New Zealand 2004/05

Tuesday 28-12-2004 - Wednesday 29-12-2004

Hamburg - Singapore

We check in at 7 a.m. and return our car before going to the airport again. On board our plane to Frankfurt we meet an acquaintance from the Hollenstedter Hof who is going to Hawaii on holidays. This is a long flight, too. In Frankfurt we change planes and board a 747-400 which is almost completely booked. We spent the short night with movies (e.g. The Bourne Supremacy) and get a handful of sleep as well.

Arriving on Changi Airport in the morning we recognize that my bag has not made it with us. We haven't even got a baggage receipt for it! That's why the assistant at the Lost and Found is rather discouraging us, but we fill in the appropriate form, hoping that the bag will be found on Hamburg Airport. Unable to to anything else in this matter we take the shuttle bus to hotel, the "Grand Copthorne Waterfront", a yellow sandstone building from 1999. We check in and have a shower in our room on the 26th floor we take another shuttle to Orchard Street, Singapore's famous shopping mile. We find some new panties, socks and a t-shirt for me. But we are not really in the mood for shopping, rather tired after the short night on the plane.

Consequently we walk back to the hotel after lunch (Noodle soup for Kasia, Indian Tandoori chicken for me) and take a 3-hour nap before we go out again. This time we take a taxi to the Swissotel and enjoy our cocktails (Snow ball and Pina Colada) on the 70th floor bar. For dinner we just cross the street - there are several restaurants in the quiet yard of an old convent. The place is called "Chijmes" and our restaurant's name is "Insomnia". This helps us remembering that we haven't have much sleep the night before, so we leave the place for a final walk to the waterfront.  
 

Thursday 30-12-2004 - Friday 31-12-2004

Singapore - Auckland

We add a very special offer to our bill (50$ for breakfast, free drinks out of the minibar and access to the "executive club lounge" on the 29th floor), so we are free to choose breakfast from the buffet. Afterwards we empty the minibar, check out and take a taxi to Chinatown. Sri Mariamman is a beautiful Hindu temple where the religious ceremony is just going on.

We stroll through Chinatown and get the t-shirt Volker likes most of Singapore ("Fine City"). Apart from this we are still not in the right mood for shopping, although we have already heard that my bag has made it to Changi Airport this morning. We are impressed of a market where every fruit, every kind of meat and vegetable is sold one could ever imagine - and much more than that. As we get hungry we start searching for a place for lunch. But wandering around is no fun in the humid tropical air at noon. Soon we are exhausted but finally relieved to find Sandra and Heiko's favourite Thai restaurant. After lunch we step outside looking for a taxi to take us to the Botanic Gardens. But we have to take notice that it is the time of heavy rains in Singapore: It starts pouring down before we can raise our hand for the taxi. As we arrive with the taxi at the Botanical Gardens a few minutes later it is still raining but improving. Our main goal is the famous Orchid Garden, but we take a little detour exploring the few hectares of tropical rain forest. Small but very impressive.

Back at the hotel we take the chance to have a cappuccino at the Executive Club Lounge just in time to watch a spectacular tropical thunder-storm before we leave and head to the airport.

My bag has arrived from Hamburg meanwhile - only 24 hours behind us. This is a fact that makes life much better during these holidays. The Boeing 747-400 departs at 9 p.m. to Auckland / New Zealand.

After another short night (time shift of five hours) the sun rises as we are still above Australia. It is a place near Brisbane where we leave the continent for the next three and a half weeks. The immigration process in Auckland is not trivial at all. There is of course an immigration card to fill in and at least three different persons look at the information we have given. I have to clean my boots using a foot bath and our tent is examined very carefully making sure that no microbiological life forms are brought into New Zealand. There is a short moment when I realize that I haven't checked the contents of my lost and returned bag. If anyone would be willing to do me some harm he or she would only have to pack some fruit or vegetables into the bag resulting in a payment of several hundred NZ dollars... But we are lucky: Not only all our bags come out of the X-Ray station again, also the tent returns a few minutes later, tidily packed.

But finally we are through and the "Airbus" takes us downtown. Another municipal bus called "The Link" takes several minutes circling the city but finally drops us off in Parnell, the district of Auckland where our first NZ backpacker is located. The "City Garden Lodge" is a nice wooden house with lots of rooms. (At least that is my first impression after knowing only South African BPs, later I recognize that there are far larger backpacker hostels in New Zealand.) The place was once owned by the Queen of Tonga - whoever that was!

The office is still closed for siesta, that's why we just put our things inside and talk a lot with another German couple who is just about to leave the country. They have lots of information and impressions to share. As the owner Ian returns, we check in and are glad to have a lovely little room in a wooden veranda, the bed is decorated with a heart-shaped pillow. Have I told our hosts that we are on our honeymoon?

Katharina is very tired and sleeps while I walk out trying to get onto the top of Mt. Eden, the highest of the ancient volcanoes that shaped the landscape of Auckland. But the weather crosses my plans. Soaked I get back to the City Garden Lodge.

