Southern Discovery in New Zealand

 

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An unexpected journey to say the least,
Traveling to the land of kiwi, off my bucket list,
With the land of majestic, natural, reserved beauty,
It brought tears in eyes, how little we actually see.

I recalled us taking the much needed time out,
From our hectic, bustling life, enough to constantly make us shout,
Our passports are ready, the bags are packed,
We said go travel, together, that was our pact.

Charting a 6 hours flight from Kuala Lumpur, our home,
We embraced the excitement, like a traveling gnome.
Landing to New Zealand, Christchurch to be precise,
First impression? It was a trip that was worth us being enticed.

A road trip was what we opted for ultimately,
A four wheel drive, GPS, and us in the journey.
The drive was surreal, polar opposite to the city roads,
Along the way, scenic landscapes we would gladly stay and make an abode.

The crystal clear lakes mirrors the mountain standing tall with pride,
The beauty it offers, South Island has nothing to hide.
From Lake Tekapo, the quiet attraction oh so impossible not to endear,
I immersed myself to the tranquility of the nature here.

Though short, but definitely sweet, we continued our adventure,
Knowing what lies ahead, is mesmerizing for sure.
Queenstown, we arrived, with immeasurable excitement,
Smiles on our faces are clearly not absent,

The breathtaking resort town of pure relaxation,
And extreme adventure for adrenaline pumping entertainment.
This is where, I took my maiden bungy plunge,
Conquering my fears, the jump was accomplished with a punch,

We also experienced a rustic winery along a fine vineyard,
A wine lover myself, cherished this moment locked in my heart.
The Milford Sound, reminded us how little we are,
To this world heritage, a majestic fjord and a nature wonder,
Seeing how untouched beauties like this, is actually isn’t really that far,
Inspired us to travel more, enlighten us to what the world has to offer,

What is traveling, without experiencing one’s different culture,
The Haka of Maori heritage was what we needed as a cultural understanding overture,
The war outcry, the dance, the patterns of the tattoos,
Enriched our experience, while temporary being one of them too.

A travel to us, is incomplete without having to savor their local food,
From local fruits, famous burgers and ice cream that are oh so good.
The crisp weather of autumn we enjoyed, of walking and sightseeing,
Had us hooked and don’t really feel like leaving.

The road journey from Queenstown back to the Christchurch airport,
Left me in tears really, and some unflattering snort.
Along the journey, we took the moment to stop around,
Immortalizing the moments, in pictures, to keep safe and sound,

The country views along is what I would never forget,
I would gladly move here when I retire, I said,
But after all is said and done, and experienced too
Home is where my heart is, where we were headed to.

The trip we had, opened my eyes to allow myself to reach emancipation,
To have a view on what the world has to give, in its glory and jubilation.
A Southern Discovery, is what I truly meant,
An unexpected journey, but I would think it is God sent,

This is what inspires me, and keeps me on the move,
I would like to think, I am on a traveling groove.
“We said, go travel”. Take our advice,
For the life changing experience, that to me, is truly unpriced.

About the Author: Ivan Chan

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