Why New Zealand? People ask us this all the time. Why New Zealand? As if of all the countries in the world, it is unfathomable that we would want to spend over a year (“a whole year?!”) in not just ONE country, but THIS country. Our answers vary of course, because how can you succinctly say all the things that lead up to any decision. But the reasons, I think, are obvious.
New Zealand is a country abundant in beauty, offering a crazy amount of diverse landscapes in a relatively small landmass. It is possible here to drive from ocean, to mountain, to scrubland, to farmland, and back in a day. It is possible to see snow next to the blues usually reserved for a tropical resort. There are volcanoes, and glaciers, and the clearest streams you will ever see, all along the same stretch of road.
The real question though is why would you? Why would you drive past all these things in one day when you can, instead, take the time to really experience them all. I think this is one of the biggest selling points for slow travel in New Zealand. You actually can see (almost) everything in a year. And when a country is this far removed from the rest of civilization, you might as well spend the time and REALLY see it.
We’ve noticed too that we get a lot of questions about what we’re doing, how we’re doing it, how we could possibly spend so long here, and what others should see when they come here. We’ve also noticed how many people “just don’t have time” to see anything other than the most touristy areas, or even research if those spots are the best things to see.
So, we’ve started to record what we’ve done, how we made it happen, our spots that can't be missed, and are going to share it here. Hopefully we will get less “why New Zealand?” and more “when New Zealand” from here on out, because this country is beautiful, and travelling it is really, really easy when you know how.