My Overall Thoughts on New Zealand

As my 24 days in New Zealand is finally coming to an end I thought I would make a post about the various aspects of the country that I found interesting or noteworthy. Overall, New Zealand is an amazing place. Luckily, the bus company I was on took me on a loop around almost the entire north and south islands, so I experienced almost all that the land of the Kiwis had to offer. The people of New Zealand are incredible. Everyone is very nice and polite and always there to lend a helping hand if you need assistance in any way. They all speak English, which is also very helpful to myself as a traveler. With that being said, they also have a unique dialect with slang terms that I found very funny and interesting. My favorite being the word "choice". It is used in place of "awesome" or "cool". For example, a Kiwi (New Zealander), would say "that bungey jump was so choice bro." Additionally, I enjoyed the phrase "sweet as", which essentially means "no worries" or "that's fine". The food of New Zealand was nothing spectacular. It is essentially the same as you would find in any European country with cafes on every corner and typical European dishes because the country is a melting pot of various influences from around the world. I did get to sample a real Maori dinner when I stayed at a Maori lodge which was interesting. It consisted of baked sweet potatoes, fish, and chicken, with cole slaw and salad. Nothing too extraordinary. The landscape and views are what truly sets this country apart. With active volcanoes, glaciers, and pristine beaches everywhere you look, it is hard to pick the most beautiful spots in this small island nation. In my opinion, the south island was more beautiful in terms of sight seeing than the north. The south, with the Abel Tasman National Park, Franz Josef glacier, and the city of Queenstown, made my jaw drop to the floor everywhere I went. I was disappointed that I spent so little time in Queenstown because it is truly somewhere that if I lived a perfect life I would love to move to. From its beauty, the nightlife, the shops, and the extreme sports options, it was an amazing little city. It is also the home to bungey jumping, which is nice. I am also disappointed that I was not able to travel further south to the towns of Dunedin and Stewarts Island, which are both supposed to be amazing. Besides that though, I have no regrets about my time here and believe that I got to experience a large amount of what New Zealand has to offer. I definitely suggest New Zealand to any person who loves the outdoors and natural beauty along with outdoor sports. I'm sad that the time here went by so fast but it is time to move on. Onward to China.