Head South to Beat the Heat

A tiny finger-like projection juts into the sea. Strong chilly winds buffet me from all sides. Angry waves lash the pebbly beach. Rays from a weak mid-May sun glint off the rippling ocean surface but hardly make a dent against the freezing cold. It is surreal. In 24 hours, Bengaluru's mid-30s temperature has been replaced by low single digits on the southern tip of New Zealand's North Island, about an hour south-west of capital city Wellington.

- Anita Rao Kashi

A tiny finger-like projection juts into the sea. Strong chilly winds buffet me from all sides. Angry waves lash the pebbly beach. Rays from a weak mid-May sun glint off the rippling ocean surface but hardly make a dent against the freezing cold. It is surreal. In 24 hours, Bengaluru's mid-30s temperature has been replaced by low single digits on the southern tip of New Zealand's North Island, about an hour south-west of capital city Wellington. It is one thing to be aware of the earth's axis of rotation and seasonal differences in the hemispheres, quite something else to experience it.

Despite the frigid temperature, the seaside wilderness is invigorating and exhilarating. The whole place is deserted except for an occasional trekker or dirt-biker. The edge of the shore is lined with fur seals, dozens of them. Clothed in various shades of brownish-grey, almost blending with the pebbled beach, the seals lie sunning themselves and rend the air with short, sharp barks and whimpers. The older ones look on, while the little ones are oblivious to human presence; they frolic and joust playfully or comically waddle into the water.

Standing at a respectful distance, I am transfixed by their antics. My guide tells me this is the best time to see these creatures since it marks the start of the period when the young ones (born between November and January) begin to wean away from the parents and explore on their own. To see them in this process, in their elemental surroundings, is a precious and gratifying experience.

This sets the tone for the vacation: not only is the weather gloriously wintery but there are no heaving hordes to contend with. I can't help but mentally congratulate myself for opting to travel to the southern hemisphere.