Dreaming of Koru

This blog post deals with my experience of New Zealand in the winter and my thoughts on the seasons.

After a wait of more than a year I returned to Auckland. My first trip was in March and the weather was pleasant and mostly sunny. My second trip was in August, the heart of winter. In Southern California, where I’m from, August is one of the hottest months of the year. The weather is scorching hot and absolutely unbearable. The thought of escaping to the Southern Hemisphere’s winter wonderland proved too good to pass.

August 11, 2024: As I write this from my apartment balcony, I can see the water sparkling in the sunny Waitematā Harbour, the clouds moving at a snail-pace in the sky, the gentle, cool breezes coming my way. City sounds can be heard in the distance and the joyful screams of the Sky Tower bungee jumpers. (How fun!). The streets are teeming with people, as they make their way across the Central Business District in their sweaters, jackets, and other winter apparel. Indistinct chatter can be heard among the street crowds. I see the trees, some with brown leaves, others totally bare of any leaves. Construction and cones abound, just like they did the last time I was there. The weather is cool and pleasant. Nights are a bit more chilly. No rain. 

August 14, 2024: I arrived in Wellington on a Monday night. One of the coldest nights that I have ever experienced. In fact, the heavy cold will be what I will remember the most about Wellington. (As I stated earlier, I’m from Southern California, so temperature in the 50s °F (10s °C) is very cold for me.) The freezing night was augmented by the winds that came from Lambton Harbour. Early in the morning, even though it was sunny, I made my way to Wellington Central and it was just as cold as in the night. Many people throughout the city were walking towards their jobs and school. The city was serious about its business, in this case the business of running a country. The wind was heavy. I saw in admiration how the New Zealand flags were waiving throughout the air in the Beehive and Parliament building behind the statue of Prime Minister Seddon. From above, the city looked majestic. I was able to see the entire Wellington area from Mount Victoria Lookout. I looked at the city below and saw the sun dueling it out with the clouds to gain supremacy over the city as the wind watched. Being there with my brother and sister, in the cold, was a wonderful moment that I will remember forever.

August 17, 2024: The rain finally came in Auckland. It has been raining all day today. For most of the day I had to admire the rain from indoors. It is quite a site. The regular sounds of the city still prevail, despite the rain. Rain droplets have been falling unceasingly on my window since this morning. I can barely see faint dots of light across the Waitematā Harbour. The views up high are incredible. Some buildings are so tall, including the Sky Tower, that the upper part is blocked by the fog or rain clouds. As the rain finally died down on the city, I ventured out and saw people going about the city streets. I could hear Indian music in the background, indistinct talking coming from restaurants, and groups of friends going about the city, on their way to or from a bar. Although it had just rained, the temperature was cool, not cold, but a bit too humid. The wet sidewalks reflected the lights of the city to give an even more luminous feel. 

Seasons are something I rarely think about. They just happen and we unquestionably adjust our lives. They come and go every year and provide much needed structure to our lives. Biological organisms mirror the seasons. We are born, we live, and we die. Nothing happens instantaneously, there is always a transition in seasons and life’s stages.

I abruptly went from summer to fall and it is quite noticeable. A few days ago I turned on my fan, now I’m turning on the heater. For now I will enjoy the cool weather and enjoy the winter again in a few months from now. In a few days, I will be arriving in the heat of Southern California, but I will have my cold Aotearoa memories to keep me cool.