I remember when I landed at the international airport of Auckland for the first time. I had already been excited for the trip for two years, this far far away island in the other hemisphere on the other side of the globe. 

For Europeans, applying for a working holiday visa for New Zealand is a matter of persistence and luck. There are only as many spots and the first year I applied the quota had already been filled. That didn’t stop me from applying a second time and that time I got lucky and his name was among the chosen ones. In a matter of weeks the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent me a letter asking for proof of arrival to the country within the next half a year and the subsequent date of departure before completing one year since arrival. Only one year for such a rich and wonderful country, how is anyone expected to discover an entire two islands in such a short time?

Two months prior to departure, the Lonely Planet travel guide that friends had given to me as a present already looked old and worn. Pages highlighted in yellow for the must visit, orange for the maybes and a corner folded in a triangle for the essentials.  

New Zealand is a proud country of its own nature and well aware how exceptional some places are. That is why the country many years ago designed the 9 GREAT WALKS, small hiking trips of 3 to 5 days of moderate difficulty in some breathtaking and unique locations. However, tourists are also very keen on trampling all of them, so they easily get fully booked months in advance. Not so much room for improvising. 

However, this is not a big issue, and looking closer at the hiking map of the country, there are plenty of equally unique and equally beautiful treks around the two islands. There is just too much to discover. So after one week in New Zealand, one of the first things I bought with my limited budget was a 365 day all-mountain shelter pass, so I could hike as much as his legs could afford and always have a place to sleep at night. 

New Zealand's north and south islands are situated around 40 degrees of longitudes. That area, ranging from 40 to 50 degrees, is known as the ROARING FORTIES. Gale intensity winds often blow through the pacific, making that zone a tricky and dangerous place for sailors. That is why most sailors stick to the 20s and the tropical belt. Warm weather and gentle breeze. 

Cook strait, the narrow passage in between New Zealand’s north and south island is known among the top 10 most dangerous crossings, but that doesn’t stop New Zealanders from organizing every year the COOK STRAIT REGATTA, a sailing race from Picton to Wellington for the bravest of captains. A challenge that local sailors must eventually undertake. 

At that time I wasn't a very experienced sailor, however I incessantly looked for boats until they found someone that needed an able crew member, so there I was. The first two days as we were leaving the Queen Charlotte Fjords and slowly getting exposed to the strait area, the wind-meter picked 40 kts of wind, that is more less a Typhoon level 2 wind range, having the race postponed a few days onwards. Eventually on the third day, with 35 knots the committee gave green light to the crossing and there we were, a hundred unwavering boats fighting for first place. Oh man, these New Zealanders weren’t scared as the boats were bouncing into a sea of currents and waves coming from all directions. No fear, just the ocean they were born into. 

As a kid, my dad used to bring me to watch rugby games. He had played rugby as a teenager and for him watching the Five Nations championship was the pinnacle of the sport. I remember clearly watching the Maori Team preparing to play. Tongues out, eyes wide open almost falling out of orbit, screaming and slapping their thighs. Their Haka dancing looked like an aggressive and daunting going to war chant, nothing compared to the English or French, palm on their chest singing some romantic hymn to their far away Queen, staring into the far away void. 

As a kid I always thought, these Maori guys look invincible. I wouldn’t even dare to go against them.  Later as I grew up I understood that New Zealand is mostly white and only 17% are actually aboriginal. However the entire country takes immense pride in their austronesian roots and culture, and the Maori culture has become an international symbol for New Zealand.

In Maori language, “Aotearoa” means “The Land under the Long White Cloud”. Similar to many Pacific islands, when looked from afar from the vast ocean they all look alike. A small triangle of lush green popping out of the water wearing a cute white cloud hat. When the afternoon temperature cools off and the particles of moisture in the air condensate, they get accumulated onto the mountain side being constantly pushed by the sea breeze making all this island look similar. New Zealand, being specially long, wore a long white hat, and when the ancestors sailed to it for the first time it became known as Aotearoa.  

Does this ring a bell? It is nothing different to what I see every afternoon when I step out of my balcony in my house in Dulan. Steeping mountains rising to the sky, but never get to see the peaks because they are covered in clouds.  This June, as I was sailing away from Taiwan to Miyakojima, I got visual confirmation.  

I just happen to live in another Aotearoa, lesser known, slightly higher in the tropical latitudes, called Taiwan. 

However, my first impression of Taiwanese people was that they are not so proud of their island.  

As a foreigner coming to Taiwan for the first time, aside from Taroko Gorge, Alishan and hot springs in the Wulai area, there is not so much information about other adventures in nature. At least the information that can be found in official leaflets or in English is very limited, and as a non-Chinese speaking/reading traveler it can be really complicated to enjoy the not so beaten track. I also heard that typhoons often hit the east coast of Taiwan, bringing on of the best waves on the West Pacific, but often the government prohibits surfers from even going to the water. 

As a sailor, when doing some research into ports, I also realized that most of the ports are exclusively for fishermen or commercial use, no room for recreational sailing vessels. In the east coast, currently there are no leisure ports in between Yilan and Houbihu, leaving more than 350 kilometers of coast without any possibility to moor a boat.  

Truthfully speaking, all these things, such as hiking not-so-well-known hikes or sailing around the island are not completely impossible, but the procedures are obscure and complicated, making it a very unwelcoming environment for outdoor adventurers. 

Taiwan’s natural resources are rich and diverse. This not-so-small island can be quite an extraordinary adventure for the run-of-the-mill traveller up to the extreme sports lover. There are hundreds of mighty peaks, coral spotted islands, amazing waterfalls in every valley, breathtaking precipices and a coast hit by typhoon waves and monsoon winds.  

Taiwan has nothing to envy from Hawai’i, Bali or California. It has it all. It just lacks a friendly environment to welcome the adventure seekers. 

In the same way extreme sports lovers flock to hike Indonesian peaks or surf the waves of Bali, or kite surfers who can’t wait for the windy season to begin in Tenerife, Lake Garda or Bali, Taiwan could easily become a destination for this kind of sport. 

It is not only Taiwan’s natural resources that make this island amazing, but its heritage as well. In the last years there has been a resurgence of Austronesian culture research that situated Taiwan right in the origin of this Pacific Expansion. Ranging the whole span of The Pacific Triangle, from the people from New Zealand, Hawai’i and Polynesia, it is said to have originated from this corner of the world. 

Seeking a brighter future, hundreds of years ago, Taiwanese people were brave and daring, wandering into the vast Pacific Ocean in search of a wider world. And now, wherever we go, they call Taiwan “the motherland of them all”. 

The only problem is that the motherland has forgotten who she is. 

(This piece reflects the author's opinion, and does not represent the opinion of CommonWealth Magazine.)

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Have you read?

• Waterfall wonderland: Finding the falls of Yangmingshan
• Taiwan: a photographer's paradise? 
• Refreshing retreats: 5 places to chill out in Taipei this summer 

Uploaded by Ian Huang