What Does a Sabbatical Actually Look Like?

Considering that six month escape? When you're ready, New Zealand is calling

Sep 03, 2023

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Sabbaticals are in vogue. The decision to take extended time off work is trending up globally.

In a post-Covid world, employees continue to look for alternative forms of income, aspire to a meaningful work-life balance and/or resolve workplace burnout with detachment. Earlier this year, the Harvard Business Review shared details of the transformative influence sabbaticals are having on professionals across the employment spectrum.

A walk amongst the fields in Lake Tekapo

This photo journal isn’t a guide on how a sabbatical could transform your career. Rather, I want to share with you a six-month quest Charel and I went on (forced to go on even) when the first wave of COVID-19 fell on Oceanic shores. A journey that could very easily be the perfect sabbatical itinerary for you.

Having just wrapped up a family vacation in Wellington, the Pandemic hit the Tasman. Mimicking its neighbours from across the ditch, the New Zealand government closed-shut the country’s borders to international travellers.

This is Part I (of III) of what your six-month sabbatical in New Zealand could look like.

Part I: Wellington to Mount Somers

Wellington ——> Blenheim

On the Interislander with our car, we crossed Cook Strait from Wellington, bound for Southland

From the nation’s capital, we hopped on the Interislander and crossed Cook Strait to the northmost port (Picton) on the South Island en route to Blenheim. Aptly coined the ‘gateway to the Marlborough’ wine region, it didn’t take long to realise we were deep in Sauvignon Blanc country.

Living in wine country meant we had the opportunity to drive through many privately owned vineyards

We stayed on a cow farm in Dashwood (not far from Blenheim) for our first couple of weeks on the South Island. In this picture, Red Devon and Jersey cattle make their way to a fresh batch of hay

Leaving the vineyards, cattle and endless rolling hills, we continued our quest North West, where we endeavoured to hike through the dense forests of the Abel Tasman National Park and bask in the pristine turquoise waters of Tasman Bay.

Blenheim ——> Ngātīmoti

Staying in a small cabin in the historical township of Ngātīmoti, we were roughly a thirty-minute drive south of the National Park. It allowed us to appreciate some of the stunning natural landscapes in and around the World Heritage site.

Left: A lurking Weka on our trail. One of the larger ground roaming birds found in New Zealand; Right: The endless forest that is the Abel Tasman National Park

Fun Fact: Did you know New Zealand is home to the largest collection of flightless bird species found anywhere in the world?

Left: A kayak makes its way back from Cook Strait; Middle: Our Kayak journey around Tasman Bay; Right: Charel enjoying Valentines Day in NZ

Ngatimoti ——> Mount Somers

The main road through Mount Somers. Featuring a single petrol pump, convenience store and library

White-sandy beaches, Seals and forests became visions of the past, as our journey inland brought with it a distinct change in terrain, climate and lifestyle; rugged, cool and rudimentary.

Our first stop was a seemingly unoccupied town at the foothills of the Southern Alps; Mount Somers.

Our shack on the left in Mt Somers, where we stayed for a week. Mt Hutt in the distance

During the summer months, Mt Somers is a distant image from the winter holiday influx, where individuals and families from all parts of the world come to experience idyllic winter-sport conditions. The dry ranges meant we could scale two peaks we’d been looking forward to climbing since getting to the island.

Not the easiest of climbs but if you’re up for the challenge, It’s immensely gratifying. Reaching the saddle was an unforgettable feeling, as we crossed elevated terrain almost entirely immersed in cloud cover.