I just finished Kiwi Tracks by Andrew Stevenson. I’ve been to New Zealand twice, and it’s true what they say – friendly people, majestic landscapes, varied and accessible wildlife, New Zealand has it all, but the part about man-eating purple rabbits is completely false. I don’t know how that rumor got started.
But onto the book. The description of the scenery and the details of his tramps (hikes, not loose women) paints a wonderful picture of his four-month stay. (What I wouldn’t give for a four-month stay in New Zealand.) This was why I was interested in the book, hearing about an adventure in a far-away place that didn’t involve daily commutes and sitting in front of a computer.
It starts quickly, involving a hike through Milford Sound during a blizzard, not something I would want to experience. (On the other hand, I do hate getting stuck in traffic light after traffic light.) He explores an amazing amount of the country, from the very bottom of New Zealand, Stewart Island, which sits just below the South Island, to Cape Reinga, the very tip of the North Island.
Andrew also discusses details about the conflicts with the Maori and the white New Zealanders, a conflict that goes back to the 19th century. While interesting and certainly informative, there was too much focus on that particular aspect of the trip, a lot of it the he-said, she-said variety which comes from differing points of view. When I get around to blogging about my New Zealand trip, I will not be talking about New Zealand politics, but to each their own.
One of the great things about traveling is meeting interesting people, and from the different travel books I’ve read, backpackers seem to meet more interesting people than we travelers to rent cars or go on packaged tours. Andrew goes into detail about many of the people he encountered on his journey, such as the Englishman walking the length of New Zealand and the Vietnam vet searching for peace in the forest, and he doesn’t seem to disparage the non-backpackers too much.
Which brings me to a rant. I’ve noticed that in the travel books I’ve read, anyone who takes a tour or only visits the major sights is committing a great and terrible sin, wronging the natives for ignoring their real way of life, ruining the environment, and doing themselves a great disservice by living in their own sheltered world by seeing only what tour guides want them to see. Real travelers only stay at hostels and only eat at hole in the wall place with the locals and never, ever, check luggage.
Those things are fine if you like them – traveling is what you make of it. I prefer comfortable beds, visiting famous monuments or areas of nature, and having a pleasant trip. It’s vacation, after all. That doesn’t mean I won’t eat local dishes or visit an out of the way cave that I just heard about five minutes ago – those are wonderful too, and those little things can make a good trip a great trip. Testing your comfort zone can be exciting, but each person has their limit of what is an enjoyable travel experience can be. Prefer to eat at McDonald’s instead of “Chen’s House of Stinky Tofu and Guaranteed Indigestion”? I’m with you.
Okay, I’m back on track now. If you don’t mind a history lesson and discussions about 150+ year old land disputes, it’s a decent read, and a quick one at only 202 pages. I’m glad I read it, and after hearing about Andrew’s numerous experiences with bad weather and being dirty for days on end, I’m glad I saw most of New Zealand by car.