I just opened up my calendar app thinking I’d count the days I’ve been in New Zealand but it turns out I need to count the weeks. It’s been seven. Time is a very strange thing. Sometimes a week feels like a month or a month feels like a week. I’ve been experiencing the latter and I’m so happy to be back on my laptop, sitting in a cozy chair on a rainy Monday, ready to tell you about it.

New Zealand was high on my list but I couldn’t tell you any specific reason why other than the fact that it’s New Zealand. When I imagined this country before arriving, all I could envision was stunning nature: rolling green hills that meet the sea scattered with sheep… and that’s exactly what I’ve arrived to. Although New Zealand is actually the most “east” you can go, I was nervous to be coming back into the western world. New Zealand is significantly influenced by the British, from colonization, and is greatly impacted with immigration from Europeans. Whenever I’ve spent long periods of time in eastern countries (studying in South Africa, teaching in Thailand and now my backpacking through Tanzania, India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Indonesia), I’ve experienced quite a shock when getting back into the western world. The hussle of it, the intense individualism and the focus on capital and profit. It’s funny how structure and organization can feel so foreign after living in the complexity and free flow of the east. On the flight from Bali to Auckland I felt my stomach getting tight, some nervousness about entering back into “society” after my barefoot, hair down, no–license–for–a–moped, broken English, $2 noodles for dinner every night kind of lifestyle. Turns out New Zealand is the most barefoot friendly place I’ve been to and it only took me a week to get back on a moped. The “hussle” I was so anxious about actually doesn’t exist. The locals (they’re known as “kiwis”) and the travelers this gem of a country attracts are some of the most down to earth people I’ve come across. There’s a laid backness that is centered around nature and being in it. New Zealand would be a backpackers paradise if it weren’t for one thing: the costs. It’s safe, it’s stunning, it’s welcoming, public transit is pretty easy to use and if it’s not available, you can just hitchhike. This is actually a very common way to get around.



But yeah, back to the costs. My backpacking budget serves me well in developing countries but in New Zealand I’m faced with a different financial situation, and I’m not the only one. I knew the only way I can travel in New Zealand is to find work for cash or in exchange for accommodation. Before I left Indonesia I emailed around ten yoga studios to see if they’d hire me short term. One got back to me, which was the most magical coincidence because it was a) the one I wanted and b) in the same town as one of my best friends I’ve met on my travels: Mimi. I met Mimi and Ailish, two Irish besties, at my yoga teacher training in India in November 2023. We traveled together in Sri Lanka after, and when Mimi and Ailish got their working holiday visas for New Zealand they came all the way down and I kept traveling to Vietnam and Thailand. When we said our goodbyes I just knew I’d be seeing them again. I was so happy to see a familiar face, an amazing friend, in a new place. Mimi introduced me to all of her friends in Raglan. They love Mimi, I love Mimi, now we’re all friends. I instantly had a community.

Mimi has been living in Raglan for months now and she warned me that I’d fall in love with it and never want to leave. The warning didn’t matter though because that’s exactly what happened. On the north island of New Zealand, Raglan is tucked away in a bay on the west coast and is known for some of the best surf breaks in the world along volcanic black sand beaches. It attracts travelers from near and far and once you come you really never want to leave, it’s happened to me and I’ve already seen it happen to the people I’ve met that are just “passing through”. And man, did I get a good deal here.






Outside the small town of Raglan there is a special place on the foothills called Solscape. Solscape is like an eco retreat that gives a camp-like experience paired with surf and yoga. I’m working in the garden for 2 hours a day, five days a week in exchange for a free bed. I also teach yoga a couple of times a week and occasionally work in the pizza cafe on site for a little bit of extra cash. There are consistently around 10 other volunteers here, constantly coming and going, but always a solid crew. Family feeling. We’re a group of Germans, Spaniards, French, British, Brazilian, Italian, Canadians and Americans (again, I’m the only one). We sleep in the “volunteer shack” which is a surf shack that we put some beds into. This feels like adult summer camp. I couldn’t ask for a better situation to end up in. Especially over Christmas.







On Christmas Eve we had a massive potluck and bonfire and then on Christmas Day we went to watch the surfers at our favorite surf spot. This was followed by another potluck at the hostel Mimi is working/living at. My holidays were filled with good company, sunshine, music, and laughs. This was the perfect remedy to missing the snow along with my friends and family at home. And the best part was, Mimi and I spent last Christmas together in Sri Lanka and now here we are, together again in New Zealand. What a full circle moment.






For Christmas I got myself a surfboard and a moped. Both of these will be sold when I leave New Zealand, but this really felt like a big step for me on my travels. It’s like I’m putting some roots into the ground. Both give me freedom, freedom to surf whenever I please and ability to get around town without having to hitchhike every time. I’m living in a surfergirl’s paradise and not taking it for granted. I get the same giddy feeling on my surfboard as I do when I ski and I would have never guessed that the feeling of wind and speed combined with the elements of nature could be transferable from snow to sea. My first surf in raglan was actually around midnight under the full moon. It was so bright that we could see the waves and I could even see my red toe nail polish in the water as I sat on my board. I’m having a blast you guys.







I have my Mimi in Raglan, but I still needed to see Ailish before she finishes her time in New Zealand and leaves for Australia. We decided that the perfect way to do this was to meet up over new years on the South Island for a music festival: Twisted Frequency. Solscape gave me some time off. I packed up my backpack, borrowed camping gear and headed south. I’ve never been to a music festival before and I didn’t even know what to expect other than I’ve heard that New Zealand puts on some of the best music festivals in the world. Getting from Raglan to Abel Tasman National Park where the festival is held is no easy mission. It involves more than 12 hours of driving and a 4 hour long ferry. For weeks, even days leading up to the festival I had no idea how I’d get down there but somehow I just knew it would work out. That’s a cool thing I’ve learned in 2024: It always works out. Couple of days before the festival I got a message from my friend Maurice, who I met while working in the garden at Solscape during my first few days in Raglan. Maurice left Solscape to do some more traveling on the North Island. He decided last minute to get a ticket for the festival and said he’d give me a ride in the converted van he is currently living in. Perfect.

