While I love my Canadian city, I can hardly wait to go someplace else. As often as possible. Especially in the wintertime. Not to live, mind you; just to visit.
As I sit here in minus 30 degree temperatures, swirling snow banking into huge white drifts against my front door, my car, and my emotions, I yearn for the friendly Down Under temperatures of the places from which I have just returned.
Down Under (Australia and New Zealand), being located in the Southern Hemisphere, is currently experiencing its summer (January), with warm sunny days, and bright blue skies. While here in the northern part of the Northern Hemisphere, our bright blue skies are usually accompanied by blood-freezing temperatures, well below anything most people can even comprehend.
Cold weather is a good reason for travelling – just ask the Canadian “snowbirds” that migrate to the warmer climes of California, Florida, and Arizona every fall (they even have their own website). But then I travel in the summertime, too, when temperatures are very comfortable.
Why?
Because without travel I think I would die, or at least become very ill. And I am not alone in that disease.
I am often asked how one becomes a “professional traveler.” I don’t believe one does “become” such an entity; I believe either you are a traveler, or you aren’t. It has nothing to do with available time, or income; it has to do with something deeply-entrenched in your soul. It’s that same thing that drove ancient explorers to leave solid land and venture out into the vast oceans, in search of the unknown. I tell people that had I been born several hundred years ago, I would have pretended to be a man, just to get onboard one of those explorer ships.
I don’t have to pretend anything today, however; I just need both the time and money enabling me to get the heck out of here. But a shortage of those things never stands in the way of a true sojourner. That’s what home equity loans are for! (My husband and I use ours frequently; it allows us to grab travel deals we otherwise might not be able to afford.) But again, being a professional traveler has nothing to do with income.
I have met many professional travelers, some draped in jewels and expensive luggage, their fingers encrusted in diamonds; some with nary a dime to their name. One such seemingly hapless lad was sitting on the cobblestones near the tracks, in the Dunedin, NZ railway station. When I stopped to ask him where he was going, he replied simply, “I don’t know. I’m just going.” As a kindred spirit, I knew exactly what he meant. Have backpack, will travel.
New Zealand and Australia are two countries that cater to both the well-heeled, and the budget-conscious traveler, like the backpacker. I was stunned to see how many cities and towns have hotels, hostels, transportation, and specials geared especially to the backpacker or low-budget traveler. Many websites are geared to making your low budget travel adventure perfect, regardless of your age. Many seniors rough it around in the Down Under countries, too.
But alas, I must catch up with my day-to-day committments first — deadlines must be met, classes taught, grandchildren visited, and promises kept before I head out on my next great adventure (I am going to try my hand at deep sea fishing off the coast of Texas).
And then after that?
Maybe a South Africa safari. Or a trip to see Right whales near South America. Or maybe a river cruise up the Amazon. Or…well, who knows? Just so long as it’s someplace – that isn’t here.
Cheers,
Sheree Zielke
In 1931, Napier’s buildings were destroyed in an earthquake, and subsequent fire. If you are into geological history, visit the Hawke’s Bay museum on the Marine Parade (Napier’s main street) for all the details, and photographs of the event. Following the town’s destruction, immediate rebuilding of the area took place leading to an abundance of charming homes and office buildings created in the art deco style. 
There were numerous ways to get there, but we chose the $5 Airport Bus (the driver supplied us with $2 discount coupons, too).
in order to survive the wind chills in the room.
the mini TV sets in the headrest; they offer recent TV shows and movies to help pass the time. 
An elegant woman reminds us that we should go to tea. Tea? Okay. What’s at tea? Oh my…tiny cucumber sandwiches, tiny lobster pastries and mushroom quiches, lemon-drop cookies, and moist chocolate squares, oh, and yes, tea. Spoiled fat sparrows eye our tasty repast (we are seated outside on a patio overlooking a garden). Their fat bellies suggest they have dined on tea sandwiches before, and so I oblige and share a crumb of my sandwich.
Napier town has something for everyone. Miniature golf, great shopping, restaurants, an ocean spa, a museum, botanical gardens, a skate park, and great architectural scenery (Napier’s downtown was destroyed in a fire in 1931, so rebuilding was done in Art Deco style.)
From here we moved on down the road to a smaller winery, 