Domestically:
Unfortunately, for my GPA, I spend the majority of my accounting tutorials daydreaming about holiday destinations as opposed to actually taking notes. Strolling through the streets of New York, taking cooking classes in the Italian countryside, and sipping on suspiciously delicious milkshakes in Bali – these are the thoughts that have been keeping me sane for the past travel-free few months.
However, as much as I have been craving my next overseas adventure, the pleas from Jacinda to travel within New Zealand and do my part in reigniting the economy weigh heavy in my mind. Today I am going to prove to you (and hopefully convince myself in the process) why travelling domestically is the superior option for the upcoming inter-semester break.
First reason: New Zealand is famously one of the best locations when it comes to adrenaline-filled activities. From bungee jumping to white water rafting, New Zealand has no shortage of such adventures. With your inter-semester holidays coinciding with the release of exam marks, activities which get your heart pumping can help you gain back your will to live. After all, only after you experience being just one parachute malfunction away from falling to your death can you finally realise how inconsequential failing ECON151 actually is.
Secondly, travelling domestically allows you to avoid plane rides, which is undeniably the worst part of any vacation. Between screaming toddlers, vomiting teens, and watching Crazy Rich Asians for the 5th time in a row, there are literally no redeeming qualities to flying. Some might argue that ordering Mi Goreng on the little Air New Zealand touch screens is fun, but unfortunately, the majority of us on a recessionary student budget have to settle for the almighty and affordable JetStar in the short term.
And lastly, even if you hate adrenaline and love planes, travelling domestically should still be your first choice due to the abundance of other out-of-this-world tourist activities which you can immerse yourself in! Just to list a few:
· Tirau has a big metal dog!!!
· Rotorua has holes that smell like eggs!!
· Hamilton has a garden with some trees!
· Auckland has that tall building in the middle!?
· And Huntly has… um.. a KFC?
Obviously, New Zealand is filled to the brim with amazing and fun tourist activities and travelling domestically should be a prospect that should have us bursting with excitement. Right?
Internationally:
Chenchen Huang, Vice-President
We need a break. Nothing could be more helpful than a week in the tropics, where we could forget the last few weeks happened. It would be fun to throw it back to a time where the rest of the world was still normal. We need an escape, and international travel is undoubtedly the best place to escape.
A New Zealand holiday reminds us of our homes, and that stops us from being able to escape. Now, if you live in Central Auckland, most of the sights of New Zealand may be quite different to what you usually see. But most New Zealanders are blessed with natural beauty right outside their doorstep, and that means the natural beauty in other areas of the country feels slightly too similar to our homes. It’s hard to escape the everyday when the only places that you can escape to remind you of home all the time. All of a sudden, you aren’t able to escape your everyday life, and you spend your holiday stressed and return even more frazzled. At least if you travel overseas, you’re ready to experience all of the difference that international travel brings.
Now I don’t know about you, but I love plane rides. Whether they go up or down or shake from side to side, I love the journey. It’s almost like you get to go on a roller coaster. Even if you get to fly somewhere in New Zealand, it’s nothing like the feeling of being ten thousand meters in the air above an endless ocean in the middle of nowhere. All of that excitement is lost should you stay domestic.
Finally, just in case I still haven’t been able to convince you, remember that (if we’re able to go overseas) there will be no-one around. You’ll be able to see any and all attractions in peace. I guess this might be a bit lonesome, but you will see what happens to tourist attractions with nearly all interaction with the outside world removed. Travelling overseas to see an empty colosseum will be a truly unique experience. And if worse comes to worst, we can just head across the ditch.
