And That's It

And then we came home. My Apple Watch was a bit confused . . . since we left on Thursday and arrived home on Thursday, I had 29 standing hours in a 24 hour day . . . with 5 hours where I didn't stand. Time travel, at its best.

Australia and New Zealand are wonderful countries. The people are extremely friendly and helpful; the streets are safe, especially in the small towns; the general atmosphere is unhurried and chill. I love the dedication to recycling, to sustainability, to personal responsibility. I think one man summed up his kiwi thoughts about recyling in particular, but society in general, by saying they try to take care of their country because it is the right thing to do. Could not be said better! We took the Gaskills' recommendations not to try to drive to heart, and they were spot on. We took day tours, sometimes we had a private driver, but every time, we were able to enjoy the scenery and we had running commentary the whole way. We learned a lot about both countries that way - things we would not have learned on our own. We also took their recommendation to book a Skycouch on Air New Zealand, and that was also the perfect recommendation. Less expensive than Economy Premium but more than economy, we had all three seats in our row - no one to crawl over to go to the restroom, no one to bother us, and a place to sleep. I would travel that way again in a heartbeat. So our travels have sadly ended. It was a trip of a lifetime, one that I would repeat if I could. So much to see and do, so many people to meet, so much to learn. It was a perfect trip!