Ye Rugby World Cup overfloweth...

And so it was... 

The Rugby World Cup 2011.

Done, over, finished, completed, at an end but at a really good one. The boys in Black, namely New Zealand's prized All Blacks took away the golden William Webb Ellis trophy that has eluded the nation for the past 24 years. The country collectively held its breath, the clock ticked over and the partying started and did not stop until the early, or late hours the following morning. 

I think this week the whole  country is still recovering and the 'what-if's' are just not worth thinking about, so we won't. It will take a wee while to sink in, let alone for the players all and those people around the world who have devoted the best part of 3 years to making it happen. 

After all and as someone said yesterday on the radio, "they don't engrave the scores on the Cup."

The competition was incredible. It was a battle, but a great one - full of intense rivalries, hard fought games, narrow wins, an empowering public, a welcoming nation and what's now been dubbed 'the best World Cup ever.'

There could not have been a better way to finish such a superb event here in New Zealand than with the win but not only was it about the rugby (and the fact that we won it) but also about the way Kiwi's embraced our overseas, visiting friends. It was a humbling sight to see - and it happened all around the country in even the smallest towns. 

Our travelers who were here at the time (and some who are still lingering on as the vibe is only very slowly returning to normal) have all told us that the energy, the openness, the willingness to go that extra mile, the smiles, the support (for whatever colours one's wearing) has ensured they all walk away from our shores with a sense of New Zealand and its people. What more can you ask for...?

Well done Kiwi's and well done to all of you who made the loyal effort to come down to our shores to support your home teams. We have no doubt you enjoyed all aspects of your time here, hope you stay in touch and come back to our shores in 24 years time when we host it again (we're just putting it out there!)...

And now onto summer and all the La Nina goodness it brings. Apparently it's going to be another long, hot one like last year... Ahhhh, those are the words we like to hear. Come on down - the water's fine.

Ka Kite Ano.

It’s just one of those things I think – the need to write down your thoughts, especially when in places as juxtaposed as Nepal and the world they call third…

Incredibly beautiful, insanely polluted, defyingly peaceful, super busy and all in a country the size of England and Wales put together. Motorbikes, horn-honking, Namaste’s and dhal bhat, this Himalayan country is amazing no matter how you look at it.

Despite its mountainous western reputation (whatever that may be), few people realize that Nepal is one of the world’s poorest nations, with the GDP being only USD400 per annum… And here I am earning that sum in 3 days to merely be here ‘researching.’ It just doesn’t seem just. The best thing about this unjust however is the good old dose of reality to bring your beliefs (and therefore issues) into perspective. I can’t imagine what some of these people would think when rolling up to our modest Auckland property with its roof actually on, running water (yep, both hot and cold) ‘on tap’ so to speak and the neatly manicured lawn out the back.

Juxtaposition - it’s something that’s made me smile while hiking through these incredibly basic, mountainside villages with the Nepali smiles being the first thing you see…

As I sit here typing on the free wi-fi at one of the many local restaurants, a thought comes back to me that I’ve been trying to pinpoint over the last few days. It’s a feeling in the pit of my stomach but I’ll try to put it in words…

When I was that younger, ‘invincible’ 22yo being (and I’m sure most of us, read Westerners understand), when traveling alone I was at my most free - happy and free actually. There was no one else to really have to deal with, you always met people along the way but ultimately it was your way of seeing the world, at your pace. And I really, really loved it. I still do however now, there are small differences that make it harder and on reflection about that said gut feeling, I think it’s -

A)   I’m in love – great, but not having that lover with you experiencing the very essence of these amazing places is hard

B)   It’s not my travel I’m doing now but travel for, and on behalf of others

C)   The level of responsibility as a result is quite large which I feel detracts from my own level of travel nirvana…

I find it takes more time. It takes time to settle into being alone, it takes time to tell yourself that you’re okay and can only do what you can do (for others) and it takes time to try to relay what you’re seeing each day to those you love.

Don’t get me wrong… Time away from others is amazing and incredibly necessary in this day and age to maintain ones independence and sanity - that really is something I think more people need. So, when I get it I do relish it, eventually. And once that happens, it becomes so crystal clear…

This life of mine (ours) is nothing short of phenomenal and it’s through absolute privilege slash luxury slash self-creation-after-an-amazing-life-start, that I get to have the experiences and therefore these opportunistic world views that I have.

I really do wish that every person on this globe could have the opportunities that I have however on Nepali reflection, perhaps the fact that these people have not had exactly that is the sole reason they simply smile and offer me their genuine Namaste’s…

Habits are hard to form

Don't worry, I've seen that it's been over a year (almost to the day) since posting a blog. They are just hard to create I reckon, and I mean habits not blogs. So much has happened since then I don't know where to begin but I'll start with...

Skiing during New Zealand's winter last year (which was absolutely superb at Treble Cone) was the start to what has since then, been an amazing year. The snow fell, the turns were made and the apres-ski was had and you know the best thing? It's all just kicked in again for this winter so with luck I'll get amongst.

Come October 2010 and Bhutan was next on the list, as I was guiding some pretty high-rollers over in that mystical and ancient world of Central Asia. It most definitely seeped into my veins and was a hard place to leave however it looks like there could be a re-visiting option again soon which is highly exciting... The amazing people and their culture, the untouched nature of their Himalayan mountain peaks and chiming 'chortens' with prayer flags flapping those prayers skyward - makes you remember how young our lovely New Zealand really is.

A fantastic summer followed awhich felt like it lasted for about a decade... It was hot, stayed hot and just generally gave us Auckland folk a new meaning to the term 'Indian Summer'. If that's the case again this year, we'll be laughing all the way to the beach.

On a slightly more serious note, there was however quite the hiccup with the devastating Christchurch earthquake and all the damage that Mother Nature's carnage caused. It was quite the ordeal being in the heart of the city centre when it struck - narrowly escaping the collapsed building facade I was walking out of and seeing the Cathedral Spire crash down into Cathedral Square with a few lucky escapes that followed... Everyone has a story that was there and the effects are still being felt. They are a resilient bunch those Cantabs and the shakes are now apparently subsiding - famous last words but fingers are well and truly crossed...

The summer wrap up came and went with Kiwi Does It being extremely busy (to be expected with such an amazing country to show-off) and then Easter too, with the odd egg or two being consumed. Normally it's up around 15 - 20 however for some reason this year there was discipline...

So now, with less than 2 months out from the Rugby World Cup and a lot of international travel on the cards, saying it's all go is an understatement... Other than the price gouging that some New Zealand accommodation providers are stupidly doing and the odd, controversial stadium-jab here and there, it's shaping up to be a great event and one that I'm sure will do great things for our small, Kiwi economy. An event that size can't help but create a buzz and Auckland will be no exception - it's already starting.

Rugby aside, we have lots of clients gearing up to trip around the country on either side of their booked seats for the games and the whole country will love the opportunity to look after our travelers from abroad.

The travel industry never sleeps, which is precisely why it's an exciting industry to be part of. While the travel and the people-meets are all important, it's always nice to just get home, take it all in and work out how you can best improve your services through the new skills and experiences that you've just had.

Which is why I need more hands on deck - watch this space and I promise it won't be another year before writing another 'web-blog'... Too many good things are happening!

Rob