After 10 days in Vanuatu, we spent a final three days back in New Zealand. We’ve been traveling for more than 2 months, but our trip was starting to wind down.

Our apartment in Auckland is the 20th place we’ve slept since arriving at the start of June. We’ve made sure to take pictures of the various places we’d laid our heads. In each spot, the girls held up fingers to count. As we reached the end of our travels, they’ve reached the end of their fingers.

For better or worse, there wasn’t much worth memorializing on August 9 and 10. With our departure looming, we had a lot to do. To start, we had to wash everything we took to Vanuatu. All of our clothes were soaked in a combination of salt, sunscreen, and sweat. We also wanted to shop for souveniers and to revisit some of our favorite stores. We were staying on Queen Street, in the heart of the central business district, so there was plenty of shopping on our doorstep. We did a couple more trip to New World, which has been our go-to grocery store. Lydie and Cassie went to Glasson’s, their favorite Kiwi clothier. Julie and I went to Macpac (Kiwi REI), where we bought a large duffle bag to take home all the extra stuff we’ve accumulated in our travels. We also got a luggage scale to make sure we were staying under the weight limits for our upcoming flights.

These days were also comparatively quiet, at least for me, because we were in a big city. After 2 months enjoying the quietude of off-season New Zealand and another 10 days in remote Vanuatu, Auckland felt monstrously developed. It didn’t call to me the way the rest of New Zealand had. Added to the many logistics we had to sort, a couple of low-key days seemed to make sense.

But August 11 was our last full day in New Zealand, so we decided to get out and see the city for a bit. We strolled down Queen Street towards the water. We spied some green a couple of blocks to the side, so we detoured to Albert Park. There are beautiful trees in the park, and in some places they appeared to have the right of way over pedestrians, with branches extending so far across paths as to render them almost impassable.

Another tree demanded climbing. Who were we to refuse?

There was also a very impressive sculpture formed by stacked, rounded stones. Clearly, Auckland is not as earthquake-prone as Christchurch.

After the park, we headed down towards the water, where we got far enough away from the center of town to get great views of the skyline. Auckland is, indeed, a beautiful city (even if you have to look directly into the sun when the picture is being taken).

From here, we decided to get a snack and play some cards.

Then, it was a short walk to the restaurant where we’d have dinner. The restaurant looked out over the water, giving us a nice view of the setting sun.

Dinner was great. I don’t really remember the food, but I do remember laughing together as we celebrated the end of this incredible trip.

We didn’t stay out late, as we had to finish up packing. The next morning, we tied up loose ends and closed up our suitcases for the last time.

We had to split into two cars to get to the airport, but we soon arrived. We checked in and headed towards the gates.

But we were not all headed to the same destinations. Julie, Lydie, and Cassie would be flying back to the United States, and I’d be flying to Melbourne to begin the second leg of my sabbatical. Cassie and Lydie are returning to start their junior years. Julie’s going to help the girls get squared away, and then meet me back in Australia. This means we’ve got more adventures on the horizon. The New Zealand and Vanuatu chapters of our blog may have come to an end, but we’ve been renewed for another season!

But this did mean that, after spending every day together, I wouldn’t see Lydie and Cassie for four months. Saying goodbye was hard. We’ve had a marvelous time together.

So how do I end this last post? I can’t help but feel a little reflective, as I sit in Melbourne and my family sleeps in Maryland. I started a summary with some overall stats, like miles traveled, modes of transportation taken, mountains hiked, and LOTR sights chased down. But looking back, this trip doesn’t feel like a collection of numbers.

It was something more meaningful. We’ve been challenged, stretched, and expanded. We’ve seen the world from new perspectives, from the Kiwi focus on conservation to the Māori caretaking of community to the ni-Vanuatu contentment with what we have. We’ve each found important threads to weave into our lives, and we’ve let go of some nonsense. In ways big and small, we’ve stood on the edge and jumped. And at every turn, we found wonderment, kindness, and reminders of how lucky we are.

We don’t yet know the full impact this 10-week odyssey will have on us. It’s still too soon. But I know that we will feel the winds of New Zealand and Vanuatu in our sails for years to come.

-Will