Waiting to board our flight home allowed us to revel in the memories we made over the last several weeks. From soaring by helicopter high above glacial fields to sampling far too many Sauv Blancs, Aotearoa proved an unforgettable host. With each passing day we immersed ourselves in the culture of this isolated island nation. As our familiarity with local customs grew we were treated with moments when we were mistaken for locals.

That’s always our goal, blending into our temporary home as much as possible. Whether it is using local greetings, bypassing the tourist traps in favor of local eateries or learning the proper way to pay for petrol, we try to integrate with those around us.

What we learned most about New Zealand is how the community honors and venerates the traditions of the indigenous Maori people. Everywhere you look signs are written in both English and Maori and the most common greeting (Kia Ora) is borrowed from their language. This blending of cultures has created a nation with a shared identity.

As we approach our boarding time we will conclude with a few fun facts about our trip and links to some of our favorite local commercials (we have enjoyed the lack of pharmaceutical ads).

Our Journey at a Glance:

• 15,109 Miles Flown
• 2,240 Miles Driven
• 58 Miles Cruised

Facts about New Zealand:

• 5.3 million people: roughly the same as South Carolina or Alabama. Meanwhile, our home state has three million more people than the entire country. Even the major cities have felt open and uncrowded.
• Sheep to human ratio: With approximately 10 sheep per person the collies are putting in a lot of work to manage the roaming flocks!
• No native predators: This explains why so many birds decided that flying is optional. The Kiwi, the kākāpō, the takahē… all living their best flightless lives until Europeans showed up with ships full of unwanted pests. Luckily, New Zealand now takes the protection of these endemic species very seriously.

Between the Super Bowl and our nightly Olympic wind‑downs, we developed a few favorite commercials. We hope you enjoy them as much as we did (New Zealand has a minimalist approach to ads so we have seen each of these at least 50 times):

• One New Zealand Satellite Calling: YouTube
• New Zealand Lottery: YouTube
• Turners Cars: YouTube

Thanks for following along, we hope you join us for our next adventure!