Last Night in NZ

It was my final night in NZ so me and some guys figured what better way to spend it then to camp out somewhere. It couldn't be a normal camping trip it had to be something different.

So we decided to camp out in the middle of a roundabout (North American translation: Traffic Circle).

In Tauranga there is this massive roundabout that some friends of mine always wanted to camp in. We quickly decided that there is no better time than the present, and went for it.

The roundabout is filled with dense trees so that you couldn't even see through to the other side. It was so dense that we even decided to light a fire. We were all partially expecting some sort of drama to take place involving cops...but nothing happened...it actually turned out to be quite uneventful.

From where we slept, all you could see were trees and stars, but all we heard were cars and trucks driving by all night. It was a really weird feeling..urban camping.

I thought it summed up my time in NZ well, because it incorporated two very key elements of my time there.

1. We were outside. If your in NZ you need to be outside as much as possible, because it is truly one of the most beautiful places on earth, with endless places to go and explore.

2. We were doing something different/adventurous/potentially dangerous.. The thing that I have learned about Kiwi's is that they aren't afraid to be different and aren't afraid to be daring and try something new. They aren't worried about lawsuits and being overly safe in every single scenario. They are into enjoying life and if it means you might get a bit hurt in the process...so be it, its not the end of the world. Safety and the norm isn't their god, and that alone is one of the things I love most about the place, and the people I met there.

To all my Kiwi friends: Thank you for making my time in your country great. You will be missed..

But

I'll be back soon.