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March 2024

- The Wanaka tree – A Turning Point -

I actually like to be surprised – by people and situations alike. It's only when reality doesn't match my expectations at all that it sometimes takes a little longer for me to adjust to something unexpected.

For example, the assumption that it must be possible to hire a car anywhere and at any time turned out to be a fallacy on our trip to the South Island of New Zealand. Still understandable that all vehicles were rented at the airport in Christchurch – but in the whole city? "What do you think! It's March and peak tourist season." So my husband and I changed our plans and travelled by train instead of motorised across the country to the west coast. What, even here all the cars were fully booked for the next four weeks? So we continued by bus over the mountains back east to Wanaka. I had promised my daughter a watercolour of the famous Wanaka tree, which miraculously grows standing in the water and thrives. This stage destination should actually also be our hub for further endeavours. But not even here, and not even in the much larger Queenstown, was there a hire car. Surprised? All our further plans were based on our mobility. Fortunately, my husband and I were flexible enough and so without further ado we declared the impressive Lake Wanaka to be the turning point of our journey. The next day we were on the bus back to the wonderfully wild, unspoilt and enchanting west coast and from then on we travelled from place to place for the next three weeks on the bus company's timetable. Always elevated, nice and comfortable and completely relaxed in the front row of seats with a panoramic view.

'Every disadvantage has its advantage', they say. And it was precisely this thought that ultimately helped us to make the best of this unexpected situation. In the end, it wasn't so bad travelling across the South Island of New Zealand on public buses, getting stranded in places where tourists don't normally end up. Or staying longer in a coastal village because the next bus didn't come by until days later. Surprises often go hand in hand with a change of perspective. Just as I now realise that the Wanaka tree is merely a small tree, I also know that public transport can be a good travel option for me.

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