15:49, Monday, Feb. 06, 2017
New Zealand was good. It was great to have all my good friends just hanging with them and they got along really well which I'm happy about. I did so much, probably things I wouldn't have done if I went with just my family or another person. I like how being in a group pushes you to do things that you might not try alone - sort of like positive peer pressure?
If I could change a few things in hindsight - it would be:
1) I know better now
2) Withdraw all the car/accom money from the atm on arrival to save $$
3) Bring more jackets/sweaters
4) Hit a few more towns and do some towny stuff like eat out
5) Get new car models for rent
Some things which surprisingly turned out better than expected:
1) The car rental place in Queenstown - it was a damn fine car
2) The accommodation
3) Rotorua
Side conclusion: It was really nice and I'm heaps glad I went, but I don't feel like its a place to go back to again after hitting all those spots. I feel like its quite similar to Australia - at least how it was maybe 10-20 years ago? - except with less people and less immigrants and more mountains and lakes. I think I prefer going places with greater culture differences so I really feel like I'm somewhere new and away from home.
Side note: just passed my Ps test! Feel like all I had to do to get it was just to do it lol. I'm just glad I followed through and got shit done.