{"id":385,"date":"2015-06-25T23:39:29","date_gmt":"2015-06-25T23:39:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nickispenblog.wordpress.com\/?p=385"},"modified":"2026-02-19T22:00:08","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T22:00:08","slug":"the-journey-north","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nickispen.com\/index.php\/2015\/06\/25\/the-journey-north\/","title":{"rendered":"The Journey North"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

So after finally feeling completely settled in Wanaka with some great friends, a lovely home and a job, I am once again heading off to a new location. Why would I leave when I finally have everything I’ve been working for over the past few weeks? It turns out I was successful in my application for a rental attendant job at Mt Ruapehu, another of New Zealand’s ski locations. Only this one happens to be on the north island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, with the opportunity to be fully immersed in winter season life, with a free season pass, free rentals and a job in the industry, it is too good an opportunity to pass up!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And so begins my exit plan from the beautiful Wanaka. Only a few days into my bakery job I had to hand in my one week notice and after enjoying my own private room for less than two weeks I have notified my housemates that I will be leaving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It became a week for goodbyes as Cece, my longest running travel buddy and friend since leaving England, left Wanaka to begin her next New Zealand adventure. It’s been a great couple of months, working on the farm together, walking the Queen Charlotte Track, travelling down through the south island and enjoying our life and friends in Wanaka. Although I was really sad to see her go, used to her just being around, it was time for her next adventure, working as a weekend hostel manager for the next two months. I am also satisfied with the thought I will see her again some day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soon it was time for my own exit from town. It was more rushed and unexpected than imagined as I had to leave a day early due to a snowstorm heading our way. Adele was my saviour, driving me to Queenstown that evening so I could be sure to reach the airport the following morning. It was quite emotional saying goodbye to the good friends I made, I had the strange feeling I was once again leaving home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not having left Wanaka (excepting excursions for walks) in a month and a half, I felt a strange sense of culture shock as we drove into the bright lights and bustle of Queenstown. Having become accustomed to the more rural life I was happy in the knowledge I was on the way to another, even more remote, location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The dramatic state of transit continued the next day when plane after plane was cancelled due to bad weather. I headed to the airport regardless, just hoping mine was one of the few to leave that day and it was! I was soon safely in Auckland and the next morning began the final leg of my journey to Mt Ruapehu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
The view from my new home!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

So after finally feeling completely settled in Wanaka with some great friends, a lovely home and a job, I am once again heading off to a new location. Why would I leave when I finally have everything I’ve been working for over the past few weeks? It turns out I was successful in my application … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3180,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[394,395,20,391],"tags":[183,188],"class_list":["post-385","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-backpacking","category-living-abroad","category-new-zealand","category-solo-travel","tag-newzealand","tag-north-island","latest_post"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nickispen.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/385","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nickispen.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nickispen.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nickispen.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nickispen.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=385"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nickispen.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/385\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3178,"href":"https:\/\/nickispen.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/385\/revisions\/3178"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nickispen.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3180"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nickispen.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=385"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nickispen.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=385"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nickispen.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=385"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}