So You Want to Visit New Zealand

New Zealand is made up of 2 big islands: North Island and South Island. Auckland is somewhere at the northern part of the the North Island. Wellington, the capital is somewhere at the bottom part of the North Island. Most of the places that we've been to here at the North Island has a beach, a walking trail (hiking and walking is the same thing) and most likely a playground. All these places we've just Googled. It's interesting the level of detail that people put out there for you to consume. We also relied on our GPS navigator to take us to these places. Popular places that Aucklanders seem to visit often during school holidays are Whangarei, Rotorua, Taupo and Coromandel. We haven't been to the South Island but have mostly explored Auckland and nearby towns.

They say that the South Island is like a different country that's why we still have a couple of things to do here from our bucket list:

• go on a road trip to the South Island
• take one of the scenic train journeys (when the kids are older)
• go to Lake Tekapo for the Southern Lights (Aurora Australis)
• go to Milford Sound
• go hiking or tramping in one of the family-friendly trails at South Island. 

Fans of the Hobbit and LOTR movies visit at least one of the 23 sites where the movies took place. These are spread around NZ. I've only been to Hobbiton, which is 3 hours away from Auckland. Nearby is Taupo, which is a jump off point to Tongariro Crossing, where Mordor is. I have thought about doing this crossing which is a day hike but maybe when the kids are older.

So to my friends and family who want to visit New Zealand, I'd say give it at least 2 weeks. New Zealand has lots of free scenic attractions. The country is also popular for its extreme adventures (bungy jump, skydiving, etc.) and this is one of the safest places that you can do it. Also, New Zealand is a drive-able country. It is very common for tourists to rent a car and drive themselves around. Transport options, local tours, accommodation, etc. can be booked directly. Tourism is one of the biggest industries here so expect the locals, or most of the tourist towns to be looking after you.

Your primary expenses would be Visit Visa fees if applicable (see immigration.govt.nz), airfare, transport, accommodation and food. Do some research on the things that you like to do and then take it from there. You should be able to work your way through transport, tours and accommodation.

Riding the Waves at Browns Bay

Saturday at Browns Bay, with my kids at the middle/front

I never thought that there'd be a time where I can see my son, happily riding the waves. He's 9 and he was out there with his boogie board one Saturday afternoon, enjoying the surf. He went as far as where the water was up to his neck. That really gave me a fright as the surf do go higher than him. With a big nudge, I managed to get hubby to get his attention to go back to where the water is only up to his waist. Can't help it, he was by himself in the water. And we were maybe 3 mins away (if you walk), watching him from a picnic table. He was also drawn to two older kids who were further out, where the water is up to their chests. He didn't protest when I signaled him to head back. His fingers were already wrinkly and he kept giving a thumbs up sign as he rode the waves towards the beach. That must've been fun! (Oh motherhood, it's changed me to become such a worrier!)

Visiting the Philippines After 6 Years Abroad

It took months of preparation and at least a year of psyching ourselves out. The goal was to spend Christmas at the Philippines and spend as much time as we can with the family, particularly the grandmas. And so we did, spent 35 days in the Philippines between December 2018 and January 2019.

When we left Manila, we only had our hopes and dreams of starting a life in New Zealand. Six years on, we’ve gotten into the flow of things. We became Aucklanders and later on, pledged our oath of allegiance as NZ citizens. And then came the realisation of our long awaited visit home.  

In retrospect, the trip helped us appreciate what we have. It made me focus on our goals. Auckland is our home now and we should just carry on from here. The Philippines is part of us but our life now is in New Zealand. We are grateful that the kids got to spend time with the family and have enjoyed visiting the many homes. At least now they have a conscious memory of their time spent with the family.

The trip also brought that feeling of being displaced. I think it's because I now see things with very different eyes. It's knowing that I was once part of it but now, I'm no longer the same. I feel different and I seem to just hold on to the bonds that I had with the past. There's still that warmth but I suppose, whether it's ageing or maybe it's something to do with being abroad long enough, there is also that feeling of being displaced. It wasn't as how things were anymore.

Some practical things that we learned:

• Booking for at least 1 night at a hotel near the airport is a good idea for both arrival and pre-departure. It gives you that space to breathe, to rest and to clear your thoughts. It also helps you take it all in.
• Stay long enough in one place especially when you’re travelling with kids. I found it quite stressful and time consuming to be packing and unpacking our things too frequently. There’s a lot of changing of clothes for the kids coz of the warm weather so dealing with laundry can be a mission. It’s a good thing that my kids are used to being on the go. They woke up early as needed and had no issues sleeping at night.
• Ask your friends to come to you. It saves you time and worry of finding your way again in the concrete jungle.
• Support local businesses. Buying fish from the local fishermen was an exciting experience for my son as he got to see their fresh catch and the boat that was used. It’s also good to pick up some locally made items like those handwoven blankets at Vigan. We also enjoyed buying fresh bread at the local bakery. You’d be surprised with what the local bakers are making, and they’re sometimes unique to that town.
• Always have basic medication ready. One of the first things that we bought when we arrived was paracetamol for the kids. As you head further out of the city, it can be difficult to find a pharmacy so best to have some basic meds, and a first aid kit handy. The kids had fever during our trip. It would’ve been good to have packed some ice packs then. We also had an accident while the kids were playing so some cotton balls, gauze, iodine and a gauze tape would’ve been handy. A pantyliner can be handy too.
• Always have enough cash with you. The Philippines is still a very cash-based society.
• We used an anti-mosquito repellant almost everyday. Despite its strong citronella scent, you’d still need a mosquito coil (katol) to ward off these insects. 4pm is a good time to start spraying this onto yourself.
• Bring a travel tissue wherever you go. Both wet and dry. Don’t expect public toilets to have a toilet paper (worse, there can be no water!).
• And when travelling, always have enough bottled water with you especially during hot days.