Shambhala, Golden Bay, the New Year, and Old Resolutions

Last year, I resolved to "live in a bigger world." As resolutions go, it was a bit of a cheat since I had pretty much already committed to my nomadic lifestyle. Regardless, it's a good resolution; I'm happy with it, it fits well, and I'm sticking with it.

So in that spirit of openness, I allowed myself to be talked into spending New Year's Eve with my Kiwi friends C and A at a hippie backpacker eco-resort called Shambhala in Golden Bay on New Zealand's South Island.

 
C and A in the Tea House at Shambhala, overlooking the ocean.

Shambhala has everything you might expect from a hippie backpacker eco-resort: solar power, rainwater collection, composting toilets, one totally imperturbable proprietor named John, one very hairy yoga instructor named B.J., and some of the nicest let's-get-away-from-it-all world travelers I've met anywhere who spent their days sitting in the sun reading, collecting mussels from the beach for dinner, playing guitar on the grass and singing silly songs, and generally having a good time.

 
A heading down to the beach to poke her toes in tide pools.

Just a short drive from Shambhala is Pupu Springs, where a whole river bubbles up out of the ground. It's the purest natural fresh water on Earth and a site sacred to the native Māori people. Looking down into the spring is like peering into a vast cathedral through bluegreenyellow stained-glass windows.

 
Pupu Springs in Golden Bay, New Zealand

Just a 20 minute walk from Shambhala is the Mussel Inn, a brewery and pub tucked amongst the wild growth of Golden Bay. A glowworm walkway through the woods gets you there. At night, the glowing worms form strange constellations that twinkle as the wind blows through the fern trees. The Mussel Inn was the site of our group's New Year's Eve celebration. Live music, fresh air, exotic beers brewed on-site -- definitely a proper way for this nomad to ring in a new year of travel and adventure. I almost didn't miss my usual NYE celebration in Seattle with all my old friends. Almost.

 
The gang at the Mussel Inn for New Year's Eve 2010.

And then it was 2010. From Golden Bay, to Nelson, to Wellington and then on to Melbourne, Australia, where I now sit recollecting in a coffee shop. But that's a whole other story...