Author: Sandra Winarta (Sydney, Australia)
Website: Click here
Photo location: Napier, North Island, New Zealand
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Categories: [excitement]  [freedom]  

My brother and I were travelling around the North Island of New Zealand in 2001 when he took this photo of me on the beach at Napier. We had just arrived from Turangi, a town at the foot of a series of volcanoes, where we had planned to walk the famous Tongariro Crossing. However the fickle Novermber weather had defeated us because as we had spent four days cooped inside our hostel because of the rain. During that time we were only able to do very short walks and by the fourth day we were aching for some sun. Napier, our next destination, was reputedly one of the sunniest spots in New Zealand so we wanted to make an early start.

The day didn’t start very well – it was raining quite heavily. At the last moment, one of backpackers asked for a lift to Hastings, a town near Napier. He was a German and although I only talked to him a few times I was nice enough to oblige as others have done on my trip around Europe a few years before. My brother and I were packed and itching to go but our German friend was not yet ready and we were forced to wait half an hour while he got his gear together. So much for making an early start.

Once we were on the road it became rather obvious that our German had extremely bad body odor. I know that as a backpacker you are forced to live on a tight budget but I thought deodorant was an essential in 21st Century New Zealand. I guess our German friend didn’t think so. He stank so much that my brother had the air-conditioner on full blast to avoid gagging. We were both so distracted by his BO and incessant chattering that we hardly noticed the photogenic countryside outside – green pastures with fluffy sheep, bare hills and deep gorges. All we wanted to do was get to Hastings as fast as possible.

The weather cleared as we approached the coast, but I wasn’t quite so happy as our German friend was still on board and had no idea where he was going. Apparently a fellow backpacker had told him of a school for disadvantaged kids that he could volunteer at but once we got to Hastings he informed us that he only knew the name of the school and had no address or contact number. And so began our wild goose chase around Hastings, where we enquired at a tourist office, a library and another school of the whereabouts of this place. It was around 2pm now, we were both starving and my usually calm brother was fuming. As our German friend got out of the car to make yet another enquiry I had the sudden impulse to dump his stuff on the side of the road and leave. Unfortunately, I wasn’t quick enough as he soon returned with another set of instructions. This time it took us into the countryside, past vineyards and orchards, and down an unsealed road. Very dubious instructions indeed, however it was the correct one because a school was certainly there.

As our German friend got out once more to make enquiries I prayed hard that this was the place, and was elated when he returned to confirm that it was. He had no sooner got his gear out of the boot and given a quick thank you when we reversed out of the driveway and out into freedom. We quickly found a McDonald’s and it was one of the most satisfying Maccas meals I’ve ever had.

Afterwards we leisurely made our way to the hostel in Napier and walked down to the beach to be greeted by the site in the photo. I was so excited by the colour of the water that despite the hardness of the pebbles I took off my sandals and paddled in the shallows and for the first time that day sucked in a breath of fresh air.

Other submissions by this author: :  Monkey Majik  :

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