"It's difficult behind the stumps when there's so much change in the attack, and I must admit I was sort of looking forward to one of the older guys coming back."
When Parore left New Zealand in August, the only newcomer in the attack was Daryl Tuffey, whom he had already seen in the third test against Australia.
But by the time the Black Caps returned home this week, Parore had watched injury strike out the first and second-string attacks, and had overseen the debuts of Chris Martin and Brooke Walker, and the comeback of Kerry Walmsley.
The 29-year-old Aucklander said it had been a frustrating time as New Zealand's attack became more diluted by the day, but he was encouraged and even surprised by the potential of the replacements.
"The injury toll made things bloody difficult, but you've got to say that when we eventually get the other guys back on deck, there's going to be a good competitive environment and more depth around the game."
Parore, whose 66 tests - behind only Sir Richard Hadlee (86), John Wright (82) and Martin Crowe (77) in respect of most-capped New Zealanders - had South African onlookers ranking him above Mark Boucher after a wonderful series with the gloves.
Not only did he emerge from the tour without missing a chance, he also managed to contend with a variable standard of bowling, and rated as New Zealand's best fieldsman in terms of his overall performance.
"I'm probably in the best form of my life," Parore said.
"If we're talking about work-rate, the way I'm gloving the ball, and my consistency and concentration, well, I'm really pleased with where my game's at right now.
"It's probably the best I've kept in 10 years, and, while New Zealand conditions are more challenging, there's no reason why I shouldn't be able to reproduce that form at home this summer."
While his batting was disappointing, it was hardly surprising considering he was under-used when he was in strong form earlier in the tour, and promoted to open after he began struggling.
Interestingly, in test cricket Parore has now batted in every position apart from Nos 10 and 11.
As for the past year, he said it was hard to measure the progress given the wide-ranging results and the huge effect of injuries, but he believed New Zealand could be moderately pleased that they emerged with some degree of success.
"We had a not-bad year," Parore said. "All things considered, we probably did well to hold up like we did.
"I guess the defining moment was the win in the ICC Trophy. That made the whole trip."
Zimbabwe, meanwhile, started their tour with a four-wicket win in a one-day game against Canterbury on Tuesday night. They begin a three-dayer against the same opponents today.
Herald 0900 voteline question:
Should Stephen Fleming be dropped as New Zealand cricket captain?
Ring 0900 700 50, then 1=YES or 2=NO
