After a couple of months away in New Zealand visiting family, exploring new places, and stepping away from normal routines, I’ve come home with a full camera roll, a slightly confused body clock, and a heart that feels very full.
The trip gave me space to slow down, reconnect with people I love, and notice the little things again. Somewhere between mountain roads, rainy walks, ferry crossings, and spectacular scenery, I found myself collecting a few lessons that I want to hold onto back in everyday life too.
Take the scenic route
One of my favourite things about travelling around New Zealand was the brown road signs pointing towards hidden waterfalls, lakes, walking trails, and places you would never have found otherwise. So often we’d set out for one destination and end up stopping an extra 3 times because something beautiful appeared around the corner. All of a sudden we would be standing in front of an incredible view wondering how this wasn’t the main attraction! And honestly? Those unplanned stops often became some of the best parts.
There’s something pretty awesome about being surrounded by creation that feels so vast, playful, and full of wonder. Towering snow-capped mountains, bright blue lakes, a million shades of lush green, dramatic coastlines, and breathtaking sunsets. It reminded me of two things. Firstly, how easy it is to rush through life staring down at phones, with headphones in, missing the beauty of what's around and not taking a moment to look up. Secondly, how mind-blowing and astounding is creation? It has the ability to make us stop and feel both insignificant but equally connected to the world around us - powerful stuff!
Sometimes the scenic route really is worth it.
Enjoy every season
Each morning as we would pack up our bags for the day of adventure we would chuck in the suncream, hoodies, flip flops, sunglasses and our raincoats. New Zealand weather has a habit of demonstrating every type of weather across a single day!
There is nothing quite like feeling the sun on your skin, hearing the waves and soaking in all the warmth with an ice cream in hand. The sunshine made everything sparkle, but the rain brought its own kind of beauty too. Waterfalls became louder, rivers stronger, mountains mistier. Seeing Huka Falls during heavy rain felt epic, dramatic, and somehow even more alive.
It has made me reflect on how we often only appreciate the “sunshine” moments in life and try to rush through the difficult or messy parts. But sometimes those harder seasons shape us, deepen us, or create beauty we wouldn’t otherwise see.
People matter most
One of the biggest gifts of this trip was time with family.
Living on the other side of the world means we usually only get snapshots of each other’s lives, so getting to share ordinary days together felt incredibly special. Cups of tea, car journeys, supermarket trips, late night laughs, and lots of cuddles with my nieces all became moments of connection and joy. Having time to step into someone else's life and live it with them for a while can teach us so much about our own life as well as each other.
We were also able to hear some extraordinary stories from unexpected places, chatting to Uber drivers, Airbnb hosts, shopkeepers, fellow travellers, and bus buddies along the way. Sometimes the most meaningful thing we can offer someone is simply our attention and willingness to step into their world for a moment.
Say yes
When you do such an incredible trip you want to make the most of every opportunity as you don't know whether you will ever have the chance again. I embraced that attitude, pushing myself out of my comfort zone at times and facing fears. We had the opportunity to go white water rafting one morning which was terrifying at moments (especially dropping down a 7m waterfall!) but was so much fun and became a highlight of the trip.
One day, we took a boat trip around the Bay of Islands under lovely blue skies and were lucky enough to spot a pod of wild orcas swimming beside the boat — an unforgettable moment! Later, we stopped at a small island where most people headed for the café, but we decided to go for a swim in the sea instead. Although definitely a little chilly, we didn’t let the fact that nobody else was swimming stop us. It ended up being one of the most peaceful moments of the trip.
Growth rarely happens when we stay completely comfortable. Sometimes the experiences that challenge us the most and when we don't follow the crowd become the stories we treasure most later.
Rest is more than doing nothing
Over the past couple of months, I realised rest can look like many different things. Rest can be adventure. It can be laughter. It can be quiet walks, long conversations, swimming in a swimming hole, playing a game, or simply not checking the time.
For a little while, life wasn’t ruled by calendars or notifications, and life became less about productivity and more about presence.
In wellbeing work, we often talk about the importance of rest, reflection, and making space for ourselves, but this trip reminded me that rest isn’t something we earn only after exhaustion. It’s something we genuinely need in ordinary life.
I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have taken this time away to travel and be with my family, and even more grateful to return carrying fresh perspective, renewed energy, and lots of memories (plus approximately 700 photos of mountains).
New Zealand, you were wonderful.
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