Last year, I was so excited by the desire to get over the coronavirus pandemic that I wanted to go to New Zealand, and I imagined a carefree trip to New Zealand in my mind.
However, this is the year we really need to use our imagination.
Travel is finally possible, and I'm starting to see people I connect with on social media starting to travel abroad.
Finally, I'm off to New Zealand.
To make the most of your trip, you need to plan. But before you start planning, you need to think about the places you want to go and the things you want to do.
First, set aside whether it's realistic or not, and just think about the fun of it all. Then, choose the route you want to take.
Rather than deciding on a date and thinking about what I can do within that time frame, I want to create a schedule centered around the experiences I really want to have.
It is imagination that sharpens that "truth."
Well, today, for the first time in a while, it's Sozo New Zealand.
In my previous imagination, I went from north to south across the North Island of New Zealand. (Click here for the previous article ▶ Sozo New Zealand #3 )
They arrived in Martinborough , a wine-producing region with a climate similar to that of Burgundy in France.
After visiting a few wineries here, we head into Wellington, the capital of New Zealand.
I had assumed that the largest city in New Zealand was Auckland, the second largest was Christchurch, and that Wellington was the political centre, even though it was a small town.
However, upon closer inspection, the population size is second only to Auckland. In terms of the number of people working in the city center, it is about the same as Auckland. There is little flat land, the population is densely concentrated there, and buildings are lined up. If you drive through the tranquil countryside of the North Island and enter Wellington, you will feel like you have come to a big city.
Well, the specialties here are "wind," "art," "movies," and "cafes." I've done my homework.
The town is nicknamed Windy Wellington because of the strong winds throughout the year. Many artists live in the town, and there is art all over the town that expresses its windy nature.
It is also known as the film capital, as it is home to the production studio for the film "Lord of the Rings," and has so many cafes that the saying goes "there's a cafe around every corner."
Now, which one to choose?
Hmm. I want to see some art. Maybe a movie studio, if I have time. I'll go on a cafe crawl around three places. Each cafe has its own unique features, like delicious lunch, a beautiful courtyard, and a wide selection of ice cream.
Ok, that's enough for Wellington.
It's a charming town, but it's not very wine-related, so a half-day stay is probably enough.
Our next destination is the South Island.
It is common to travel between islands by domestic flight, but this time I decided not to do that.
Crossing Cook Strait by ferry!
In fact, when I was a child, I saw the Seikan Ferry on TV and dreamed of riding it when I grew up.
That passenger ship carries the hopes and dreams of many people, and seems to be the scene of many dramas of encounters and partings. It's not just a ship, it's a ship that connects people. I thought that was nice.
However, the Seikan Ferry was discontinued before I became an adult. What a shame.
When I went to Hong Kong, I took a ferry between Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula, but it was so close that it felt more like just a means of transportation than a place where drama could take place.
That's why riding a cross-strait ferry that connects distant towns and experiencing something new is pretty much at the top of my list of things I want to do.
Gene Nagao, a radio DJ who appeared with me on a podcast last year, also highly recommended the Cook Strait ferry.
Let's get on!
Now, to the South Island.
There are seals on the land in the cove, and dolphins swimming alongside the boat (apparently you can see them if you're lucky).
And what about inside the ship...
No. Nowadays, you can find out anything you want on the internet. But I'll refrain from looking it up here.
Since the voyage is only three hours long, I want to save the surprise of "Oh, really?" for later. I observe the inside of the ship and observe the people. There are tourists and people who are working.
I wonder what kind of people will be there to greet me at the pier. I might even meet someone I haven't seen in a long time.
After enjoying the voyage, we landed in Picton, a port town on the South Island.
From here, I switch on sommelier mode again.
Yes, the wine region tour is restarting.
First, we went to Nelson, the northernmost wine-producing region on the South Island. I had visited Nelson on a real trip last time, but due to time constraints I was only able to visit a few wineries.
This time, I know more about wineries than I did back then, and there are so many places I want to go.
So, where should we go? First, let's go to a producer who makes wine that hasn't been introduced to Japan yet. Maybe they want to export it to Japan. Then, let's import it directly with our Bokumo Wine! The dream is expanding.
Now, let's go to the producer.
Nice to meet you. I'm from Japan. Can I try some tasting?
Wow, this is amazing. I'm sure this will be well received by people in Japan. In fact, it might sell quickly.
Huh? You want to export to Japan? Yes, you have to.
Okay, let's buy 1,000 of them.
What? A little more? Oh well, let's go for 2,000!
Now, how much is the price?
...
Hmm. Let's convert this from NZ dollars to yen.
...
WHHHAAAA!
That's way too expensive no matter how you look at it. If we buy it at that price, it will be in an unaffordable price range when we sell it in Japan.
The yen's depreciation is as expected.
Unfortunately, the negotiations were unsuccessful.
...We must make sure that this doesn't happen!!!
I'm glad it was Sozo! That was close.
If you're going there to buy stuff, the exchange rate is extremely important. Keep that in mind.
Okay, I'll check the market every day from now on. I need to look at analysts' predictions.
Thanks to Sozo, I was able to notice Soba.
Sozo Newz, you should definitely do it.
Next up we head to Marlborough , our favourite wine producing region.
