Nowra

Reeling from the Northland summer I'd just been so blessed with, I was ready for my first overseas adventure. It was May 2016, and for the next couple of weeks it was going to be sandy beaches, kookaburras, and Australians.
I packed up my purple macpac rucksack, and took my first solo flight from Auckland to Sydney. I saw this trip as somewhat of a warm-up before the long haul.

In Sydney I was met by my wonderful cousins, and Aunty. The Brooks had been a constant fixture throughout my entire life. They were our second cousins, and we'd spend at least one day a week with them since I was born.
While I was in high school, they'd made the trip over to live in Sydney, which had rocked us all quite a bit. It had always been the 6 of us, 3 Brooks boys, 3 Holder kids. That all changed when they left, and when my sister had gone to uni.
It was so good to see them again, and get to be in their house in Sydney. Even though they were in a totally different place, the house still felt like the Brooks' house. Aunty Jessie made so much delicious food while I was there, most memorably for me a homemade mango ice cream that blew my socks off.

Their neighbourhood, Beecroft, was leafy and tropical, and their housing complex even had a tennis court and pool. It felt like being on holiday at a resort. They took me out to eat all over the city, to their favourite spots. I couldn't believe how far they were willing to drive, or rather, how much traffic they were willing to sit in, to get to a good place to eat.

I then took the train down to Bomaderry, where Kia came to pick me up. Kia was the beautiful Australian friend I'd made whilst working at the Ahipara Holiday Park. I'd heard so much about her neck of the woods here, it was so exciting to come and visit. Huge change of scene from my cousins and Sydney.
She lived with her parents in a gorgeous little beach town, across the road from a super clear estuary which meandered its way down to the ocean at a place called Huskisson.
Their place was so crisp and sophisticated. We made prawn summer rolls and drank white wine, enjoying easeful and stimulating conversations.

Kia took me all around over the next days, to some of the most stunning beaches. We went for a little mini surf, with her helping me catch the little waves. I loved the distinct Australian energy of the landscape. She showed me some of the whitest sand in the world.
We went to the jetty at Huskisson, where a bunch of local boys were jumping off into the crystal clear water. At some point they all yelled to wait, and I saw the most gigantic black shadow cruising in to mosey around the wharf. An enormous stingray, I couldn't believe my eyes, or how chill they were all acting about it. Just a normality for them!

One of the days Kia and I took paddleboards all the way up the estuary. It was such a stunning mission. We saw so many fish and various colours in the clear, life-rich water. Another day we went in her family's boat up the estuary and went past what appeared to be some kind of corporate team-building exercise with about 10 people trying to balance on a stupidly giant paddleboard. They all fell in the water, which was pretty hilarious.

I have just such fond memories of staying with Kia. They had one of those blow-up spa pools, in which we basked at sunset, chatting and listening to music, sipping wine. I saw kangaroos poking around the front yards along the street, which excited me greatly.

When I got back to Sydney, I caught up for a one-on-one day with Jason, the middle of the Brooks' boys. We went to Chinatown and ate some incredible dumplings, whilst talking about so many aspects of life that we couldn't talk with the others about. I felt so happy we had each other, outside of the church bubble, living lives that weren't strictly acceptable to the world we came from.

We rented bikes and rode around the Opera House and surrounds. That was a fun mission. The Sydney Harbour really was a sight to behold.
Eventually it was time to return to NZ. I remember the last meal with the Brooks being at a super delicious Malaysian restaurant, and I think I had nasi lemak.

Even just this short time abroad, a taster of things to come, had had such a profound impact on me. I felt the tingling of a particular kind of freedom. One I'd fought to chase.
And the road less travelled was about to launch me to a quaint town nestled in Southern Germany.Read more