‘We turn a crisis into an opportunity’: stranded couple walk, bike and kayak across New Zealand

Unlike his parents and grandparents, who were unable to leave Romania for many years under the communist regime, Radu Paltineanu considered himself part of a generation of Europeans for whom borders did not exist.

The former software engineer had spent more than three years touring the Americas by bike, a journey that saw him named European Adventurer of the Year by the international sports platform ISPO in 2018, when he and his girlfriend arrived in New Zealand with some friends. planning to hike the Dusky Track in Fiordland National Park.

When the Covid-19 outbreak saw borders close around the world and his flights out of Aotearoa were canceled, Radu initially felt trapped.

“After having traveled for more than three years on a bicycle trip that took me from Alaska to Argentina, borders were always easy for me to cross and you get so used to that freedom that you begin to take it for granted. The generation of my parents and grandparents knows best what it is like to not be able to travel and be trapped in a country. But I didn’t do it until the Covid-19 pandemic hit. ”

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Radu, who quit his job to bike the Americas after a breakup, and his girlfriend Irina Repede, originally from Moldova, decided there were far worse places to get stuck than “safe and beautiful” New Zealand. So when the nationwide lockdown ended, they embarked on a spontaneous mission to hike, canoe, and bike throughout New Zealand, exploring some of the most unspoiled scenery in the country along the way.

“We had plans to go to many other places in the world this year, but we realized early on that it would be impossible to materialize any of them under the circumstances,” says Radu. “I was planning to ski through the Greenland ice sheet in August and September, but ended up staying in New Zealand. There is not a single moment that I regret because we came up with this incredible idea of ​​adventure. “

While Radu is an experienced adventurer, it is the first time that Irina, who grew up in Romania, has embarked on such a journey. She adapted quickly, but found the mental challenges of being on such a long physical journey difficult.

“From what she tells me, when you are on such a long journey, the thoughts come to your mind and some of them are so repetitive, like a loop … You think you are on a journey of self-discovery but everything you find is the same repetitive thoughts you have in the city. But up in the bush, they get louder, in stark contrast to the quiet around them. And you have to deal with that.

Radu says New Zealand is one of the most spectacular places they have ever explored, but it is the people here who have really made their journey so far.

“Since we started this trip, many people invited us to stay with them and were always happy to help … While other countries decided to send their tourists back to their countries, I felt that New Zealand welcomed us very well.”

The highlight has been being invited by a Maori community to spend a week in a motorhome at their Ninety Mile Beach campsite for free “until the rain stops. They even took us to a marae and taught us about Maori traditions and culture, legends and their way of life. This is such a genuine experience and something you take with you. “

Radu, who is now staying in Wellington with a couple who have decided to “adopt” them for a few weeks, says that one of his favorite places on the North Island has been the Cape Reinga / Spirits Bay area, which has long been considered sacred to the Maori as a starting point for the spirits of the dead.

“When you think about it, the place becomes magical,” he says, adding that especially starry nights make it even more so.

They also particularly enjoyed canoeing down the “magical” Whanganui River, a five-day trip from Taumarunui to Pipiriki that includes bush-covered gorges, numerous waterfalls, white-water rapids, a sacred cave, intricately carved pou whenua, and the famous Bridge to Nowhere (actually a bridge to an abandoned agricultural settlement) overlooking the volcanoes of the Central Plateau.

Radu says that many people expressed surprise that they were hiking and canoeing the North Island in winter, and admits that it has been a challenge.

“We had a lot, a lot of rain and extreme weather. Especially in June when we were going through Northland. Definitely, mud is another challenge we often find in native shrubbery here. ”That and the“ huge pits ”dug by wild pigs in the middle of some trails, particularly in Northland.

“As if the mud wasn’t enough, we have to slalom through the holes the pigs make.”

However, their only terrifying experience was when they were approaching Wellington and “the wind almost blew away our tent. We couldn’t sleep all night… Wellington, although a capital city, seems to be surrounded by wild hills and native bushes that are so cool, but the weather can get very extreme when you get closer to Cook Strait. “

Radu, who also works as a motivational speaker, and Irina had some money saved for their trip when they left, but they also rely on donations from their followers on social media. He estimates they spend around $ 500 a week in total, keeping costs low by camping in a tent they carry with them and staying with local hosts. They also manage to earn a little money by selling the photos they take on the road.

Radu says that one of the best things about a muscle-powered trip is that you spend so much time in nature that “you get closer and closer to other forms of life and you begin to realize that life is everywhere within us. around. We have a very anthropocentric vision and that changes when you spend years in nature ”.

Their bodies have naturally adapted to their physically demanding days, he feels, and says that while they suffer from fatigue at times, it has never been something a few days off can’t fix.

“Every time we spend more time in the bush, we have this strange feeling of going back to civilization. Everything seems faster and stress levels are much higher and pressures arise everywhere. Nature is very relaxing, even though we are on a physically difficult journey. “

After arriving on Stewart Island, the couple hope to travel to Antarctica, “the only Covid-free continent on the planet,” potentially on a Heritage Expeditions cruise. While the cost of the cruise is beyond their means, they have thought about getting a job or volunteering on the ship.

“This would be an incredible test of my idea that you can always transform what seems to be a difficult moment into a new opportunity. It takes courage and openness, but this is what we must learn as human beings from this crisis, I guess. “

Radu says the pandemic has also taught him to try harder to live “day by day.”

“We decided to stay here longer and explore places we might not have seen otherwise. When you feel like you have everything and all the freedom in the world, you can easily overlook many places.

“We found that by staying in a relatively small country like New Zealand, we can discover a lot and have such an incredible journey.”