I planned too much and adjusted
Somebody take away my Project Manager card!
Here’s THE PLAN
Here’s THE RESULT
Really, don’t kill my career just yet. This was all within the parameters I pretty much committed to before leaving. I knew the earthquake had redefined the last few days of my trip by eliminating the chance to ride the Kaikoura coast. In retrospect I should have realized that I would not be happy with a typical tour that involved moving on every day or so. Maybe that’s why I prefer agile approaches as a PM too!
Looking back, what I got wasn’t that far off from what I should have expected: a smaller number of stops with longer stays at each of them, far more local “in and back” trips from the various places I stayed, and one major “miss” due to weather. (The bulk of the west coast.) I also did not anticipate (but should have) that I would like Christchurch as much as I did and that I would spend more time there than planned.
It’s what happens when you go to a place you don’t know and discover things you never considered along the way. Those “unknown unknowns” they teach you about in project management class.
In retrospect, I should have concentrated the trip even more: Fly to Queenstown, pick up campervan, split the time between Te Anau and Wanaka with some side trips, drive to Christchurch with a stop at Tekapo for the observatory tour, and then perhaps rent a motorcycle for a few days of day trips from Chch.
It was an introduction. I could spend months just to do the things I wanted to do to the depth I’d like to. I’ll be back.