This was not my first solo international trip, nor was it my first solo cycling trip. I think that the fact that I had no set itinerary and was in an English-speaking country made me particularly prone to striking up conversation with every random person I met.
This isn't to say that I fell in love with all of humanity during my journey. There were still occasions when I retreated from opportunities to chat with others:
- When confronted with tour busses and the people they spewed forth (either I'm allergic to the busses themselves or intimidated by groups)
- When very tired and/or hungry
I was struck not only by the variety of people I met along the way, but the also the variety of ways that people travelled through the country.
People I met, episode 1: Retired Brit bike tourist
The first bike tourist that I had a chance to chat with was a man I saw taking a break at a rest stop along the Buller River between Murchison and St. Arnaud. I was a little excited to have an excuse to stop and snack, so I pulled over and ran through the obvious questions (Where are you from, how long are you travelling for, etc.). I was also curious about his touring setup: how much he was carrying (no camping gear), where he was headed, how hilly the road was to the west (where he had come from), etc.
The most interesting thing, though, was that this man was a very experienced bike tourist. When I asked if he had toured before, he rattled off a list of countries that he had bike-toured through: Spain, Norway, the United States, Vietnam, and many more. Every year he heads overseas for a month or two to explore a new country. In fact, I think the sandflies made me flee on my bike before he could finish telling me that list of countries he had visited...
Key takeaway #1: Being a retired person (OAP, or old-age pensioner) in Britain is a good gig. The only downside, of course, being that you have to live part of the year in the U.K. (OK, OK, it's really not that bad a place. Really.)
People I met, episode 2: Retired RV'er couple in Inangahua Junction
Susan: "Where are you guys from?"
Older woman: "We're from (some random town in) the North Island and we're travelling around in a motor home down here for a couple of weeks."
Susan: "Fantastic! Do you come down to the South Island often?"
Older woman: "No; this is our first time on the South Island."
This revelation completely blew me away. The South Island is separated by a few-hour ferry ride from the North Island, and even if you live at the very northern tip of the north island, the South Island is no more than a day's drive or short flight away...
Key takeaway #2: I am very lucky to have free time and money to allow me to travel not just to my neighboring island(s), but halfway around the world...
Episode 3: Australian motorcyclists
Susan: "Nice motorcycles! How do you like biking around New Zealand?"
Friendly motorcyclists: "It's great. We're a little jealous of bicyclists, though; you really have to keep your eyes on the road when you're cruising along at 80+ kilometers per hour."
Susan: "And we're jealous of the fact that you don't have to pedal. Say, how much did it cost to bring your bikes over from Australia?"
Motorcyclists: "About $1600 each, which is much cheaper than it would have been to rent bikes like these here. How much did it cost to bring your bike over?"
Susan (smiling): "It was free!"
Takeaway #3: The price of riding your own two wheels in New Zealand can vary substantially depending on whether you bring a motor with you or not.
People I met, episode 4: Cyclists in Greymouth
I arrived in Greymouth after about 5 days of cycling in New Zealand, and up to that point had only chatted with one other bike tourist (see episode 1). So imagine my surprise when the proprietor of the hostel there said that there were five other bike tourists staying at the hostel that night.
Indeed, there were 5, and three were American, which is surprising since bike touring isn't as popular with Americans as with people from other countries.
There was Andy the software guy from Portland, Oregon, who was biking through New Zealand for 6 months.
And there was Kate and Toby the "posties" (mail-deliverers who, in New Zealand, do their work by bike) from Christchurch, biking through their home country for 3 months.
And the young couple from North Carolina who were planning on staying in New Zealand for a year and looking for work.
The hours flew by that evening as we chatted about our travels, especially enjoying the topics that only bike tourists or Americans-in-New-Zealand can relate to: the oddities of the roads in New Zealand, the upside-downness of light switches there, where to work to support one's trip financially ("WWOOF'ing" is popular, as is working in hostels). It was one of those well-balanced groups where conversation flowed: the rough-edged, brash North Carolinian guy, sweet Kate, the expressions of shock from the North Carolinian woman, Toby's attention to details and facts.
But let's back up a second. These people were travelling for months. For the first time I started to wonder why I had booked flights so that I would be in this amazing country for just a few weeks.
Key takeaway #3: If you feel like taking a vacation longer than 3 weeks is overly indulgent... it's not.
People I met, episode 5: Dutch couple in the grey corolla
I struck up a conversation with the couple in the tent closest to me at the holiday park in Fox Glacier. They said they were a bit jealous of my cycling; they were avid cyclists at home but had opted to drive around New Zealand in a car that they bought and would sell at the end of their trip. It turned out that they had seen me several times on the road, including my very first day in New Zealand 10 days earlier on the ferry. I ran into them again a few days later outside of Wanaka.
Key takeaway #5: The South Island of New Zealand is a small, small world.
Quote of the trip
The pleasant older couple I sat next to in the helicopter trip up over the Fox Glacier were from Britain and pleasant enough to chat with. I suppose it's a good thing that I didn't respond with a more sarcastic or witty remark to her question - she was really too sweet to deserve anything other than an honest response to her question: Have you heard of Scotland?
Here's the thing: The fact that this woman asked this question must mean that she has met someone, likely an American, who hasn't heard of Scotland. (Excuse me while I shed a tear).
People I met, episode 6: Redundant banker from NYC
I don't think I ever got her name, but we (my hiking buddies for the day, Nigel and Jonas) ran into her on the shuttle from Mt. Aspiring National Park back to Wanaka. We ran into her again that night in the restaurant where we met up for beers. Fulfilling the stereotype of a Manhattanite perfectly, she was donning high heels and very chatty. It turned out that she had been "made redundant", and, not unlike myself, had decided to take advantage of the opportunity to travel. Her approach to her months of travel, however, was pretty much the opposite of mine. She was spending about 2 weeks in each country that she was visiting, going on guided tours in each country.
"I just don't have time to plan these things myself," she lamented.
This concept has been keeping me laughing for weeks now. Seriously? When you're unemployed, it turns out that you have plenty of time to plan trips. Unless I'm missing something. Or just unfairly biased against tour busses.
People I met, episode 7: Whit, The long-term traveller
"Looks kind of windy out there today," was the unassuming start to our conversation. Little did I know that it would turn out that this quiet, older man with the looks of Hemmingway and attitude of Buddha had been travelling the world for SIX YEARS.
I didn't ask too many questions, but he did relate that he had sold two businesses, his house, car, and possessions from his life in Houston for a life on the road.
And he didn't want to go back.
Tired of a life in overly-material Houston and the United States, he said he was "trying to figure out how to travel for the rest of his life."
Assuming that he meant that he was trying to figure out how to finance such a life, I asked him if he had any ideas on how he was going to make this happen. But apparently he was talking more about the emotional and mental side of things.
"What do you like most about travel?" I asked him.
"The ability to reinvent myself at each place I stay."
I had to leave to catch a ride to Wanaka and our conversation was cut short long before I wanted to finish talking to him. Was he really tired of the United States or just Houston? What did he really mean about re-inventing himself? Did he feel like he was accomplishing anything with his life of travel? Did he feel like he was missing out on opportunities that a permanent location would offer? And of course: what was the meaning of life?
Lesson learned: If I ever run into a man named Whit from Houston again, I will cancel my plans, sit, ask questions, and listen.
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