Once a Land of Birds: An evocative and compelling true-life family travel adventure
Magi NamsAll my life, I’d dreamed of travelling to far-away countries to hike through landscapes
inhabited by exotic animals and plants I’d seen in National Geographic or on
television. In the year 2000, my dream came true when my husband, two sons, and I
left our home in rural Nova Scotia, Canada, and spent ten months in New Zealand.
Our sojourn on the far side of the world was our first extended absence from
Canada. As we made our final preparations to travel, we were filled with excitement at
the prospect of hiking on volcanoes and exploring tangled rainforests (maybe we’d
even see a kiwi bird!) but we also had qualms. Would the tenant renting our house
take good care of it? Would our cats remember us when we returned? Would we like
New Zealand? Would the kids make friends? Would we be safe?
We didn’t pack much to take with us: some clothes, a laptop, binoculars, skates,
sleeping bags, and a box of school books. We arrived in New Zealand wide-eyed and
unsure of what to expect. Ten months later we returned to Canada inspired and
broadened in ways I’d never imagined. Our New Zealand adventure opened our eyes
to the world and helped shape who we are.