Melancholik!: The Start of My Middle Earth Adventures

Sealy Tarns on a rainy Spring afternoon, 2016

New Zealand wasn't my first choice with regards to living overseas. In fact, I was in the dark of its real beauty. I was aware of it from The Lord of The Rings (my favorite epic movie ever!!!) but I never thought that the actual place is as majestic and amazing as it is off screen.

Things were being sorted and planned for another country but then that nation wasn't meant for me. As I was so desperate to go somewhere new, I asked around and remember New Zealand. My friends who were already here that time seemed happy and satisfied with their lives. One of them even told me I would fit right in as my outdoorsy personality is perfect for the place. I eventually convinced my family to help me travel here to look for work. It was a big risk and absolutely not an easy task of leaving my loved ones behind especially my two sweet furry babies (my dogs... I miss them heaps). But I had to do it. Just had this mantra in my head while battling homesickness "If you don't risk it, you'll get stuck".

For the first few months while still converting professional licenses, processing visas and job hunting I was starting to see how pretty NZ was but not much yet though. As soon as I finally had a job my goal was to get a car since it's a necessity with getting around here conveniently-- especially reaching the wonderful backcountry destinations.

With my first car, Sheldon (if you watch The Big Bang Theory, yes it's named after Sheldon Cooper hahahaha) I started to see more of this beautiful country. My adventure mobile was a humble hatchback that I treated like a 4WD. Some of my friends who went on adventures with me can attest to those funny drives (safe drives though, for sure ;))

Sheldon, my wee adventure mobile

As I recollect while writing this post, the first walk I did at Bluff with my two friends during the summer in 2014 was actually the one walk that resurrected the outdoors person that I was. From that day on, I knew I would go to more places here and see more of it. Hike more of NZ one track at a time. I am ever so thankful to that day and to my friends that the sleeping trekker that I was has now woken up.

As I said I'd share highlights from my 2016 NZ adventure. Oh my... It's a lot! Hahaha. Here they are:

Middle Earth Adventures 2016