NZ Dec 2023 Ma te wa
2 things i remember about New Zealand.
One, the day are long as the road leading to mountain.
I often plan my travel well and it is my own choice and term. But not this time , travel trip of 9 days 8 night in South Island or Te Waipounamu in Mauri language. I did it anyway , as part of sort of dare game, and glad i took up the challenge. Our travel route are Christchurch - Lake Tekapo - Wanaka and Queenstown. We had Christmas too, spending our Christmas morning cleaning up the water from bath tub over flooding the hall way, delay for 6 hours due to lighting strike the airplane and i lost my passport as i line up to checking in baggage for depart in Auckland Airport. Much of excitement and challenge trying to keep up travel along with cousins for the whole 9 days, everyday i try get to my sketchbook.
Our last town for the New Zealand journey are the joy of Queestown. It is for the whole trip, we see more human connection. We are Muslim, we had our first little morning Christmas day having good festive breakfast. A moment later, one of our cousin flooding the bath tub and the water flow thru the hall ways. We get together cleaning up the bathroom on that special day. We spent rest of days later in Quesstown by the lakes. Its such different festive mood to experince. More local or tourist go for a swim at the lakes. We can't tell the different. There aren't many decorative of Christmas at the touristy town but, by the vibes everyone having a good times.
Good times of basking in the sun, deeping in that chill lakes, picnic under the beautiful trees and some tourist activities of steamboat ride of the lakes. Again i can't wrap my head around that people having blast time by the lakes. The scenery or the cultural i'm often seen people by the sea and beaches and now i've seen surround the lakes. It was a good day to be outside.
Theres a commom saying in Bahasa Melayu,
'jauh perjalanan, luas pengalaman'
'far away travel wide experience'
My first day of New Zealand , are the Auckland Airport Lodge and massive jet lag of 9 or 11 hours plane , layover to Sdyney Australia. I used to watch these landscape of motel in movie, now i m actually staying in one, i can't help feel amused. That be the first sketches for the trip.
We didn't stay long enough in Auckland, time as gold here, whether our jet lag still lingering around or the excitement of foreign country , our next plane heading to Christchurh , the starting point of our next road travel to South island.
They say there's sheep and cattles are more million than peoples of these part of region - it is so. As we travel from Christchurh to Lake Tekapo, i've encounter fields , grass lands of agricultural. We were greeted by cattle grazing the fields next to our homestay. The landscape are such stark contrast to my hometown landscape. I begin sketching in the car. It went well as the road are long wide and rather smooth winding road that actually perfect for sleep mode. I'm missing Paul McCartney song.
I finally had quater a day of sketching at Lake Tekapo. I'm already mesmerize by the beautiful turqouise blue colour of the lake. By the sun , its is magical. I walk down the nearest lake , i m overwhelmed with sight of the well known plants - The Lupins. It seem the season was right for the flowers to bloom. Later i research - the plants are somewhat evasive to others. The different characteristicas to where is its grown, by the fields or the nearest creek. One things for sure it is certainly beautiful sight to capture.
As i walk futher on my own, i can't help felt that my father walk with me too. We love walking around. I had conversation with him asking him if the mountains seem so majestic because the cloud moves so gracefully. It must be beautiful and serene , there's no human there up in that cold mountains. Shall we walk more? While im sketching, I can only imagine, theres a man, by the lake standing and stay quietly , marvel at the beautiful sight of mountains, sky and water. My father pass ways in April 2022. I can't wish him being there anymore as he would often accompany me for a walk or sketching. I had now, only imagine him being there.
That s was the second things i remember most about the New Zealand.
The Wanaka town are my favorite for these part of journey. That one morning by the Wanaka Lakes, im just felt 'light'. Probably the winds from the water. For days while traveling , i'm still trying to adjust my knowledge - it is a Lakes. One among many giant, massive , majestic, greatly wides big lakes. Not ocean. Its blue of colour and the water can be seen waves just as oceans. These are at the mountains , we are in middle 'earth' . Its a lakes. A giant, massive, majestic, greatly wides big lakes. Its the most question i 've heard with my cousins and myself ' why the lakes so blue?' The answer, its because glacier erosion. I was hoping its because the legendary blue dragon sleeping 1000 years underneath that deep lake, it never awoken as long the Sun still risen from east. However later with internet search - legend has it ............ ....... ( i'm still search the whole story that get me from one legend to another myth)
I 'm not sure if my sketches would do justice to capture what i've seen , i hope it did, show the world one drawing at the time.
As to where my mind actually been while i'm there and sketching, i keep it to my own. I remember that song - Sailing, Christopher Cross.
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