After a year in Australia, I felt ready for a deeper exploration of myself. I became fluent, hitch-hiked a lot, stayed at a few people's house and reduced my need of plans. This two months trip New Zealand will push me to my limits to see how long I can be comfortable without having friends around me nor precise goals. In other words: how long am I comfortable only with myself and how long can I wander?
My main goal is to discover my adaptability in any kind of situation. Therefore I only booked 2 flights and no accommodation:
Sydney Christchurch
Christchurch Melbourne
Not making plans means no mental projection about your near future. You can be anywhere at anytime. You'll get somewhere at some point but you don't know how and when. You don't even know when you gonna find water, where and what you gonna eat, who you gonna meet, where you gonna sleep, ... You escape time and space. Each second, each action becomes an unique surprise in a lifetime and you can change your mind anytime. Even though you're moving, you're released from your kinetic energy. It's the real taste of freedom.
This trip is also a long term experience about kindness in this world and how you feel after you've shared just several hours with people you didn't know before and probably won't see ever again after. I want to believe in Human although profit and individualism changed human beings into a weird specie. Of course it's easier to say this in a country where war doesn't go on and where foreigners are not seen like "walking wallets". Being positive about Humans doesn't mean being naive. Confidence reinforces your own safety and makes you a lot harder to arm. Daylight will reinforce your security. Knowledge of the dark aspects of the country you're exploring will also protect you (drug, mafia, sex business, rights between men/women). It makes the whole difference between security and insecurity.
There is also something I realized later in Peru where I aimed the same goals. Peru is more exposed to personal aggressions than New Zealand. When you are in a country were bad things happen often (gangs, robbery and murder are common in Peru) , people are bond with each other and they want to protect you from dark events going on in their country. You will be really easy to spot in those countries.
As soon as you'll interact with people in daylight in their mother tongue, you will always be safe.
This quest took form near the end of my Grasshopper Travel trip. I wanted to live the exact opposite of this touristic experience where everything was scheduled from first day. Also, I really wanna live a mountain bike adventure. In a year I only rode a mountain bike twice (around Perth and Cairns). At first I thought it would be a lot easier to get a bicycle directly in New Zealand but I had no idea where to buy it at a good price and where to leave my luggages (I had 2 backpacks: the main one is 70L, the second one 35L). After I hitch-hiked from Katoomba to Thredbo (I followed the mountain's call) I managed to work for a bicycle shop in Jindabyne for a month.
On my departure date I had no bike yet and I was flying the next week. When I exposed this fact to Martin and Nicolas (the two boss of the bike shop ) they told me: "Why don't you get your bike here? We offer you supplier's price minus your salary. You won't get any better deal". They were right. Luckily Tommy (who's this guy?) doesn't mind about the bike in his car for the lift to Sydney.
Now I only have one last thing to solve: what should I do with my two backpacks? Five and a half hours separate us from Sydney and I need to find a solution within this time. After several hours I have an idea: I'm gonna take my 35L backpack called "Only One" to store everything I need and I will leave my other backpack in Tommy's car and ask him to drop it back to Jindabyne where I plan to go back for the winter season in six months.
I forgot to mention something truly important here! Although I worked for Sacred ride in Jindabyne, I also worked at Thredbo as a house keeper in exchange of free food and accommodation where I replaced someone who was going on holidays a few days after my arrival. The managers of the Sylver Brumby (Emma and Nicolas) offered me a position for the winter season because they like me and I'm reliable.
Fun fact: the 2 Nicolas know each other and met in Jindabyne. They are both Swiss and they realized they grew up in the same neighborhood without knowing each other before.
Everything is now set. I have a high-end mountain bike, Only One backpack and no plans for the next six months!
Let's go on an adventure!