18 – 26 Dec 2023
2 issues i bear in mind about New Zealand.
One, the day are lengthy because the highway resulting in mountain. 
I typically plan my journey nicely and it’s my very own alternative and time period. However not this time , journey journey of 9 days 8 night time in South Island or Te Waipounamu in Mauri language. I did it anyway , as half of form of dare sport, and glad i took up the problem. Our journey route are Christchurch – Lake Tekapo – Wanaka and Queenstown. We had Christmas too, spending our Christmas morning cleansing up the water, delay for six hours attributable to lighting strike the airplane and i misplaced my passport as i line as much as checking in baggage for depart in Auckland Airport. A lot of pleasure and problem making an attempt to maintain up journey together with cousins for the entire 9 days, on a regular basis i strive get to my sketchbook.
Our final city for the New Zealand journey are the enjoyment of Queenstown. It’s for the entire journey, we see extra human connection. We’re Muslim, we attempt to experince in our personal method , our first little morning Christmas day, having good festive breakfast. A second later, certainly one of our cousin flooding the tub tub and the water circulate through the corridor methods. We get collectively cleansing up the toilet on that big day. We spent remainder of days later in Queenstown by the lakes. Its such totally different festive temper to experince. Extra native or vacationer go for a swim on the lakes. We are able to’t inform the totally different. There aren’t many ornamental of Christmas on the touristy city however, by the vibes everybody having a very good occasions.
Good occasions of basking within the solar, deeping in that chill lakes, sit underneath the attractive timber and a few vacationer actions of steamboat experience of the lakes. Once more i can’t wrap my head round that individuals having blast time by the lakes. The surroundings or the cultural i’m typically seen folks by the ocean and seashores and now i’ve seen encompass the lakes. It was a very good day to be exterior.
Theres a typical saying in Bahasa Melayu,
‘jauh perjalanan, luas pengalaman’
‘distant journey large expertise’
My first day of New Zealand , are the Auckland Airport Lodge and large jet lag of 9 or 11 hours airplane , after layover to Sdyney Australia. I used to look at these panorama of motel in film, now i m truly staying in a single, i can’t assist really feel amused. That be the primary sketches for the journey.
We didn’t keep lengthy sufficient in Auckland, time as gold right here, whether or not our jet lag nonetheless lingering round or not the, pleasure of international nation, our subsequent airplane heading to Christchurh, the start line of our subsequent highway journey to South island.
They are saying there’s sheep and cattles are extra million than peoples of those a part of area – it’s so. As we journey from Christchurh to Lake Tekapo, i’ve encounter fields , grass lands of agricultural. We had been greeted by cattle grazing the fields subsequent to our homestay. The panorama are such stark distinction to my hometown panorama. I start sketching within the automobile. It went nicely because the highway are lengthy large and fairly easy winding highway that really good for sleep mode. I’m lacking Paul McCartney track.
I lastly had quater a day of sketching at Lake Tekapo. I’m already mesmerize by the attractive turqouise blue color of the lake. By the solar , its is magical. I stroll down the closest lake, i m overwhelmed with sight of the well-known crops – The Lupins. It appear the season was proper for the flowers to bloom. Later i analysis – the crops are considerably evasive to others. The totally different characteristicas to the place is its grown, by the fields or the closest creek. One issues for positive it’s actually lovely sight to seize.
As i stroll futher alone, i can’t assist felt that my father stroll with me too. We love strolling round. I had dialog with him asking him if the mountains appear so majestic as a result of the cloud strikes so gracefully. It should be lovely and serene , there’s no human there up in that chilly mountains. We could stroll extra? Whereas im sketching, I can solely think about, there’s a person, by the lake standing and keep quietly, marvel on the lovely sight of mountains, sky and water. My father move methods in April 2022. I can’t want him being there anymore as he would typically accompany me for a stroll or sketching. I had now, solely think about him being there.
That’s was the second issues i bear in mind most concerning the New Zealand.
The Wanaka city are my favourite for these a part of journey. That one morning by the Wanaka Lakes, im simply felt ‘mild’. Most likely the winds from the water. For days whereas touring , i’m nonetheless making an attempt to regulate my data – it’s a Lakes. One amongst many huge, large , majestic, vastly wides massive lakes. Not ocean. Its blue of color and the water may be seen waves simply as oceans. These are on the mountains , we’re in center ‘earth’ . Its a lakes. A large, large, majestic, vastly wides massive lakes. Its essentially the most query i ‘ve heard with my cousins and myself ‘ why the lakes so blue?’ The reply, its as a result of glacier erosion. I hoped its as a result of the legendary blue scale dragon sleeping 1000 years beneath that deep lake, it by no means awoken as lengthy the Solar nonetheless risen from east. Nevertheless later with web search – legend has it ………… ……. ( i’m nonetheless search the entire story that get me from one legend to a different fantasy)
I ‘m unsure if my sketches would do justice to seize what i’ve seen , i hope it did, present the world one drawing on the time.
As to the place my thoughts truly been whereas i’m there and sketching, i maintain it to my very own. I do not forget that track – Crusing, Christopher Cross.
Scripting this, i haven’t work out the title of it. The final 2 sketches gave me the notion and hope , if i’ve extra time to sketch one other day in these a part of lovely lands, and that i hope i say it proper, Mā te wa.
Marni Zainodin is illustrator base in Cameron Highlands, Pahang Darul Makmur, Malaysia. She been a member of USK Penang since 2011. Love strolling , sketching and favourite meals are Nasi Lemak wrap in banana leaves.
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