance to the Haruru Falls Trail. Finding myself with nothing to do on a gorgeous late summer day in Waitangi, I decided hike the trail. Since it’s not a loop, I hired a tuk tuk to take me to Haruru Falls, at the opposite end of the trail. The falls are by no means tall or awe-inspiring, but they are still a highlight of the walk and offer some small pools in which you can swim if you don’t mind water so cold that your muscles completely tense up. From the falls, the roughly 5km trail winds through woodlands, marshes and mangroves and offers glimpses of native birds and lush flora. I encountered maybe a half dozen people on my hike, which allowed me to be mostly alone with my thoughts and nature as I walked. Along the way, there are signs explaining the various plants and ecosystems that you encounter.

After the hike, I met up with some friends that I had made on the previous day’s bus ride and took the short ferry ride to Russell. Situated on a peninsula that juts into the Bay of Islands, Russell was the first European settlement in New Zealand. The ferry ride is about 15-20 minutes and docks by The Strand in Russell, which is the heart of Russell’s tourist area. Here you will find virtually all of Russell’s restaurants and several of its historical sites. While Russell was once a haven for drunken sailors and criminals, it is now one of the quaintest and most peaceful places you will ever visit. While Paihia and Waitangi offer prime examples of Māori culture in New Zealand, Russell perfectly encapsulates the European influence.

As you step off the ferry in Russell, you feel as if you have been transported to New England. The small houses and seafood restaurants add to the serene charm of the natural landscape. Rather than hang around the pier with the collection of tourists who had also elected to visit Russell for the day, my new friends and I walked a few kilometers to the other side of town and made our way to Long Beach.

Long Beach provides a gorgeous sanctuary from the touristy main stretch of Russell. With cliffs on either side, the beach is located in a small bay with some of the most pristine waters I have ever seen. After a short nap on the beach to recharge my batteries after the Haruru Falls Trail hike, I swam in the bay to cool off and, for the first time, found myself physically in the Bay of Islands.

With dusk approaching, we made our way back to Paihia. Because it caters to backpackers, the town offers a fair amount of hostels and inexpensive accommodations. I spent two nights at the Pickled Parrot, located close to many of the other hostels, as well as several restaurants and bars. Almost all of the hostels offer dorm accommodations along with double and twin rooms. I shared a dorm with seven other strangers from Germany, England, Belgium and Brazil. Paihia’s nightlife revolves around young backpakers, seafood and alcohol. You’ll find no shortage of fish and chips, Kiwi beers like Tui and excellent local wines. I had no problem striking up conversations with other travelers and never took a meal alone.

It’s no wonder that Paihia is considered “The Jewel of the Bay of Islands.” It’s the gateway to the region’s other destinations, such as Russell and Keri Keri, adjacent to Waitangi, the birthplace of modern New Zealand and offers some of the best of both old and new. As the first stop on my trip to New Zealand, it whet my appetite for more of what this beautiful country had to offer. After a few days in the Bay of Islands, it was time for me to pack up and get back on a bus. There was more to see; but if my first stop was any indication, this corner of the world had plenty to offer.

View Mike’s Bay of Islands photo gallery. Read more of Gadling’s In the Corner of the World series here.

New Zealand – Welcome to the corner of the world

by Jeremy Kressmann on

Starting this week, Gadling will be bringing you updates from our recent travels across New Zealand, the “corner of the world.” Make sure to check out all the entries in our ongoing series HERE.

Upon stepping off the plane in New Zealand, I found myself staring intently at a large map of the world in the airport lobby. Everything looked about normal: there was Central America, snaking its way north and south to meet the two other Americas; India, pointy as ever, stuck its nose gently out into the surrounding ocean; meanwhile, Antarctica unraveled its bulk along the edge of the imaginary map border like giant piece of thawing fish.

As I continued to stare at the map, my eyes locked upon my current location, New Zealand – what exactly was it doing way out there? On most maps, New Zealand is waaaay down in the bottom right, just about the spot on ancient explorer maps inhabited by mermaids and sea monsters. It looked so isolated…tucked away in the corner like a misbehaving child at the International School of Countries, sitting on timeout for hurling a spitball at Great Britain.

As I came to discover New Zealand in more detail over the coming days, I found myself returning to this idea of “the corner” of the map frequently. Sure, there’s plenty of places worldwide like Hawaii or Ireland that, by virtue of their geography, have a culture and landscape like nowhere else on earth – New Zealand has that too. But there’s something about that strange sense of being forgotten – hidden down in the corner of the world map, that gives New Zealand its peculiar charm, feisty attitude and particular appeal.

Whether it’s your halting attempts to describe the country’s jaw-dropping scenery, the conflicted history of its indigenous Maori culture or the laid-back, friendly and pragmatic attitudes of its citizens, New Zealand seems to be a place that has something to prove. This urge to please is certainly evident among those tried-and-true traits that made New Zealand famous: its status as “an extreme sports” paradise, a virtual eden of fresh food and great wine and its unique wildlife. It makes it easy to enjoy the wealth of riches the country has to offer. But it also comes through just as strongly when you look at some of the unexpected aspects of this exceptional place, and come to realize like any other eden it’s not without its flaws.

Over the next few weeks here at Gadling, we’ll be bringing you updates from our recent travels across New Zealand – in the process, we hope to offer a range of perspectives about what visiting this truly unique and fascinating country is all about. Welcome to the corner of the world.