It’s out there, you just gotta look
I never got his name, but the New Zealander who had offered to fix one of my fellow traveler’s bicycles seemingly couldn’t resist commenting on American politics.
“You Americans are always bumbling around on the big stage, sometimes good and sometimes bad, and so we’re all just kind of looking at Trump and thinking this is just another phase,” he said, smiling, a twinkle in his blue eyes.
His comment, unprompted after he learned I was American, led me back to the situation at home amid a trip halfway around the world to spend time in a country unlike any I’ve ever visited. The two of us were standing outside his bike garage, a gorgeous sunny day with blue sky and mountains all around. The ride between Arrowtown and Gibbston — on the South Island just outside of Queenstown — was just another in a string of outings in a country that’s as stunning as any on earth.
His lack of concern about what has caused me unending angst — the political situation back home — is, I guess, one of the things that makes this country so unique. Despite the reality of this interconnected world we all live in, people down here on this island country so far from everywhere seem more relaxed and more concerned about a work-life balance than what’s happening on the world stage. And it’s catchy.
I’ve traveling with a group of close friends from Haywood County, and we’ve all discussed how this beautiful country so far from home seems to intensify a sense of isolation from what’s going on elsewhere. Looking out my bedroom window this morning, I’m finishing this column and hoping my wife, Lori, is making arrangements for us to rent bicycles so we can ride a local trail that she spotted yesterday. That’s my most pressing concern. Simple, day-to-day, moment-to-moment living: one more mountain pass to ascend, another lake to swim in, a mountain-to-beach hike to start and finish, a cold beer at the end of the day.
Sure, that’s what happens on vacations, but it’s also something about this country.
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One huge factor in the New Zealand’s national identity and one absorbed by thoughtful travelers is the appreciation of Māori culture. Sure, the indigenous natives here were treated like most others by early European settlers when they first came ashore. But today the country celebrates the Māori traditions though the preservation of its language and an overall appreciation for the relationship with nature that is such an integral aspect of indigenous cultures. So many mountains, beaches, forests, waterfalls, rivers, lakes, glaciers and such are preserved and have native names. There’s an overall embrace of the lifestyle the Māori had before white settlers.
I wonder how the entire U.S. would be different if we celebrated our indigenous cultures in a similar fashion? How different would our national identity look? Food for thought.
A few nights ago, several of us gathered outdoors in a rural area with few lights to see the Southern Cross, and we were treated to a clear view of both the constellation — only visible in the Southern Hemisphere — and the Milky Way. The song by Crosby Stills and Nash inspired my wife to drag us all out to see it, and of course the constellation is also on the New Zealand flag.
It was magical, as has been this experience in New Zealand. Here’s hoping all of you can find some moments of magic in your life. It’s worth the effort.
(Scott McLeod can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..)
