December 2008

The perfect country.

New Zealand has an unblemished reputation amongst, well, everyone. The country has one of the highest qualities of life in the world, with a near-perfect climate and geography. As a bonus, it's also free from mosquitos, venomous snakes, and aggressive predators.

After many years of anticipation, I finally flew here, alone with a backpack, when I was only 19 years old. It was one of my first and best trips as a backpacker. I stayed in hostels, travelled around with other backpackers, mostly European, and enjoyed the austral summer.

I left a lot of unfinished adventures in NZ. The country is a caving, canyoneering and packrafting mecca. If the modern world falls apart, NZ might be the place I hurry back to.