On my way out of Auckland, I stopped at a park for a trail run! Over a week of having between 1 and many beers each day had taken its toll, and I needed to get active. The park was really nice, and it was my first taste of New Zealand wilderness. It was so jungly! Tons of palm trees, moss, vines, and just a feel of lushness filled the space around you. Unfortunately, the trail was so surprisingly steep for me that I had to turn around as I was pushing myself way too hard. But, I had a great morning and I saw a sweet waterfall!
After that, I had a 3 hour drive to reach Colville, a tiny town with two stores, a restaurant and a cafe. There was no one around when I arrived, so I walked up and down the steep property and was just in awe at where I had found myself. My hosts eventually arrived, I got settled, and we got to know each other! My hosts were an American that moved to New Zealand when he was 12, and a Canadian that met him while they were teaching abroad, and she eventually and enthusiastically joined him here in paradise!
