-Well our big adventure started on the 6th April 2017 in New Zealand, and so we are now back for the final hurrah.

Within 3 days of arriving back in Wellington we boarded our Air New Zealand flight for Nelson at the top of New Zealand’s South Island. From there a two-hour drive took us to the ultra-hippy yoga centre of Anahata in Takaka. The final 20-minute drive up into the Takaka hills, on a dirt road, opening and closing farm gates and crossing river fords made it clear how remote this place was going to be. Perched up on a promontory overlooking Golden Bay, Anahata Yoga Retreat is in a beautiful spot – bordering the Abel Tasman National Park and full of bird life, notably the flightless Weka of which a great number saunter through the grounds as though they own the place.
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​Swami Karma Karuna, the retreat’s founder, welcomed us with a big hug and we were to quickly learn what an amazing person and great teacher she is. Far away from my perception of yoga Swamis as being kaftan clad, austere and serious, Karma Karuna has a laugh you can hear a mile off and is full of life experiences and, I strongly suspect, has a slightly naughty past.

Our retreat was to last 7 days – an immersion into Hatha Yoga in which we started each day with asanas at 6am, followed by breakfast, theory, Karma yoga (in which you are required to mindfully help out with the gardening and cleaning – at least that is when you aren’t hiding in your room), yoga nidra (a deeply relaxing meditation lying on your back), lunch, more asanas and finally meditation. Dinner was vegetarian, like all meals, and coming from the retreat’s organic garden. I had the deepest possible relaxing sleep in this peaceful and energising place. An excellent week and one that I left feeling wonderfully chilled, with a desire to make yoga more part of my life – but definitely hanging out for a cold beer.

We decided to stay on in Takaka township at our retreat end – being within a much easier reach of beer and other frowned upon comestibles. We checked into a cheap little Airbnb, Unicorn Gardens which is a slightly rambling small holding owned by a vibrant, earthy and spiritual English lady called Annabelle. We each availed ourselves of a healing massage – which involved our host communicating with the spirit world and chanting in some indecipherable tongue – in my case with St Raphael the healer. Well I enjoyed it . . . Takaka is full of weird and wonderful people – dreadlocked, deeply tanned and looking relaxed.

From Takaka to Christchurch, the South Island’s largest city – still undergoing a major rebuilding programme following two devastating earthquakes, the last occurring in February 2011 and tragically causing the death of 185 people. Dom Bell, a larger than life Doctor who I knew when studying in Dunedin, was one of those to lose his life while working in a medical centre in one of the buildings to collapse. The CBD is starting to take shape into a modern, vibrant centre – however the hearts and minds of Christchurch people are still very much hurting.

Our Christchurch sojourn was a great opportunity to catch up with old mates. Sandy and Neil, Bron, Andrew and Leanne and James and Helen. We swam in 32-degree heat at Taylors Mistake Beach, dined in one of the many new restaurants to pop up in the city centre, were entertained by the busking festival, drank wine (and beer – and more wine), lunched and chatted over coffee. When you catch up with very good friends its like the years melt away. Priceless . . .

And so from Christchurch to the place we have arbitrarily decided will be the official “end” of our Big Adventure – Taupo, New Zealand’s largest lake situated pretty much smack bang in the middle of the North Island. My brother Andrew and his wife Dianne have taken over our parent’s holiday house in picturesque Acacia Bay. Andrew has been an amazing support during our time away – receiving our post and parcels and generally dealing with a range of unforeseen issues.

New Zealand is in the middle of a heat wave and so our days have been hot with the sun beating down. The lake, normally frigid, has been a delight to swim in and Andrew took us in his boat to some brilliant swimming spots. The barbecue has been cranked up each night and we have cooked overlooking the lake with beers in hand. One more day until we board our final flight back to Wellington.

And so – 296 days and 11 countries later . . . what have I learnt? Here are some thoughts – in no particular order:

• Say yes more often: It has been my year of saying yes and I have found myself doing and enjoying things that previously would have scared me.
• You don’t need much stuff in life: For 10 months I have been with five t-shirts, two pairs of trousers, one pair of shoes and jandals, toiletries, a laptop, camera and a few other bits and pieces. 18kg tops. Being minimalist is liberating . . .
• It feels great to feel calm: I set out to give yoga more of a go on our trip, and I now definitely feel a calmer person. I feel, notice things and listen better than I used to and my sleeps have improved.
• Take your time when travelling: I enjoyed things more when we set down roots in a place, observed the local life and generally blended into to the neighbourhood. Tourism, for me, shouldn’t be about “ticking” off sights and experiences . . .
• Live your life like you are on holiday: I have been doing a lot of thinking about how I would transition back from travelling to life as “normal”. And I guess the conclusion I have come to is that I don’t have to. My aim is to try and incorporate the learnings from my travelling and to “be” in a better, calmer, more confident and simpler mode. Well I’ll see how it goes anyway . . .

Jolanda – thank you for sharing the last 296 days with me. We have had our ups and downs – but we looked after each other, laughed lots and (I think anyway) learned a lot more about ourselves and each other. Long may our travel state of mind continue . . . !