“Life gets complicated, then you travel and everything balances out”
I read this somewhere and man is it true! Let me ask you a question, when is the last time you went somewhere totally off the grid for more than a few days?
Many people would answer never, but in today’s high paced, high stress modern world we are constantly bombarded with notifications, advertising and media.
Thanks to smart phones work and distraction now follows us home and even to bed at night…it is increasingly important to get away from it all for a while.
Our happy place in New Zealand
Luckily New Zealand has a lot of places where you can get away from it all and Karen and I recently went to one of the prettiest lakes in the country for 5 nights.
This special place is called Lake Waikarimoana and my father who lives 5 hours drive away has been bringing his boat here for years.
The lake that time forgot
You have to drive through miles of gravel roads to reach this place. There is no internet, not even a mobile phone signal.
Lake Waikarimoana is surrounded by some of the most pristine forest in New Zealand’s north island, as it is protected as a national park.
Hiking to a waterfall was actually one of the prettiest walks we have done anywhere in the world.
If you don’t have a boat you can stay at one of a handful of campgrounds which have basic faculties such as toilets, showers, covered areas and BBQ’s you can use to cook your meals.
The 54 square kilometer lake has a hiking trail all the way around it which takes 4 days to walk (44km) and is dotted with waterfalls, pristine native forest and stunning empty beaches.
One of the waterfalls around the lake, you could swim here too.
Thanks to Dad’s boat we were able to travel away from the main camp sites (and other people) and claim 1 of many amazing, secluded camping sites around the lake with no road or hiking trail access.
We had our own private beach and were woken at 5.30am every morning by a cacophony of native New Zealand bird song.
Our private beach was a definite highlight.
The lake itself is filled with huge rainbow and brown trout, so my Dad went fishing a couple of times and caught a delicious dinner for us.
For 5 days we swam, read books, went on hikes, relaxed, day-dreamed, listened to the birds and drunk good New Zealand wine.
Hiking around the lake made you realize how far away from anything you were, nothing but nature as far as the eye could see!
No smart phone zone
So what was it like being away from concrete, traffic, TV and internet for 5 whole days?
Heaven actually, you really find yourself unwinding, de-stressing and getting back to just being, instead of reacting to everything around you.
Spending time just being present, enjoying nature, food, drink and conversation with zero modern day distractions is highly recommended.
We found it to be so good for our headspace and our souls, by the end of it we felt so relaxed, centered and calm.
The view from our accommodation was to die for!
If you want to find your own pristine place like this somewhere in the world, check out what opportunities we have on Swap Work For Travel.