Maurice is from Germany and used to be a shaman. He’s done enough ayahuasca to keep up with the indigenous people in places like Colombia or Peru. Hewent down this path for years but has recently burned all of his shamanic belongings and devoted himself to Christianity. You can imagine we had a lot of interesting conversations during our road trip.

After many hours in the van and a fridge accident that left leaking ground beef juice all over my sleeping bag, we arrived at the valley of Twisted Frequency. This festival hosts 4,000 people from around the world for underground music and art. Five days. Four stages. 24 hours of non stop music every day. No cell service. No showers. Just tents and vans scattered along the grassy bank of a small river that streams some of the highest quality drinking water in the world.

We arrived around 9pm on the evening of the opening day. Ailish and some other friends from Raglan arrived the day before, I had no way of contacting them but I was determined to find them. When we got closer to the festival we found ourselves in a line of cars that seemed to have no end. Someone told us that it would be another FOUR HOURS of waiting to get in. Maurice instantly began turning around, he decided that he would rather find somewhere to camp nearby and come back tomorrow but I was determined to find my friends and was too excited about my first music festival to wait any longer. I grabbed my backpack, my tent, my sleeping bag and mattress and began to walk 4 miles to the festival entrance. I was cheered on by the cars I passed and made enough friends though rolled down windows that I ended up seeing familiar faces throughout the festival. I arrived to the entrance of the festival and had to lie and say I was working there so they would let me through to the front of the line (mom, I blame you for this kind of sneaky behavior … but thanks). Arriving at a festival on the evening of the first night, alone, was quite the experience. I set up my camping gear in one of the last spots available, very close to one of the stages that was blaring psytrance. Then I went on a solo mission to find my friends. I was feeling hopeful that out of the 4,000 people maybe I could find Ailish. I started asking people “do you know an Irish girl, Ailish? She’s small but firey and sings Irish pub chants when she drinks more than 2 beers”. I had many answers but none led me to her. Someone told me that last year, at the same festival, they lost their friends and it took them two whole days to find them again. After many laps around the four stages I decided that I’d give up. Then I did what the 80 year old woman that lives inside of me would do: I crawled into my tent, made myself a tea and read my book until I fell asleep with music blasting so loud outside that the walls of my tent were shaking.
The next morning I unzipped my door, walked out a bit and there was Ailish sitting and having a coffee right below where I made camp. We ran to each other like a movie scene, screaming and jumping like little girls. The last time I saw her was after New Year’s together in Sri Lanka and the odds of us running into each other in this giant valley were slim. We moved my tent over to her camp and this began one of the best New Years experiences I’ll have in my lifetime. The music was nonstop. The bonds I made with these incredible and unique individuals are forever and the little sleep I experienced was worth every dance, swim in the stream and conversation. If Woodstock was smaller and in 2025, we all agreed it would feel like this. At midnight, the first moments of 2025, it hit me that we are the first in the world to experience the new year. I thought about everyone I love at home, and that in 19 hours this moment will hit them too and I said a little prayer in my mind and to the stars that they feel as happy to be alive as I do tonight.


The five days came to an end and we didn’t know what to do with ourselves. Firstly, because we didn’t want this experience to end and none of us could bear the thought of parting ways. Secondly, the ferries back to the north island, that Ailish and I will take to get back to Raglan together to see Mimi and resume my work, were cancelled due to poor weather conditions. Maurice had a genius idea: let’s go camping. This is the part where I apologize to my family for going completely off the grid for almost two weeks…. I didn’t know we wouldn’t reach cell service again.

We packed our things and headed to Anatori River to camp. It’s that swirly part of the northwest region of the South Island. Free, off grid camping. There is a fun combination of outdoorsy Kiwis that come for fishing and hunting and then hippie Europeans that come for swimming in the stream and living off the radar. We stayed for four nights. fishing, hiking, bonfires, so many talented people putting on little concerts for us. I hadn’t touched my phone in over a week at this point and had no desire to do so. I felt like a kid again. Nothing to distract me, no extra entertainment, no news, no overload of information, just the peace of being here and now. Suddenly my mind was clear. I’ve been riding this no phone wave for awhile and I’m trying to figure out how or if I’ll integrate it back in.







When we decided it was time to head back into civilization, and the cell service returned, my phone was buzzing with messages and missed calls. My poor sister was so worried about me that she called every hostel in the South Island asking if I was there. Luckily she called one where a friend from the festival was staying and knew where I was and that I was safe. Sorry Ali, mom, Grandma, Aunties and Myah… Next time I’ll give you a heads up if it's possible i'll go MIA. I guess I’m lucky to have people that worry… even when I’m in the second safest country in the world.

Ailish and I hitchhiked, took a ferry and few busses back to Raglan where I was welcomed back with hugs like I’m coming home. The surf was on, I got back into teaching yoga and working in the garden and I have to say I am one happy girl to be here. I actually plan to stay at Solscape until March, I’m not sure what I’ll do after but I want to host my sister here for her spring break at the end of February.. Alison, if you’re reading this, GET YOUR PASSPORT.


All my love from the other side of the Pacific Ocean,
Han
Love reading about your travels! I can’t get past the part about the leaky ground beef…. Ugh! 🤢
Stay safe Hannah! Love you!