Keys to the Kingdom.

Khruangbin guitars through the speakers, venison on the plate, Pinot Noir in the glass, smiling faces all around, and the great outdoors beckoning outside the window; the more we experience life in Aotearoa New Zealand, the more we feel that the Kiwis hold the Keys to the Kingdom. It all comes down to balance and connection. They have mountains in the palm of their hands, with rivers that run through—and they have no intention of throwing it all away. (A free nod to Bob Dylan, who has reentered my life in full force as if he has never been gone.) After decades of hardship and strife, it looks like the Māori are finally succeeding in instilling a deep respect for the land, the soil, and the people in everyone who has followed in their footsteps, Pākehā -aka white settlers- and Asians alike.

And what a Kingdom the Kiwis have: from epic snowcapped mountains to deep fiords where the wind howls through, from endless winding roads beneath wide horizons to quirky little towns that are more English than the English themselves (Geraldine! Riccarton!), from towering trees higher than cathedral beams to wavy purple lavender fields and seas of ferns and mossy greens, from rolling meadows dotted with living merino wool to rows upon rows of vines and olive trees. In a world gone mad, New Zealand seems to be standing its ground—true guardians of the homeland and the people. This is what the Māori call Kiakitanga.

But barbarians are standing at the gate. Recently, three Chinese warships have materialized out of nowhere in the Tasman Sea, the body of water that separates New Zealand from Australia. These ships are conducting live-fire military exercises in international waters, which is their good right. However, some prior warning would have been appreciated by both the Aussies and the Kiwis, who are not amused at all. All they received were real-time warnings from the Chinese navy, forcing them to divert several commercial flights. And now the Cook Islands – that is a “self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand“-, has struck a 5-year deal with China behind New Zealand’s back. It’s called the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and it involves among other things seabed mineral exploration for nickle and cobolt. Kiakitanga down the drain.

But China is also New Zealand’s top trading partner. Dairy, meat, wood, and seafood flow out, while electronics, machinery, textiles, and vehicles flow in. Things are getting very complicated.

In the meantime, we keep rolling through the Kingdom, moving from one natural wonder to the next in our upgraded campervan. (The rental company fixed the faulty water pump and fridge by swapping our previous van for a higher-category one with well-functioning appliances—at no additional cost. We are very grateful, but Luc doesn’t like the bulkiness. I love the space, the kitchen, and the light.)

In Christchurch we waved our friends out in style. With some reluctance they boarded their first plane of three to get back home, dreading the voyage, the world news and the Belgian weather. But very much looking forward to hugging their children and grandchild again. For the last couple of weeks, they have been practicing on trees and they have become very good at it.
Until we meet again guys!!! And don’t forget to clip those low hanging branches in your backyard.