Wise Words of a Native

I am a true believer in the idea that we meet specific people within our lifetime that give us words of wisdom for certain reasons at specific times. And so I often find comfort in conversations with strangers… although I always attempt to make sure I’m not coming across any super sketch strangers… but just the idea that someone unknown has felt inclined to share a thought with me that day, makes me think there must be some kind of backing to it somewhere in our universe. 

Perhaps these strangers aren’t strangers at all. Their long lost friends or friends that have somehow crossed our path after crossing the path of another loved one through a connection we would have never predicted.

For me, this person is Janet. A true New Zealander down to the bone who I can most confidently say I would have never met had it not been for me moving all the way across the world to now reside in this country for whatever reason I chose to do so some time ago. 

Back to Janet: A good friend of a member of my family and a beautiful person herself. After hearing of my move over here, without hesitation, and having never met me, she scooped me up from my new home, whisked me away to a beautiful NZ town a little ways away and showed me a few parts of this country that meant something to her. And along the way she showered me with native New Zealand tidbits and facts to fill my mind with wisdom that no tourist would ever receive from their expense paid nature hike. I felt blessed to have come across this woman so early in my trip here.

After dining at a beautiful cafe that over-looked the greenery encompassed ocean, we ventured on to the Arataki Visitor Centre where she insisted on me picking up every brochure of things to do on the North island. And so I did. As we walked through the building she pointed out every bird on the wall and gave me a short synopses of the kind of sound they make and the personality they possessed. It was amazing what she had in that memory of hers! There’s not much I could personally say I remember about all the birds here other than there are quite a few of them, some are apparently very friendly while others are predators who have been known to eat small children, but I found her bird-watching knowledge quite interesting. I also learned about large bugs and a small lizard that is apparently a direct descendant of the dinosaurs. 

 

As our tour ventured on we walked down a greenery nature hike past closed gates and signs that told us the trail was no longer open. I suppose that was okay though.. she at least seemed confident enough to make it okay. The walk was beautiful. Just gushing with green and moist trees that grew so tall overhead. And then out of no where was this railroad. Just placed down in the middle of the leaves and dirt. Apparently there’s a train that goes through there somewhat regularly but hadn’t been running for a while.

It was amazing to see something like this straight in the middle of nature. As if wood nymphs had built it or something. It made me feel like I’m normally surrounded by all of the man made things that claim beauty over everything else as if they deserve it because a human made it, and never had I once felt beauty from nature itself because of the smaller thing that was built to accentuate it. Of course I realize humans made this railroad track… But it wasn’t made to overtake the greenery, it was placed simplistically to accent it. As well as serving as an easier route to show people the beauty of what was around it. 

Just gorgeous that’s all I have to say. And the best part was when we stopped on the track and Janet went scavenging through the bushes to find a cave with glow worms in it. Just pulled off the side of the trail, stuck her head in the forest and claimed “this is it!” I couldn’t help but laugh watching her do that. 

Although we couldn’t see much of the glow worms and I was not exactly dressed to be scavenging through bushes, I had so much fun exploring the path that day. And I can not wait to go back. I quickly realized how important it is for me to bring tennis shoes wherever I go nowadays. 

And especially when I’m with Janet. There’s no telling what she will be up to next !