After an hour of sleep it's time to go downtown. We walk down Parnell Rd along beautiful shops and nice little Italian restaurants. But at the moment we are already done eating two giant burgers from "Wisconsin Burger". In the city we watch people bungee into the new year 2005 and party in "Skycity", a huge restaurant and casino just at the bottom of Sky Tower (largest structure in the southern hemisphere). A few minutes before midnight we buy two drink and walk out of Skycity to watch the fireworks outside. It seems that we have a special spot since we can look up the Sky Tower and see the fireworks go off the platform into all directions. Happy New Year - we are twelve hours ahead of German time!

Saturday 01-01-2005

Auckland
 

In the morning I call my parents to wish a happy new year - even if they still have three hours to go in 2004. Then we take "The Link" again downtown to enter the Sky Tower. On the observation deck it is a bit cloudy, but nevertheless it is an astonishing view over Auckland and the surrounding area. As we return to the point we started our walk on the deck, a man looks at us from outside the platform. He is doing the "skyjump" from the tower down to the ground. That's 192 metres and hence New Zealand's highest jump.

We leave the tower and walk to the harbour to go on a harbour cruise. Purchasing the tickets is easy, but it gets difficult as we sit at the pier eating our subs (Subways) and wait for the vessel to arrive. But none appears. Ten minutes later I ask the lady who sold the tickets. But the boat is already gone from another pier. We are a bit disappointed but get our tickets refunded and take the next ferry to Devonport, a nice little suburb, just ten minutes by boat from the harbour.

It huddles between two ancient volcanoes, North View Point and Mt Victoria. We cannot resist to do the whole thing - meaning the walk on both hilltops. This includes a very special moment when we reach the crowded top of Mt Victoria after having not recognized that there is a road leading up there at all.

As we wait for the passengers from Auckland to disembark the ferry we meet Michael H. and Tanja. They arrived - like us - on New Year's Eve but about an hour earlier. Since we have to board the ferry we agree to meet for dinner in Parnell. One of these little Italian restaurants is our host for tonight. The merlot tastes fine and the conversation is very relaxed. It's almost midnight when we walk home.

Sunday 02-01-2005

Auckland - Trounson Kauri Park
 

The guy from the car rental company picks us up just as we check out of City Garden Lodge. Our car is a four-door Mazda Familia with automatic transmission. There seems to be not a big number of manual transmission cars in NZ anymore.

Having started from the outer suburb, where the Rental Company is situated we miss the exit to the Northern Highway. It takes us twenty extra minutes and several turns to get on the right track again. But finally we are on our way to the Harbour Bridge and off north. The state highway 1 is a motorway only for a few kilometres, then it is more or less a normal road. In Brynderwyn we finally turn east. Our next stop is the Kauri Museum in Matakohe. It doesn't take long for us to fall in love with the giant trees and their wonderful warm-coloured wood. It seems that everything can be made of Kauri wood: Staircases, picture frames, canoes, dishes and much more. Surely the exhibition has an influence on our decision where to spend the next night. Trousson National Park is the name of the place, and a small camping ground surrounded by two rivers is our choice for the night.

After dinner we drive to the Kauri forest and walk there for about an hour through the dense bushes, lianas and trees. Inside the forest it is so dusky, because the Kauri trees compose such a natural roof that is shading every rest of light that can be seen outside little forest. Lots of the giant Kauri trees are surrounded by palms, fern trees and other tropical pants. Birds we have never heard (of) contribute to this special situation with their beautiful voices. As the light fades more and more, the forest gets mysterious.

Katharina takes driving lessons on the left hand side to be prepared for the days to come.

Monday 03-01-2005

Trounson Kauri Park - Paihia (The Rock)

 
It rains in the morning - just a drizzle, but the tent is soaked. Thus we need more time to start from the camping ground. After having driven a few minutes north we turn off the main road again. After several kilometres on a gravel road we reach a forest lookout point, where we are able to see the treetops of the Kauri sticking out of the rest of the trees. There are a whole lot of them.

After another few kilometres we take a walk into the forest again. On a wooden walkway we pass another hundreds of Kauri trees, some peeling themselves like a snake, others high as we can imagine.

And then we stand in front of it, in front of HIM: The "Father of the Forest" - Te Matua Ngahere. HE could be the oldest Kauri tree in New Zealand - about two thousand years of age. What things are there and have been that this tree didn't see grow up, live - and die? It is a fascinating experience, feeling so much knowledge and wisdom.

We leave the place, but the tree still occupies our minds as we turn north again on the road until it turns eastwards on Pahia Hill. This is a tremendous lookout point with a view of the Hokianga Harbour and the Golden Sand Dunes on the north shore of the bay. We would go surfing on the sand dunes, but we have an appointment in Waitangi with a vessel called "The Rock".

Just before we reach Waitangi we take a left turn to visit the Haruru Falls. Unfortunately we cannot find them and decide to leave out the walk to Mt Bledisloe since a sign warns us of car-thefts.

Once arrived in Paihia we pick up the pre-ordered tickets for "The Rock". So far so good - but we have difficulties finding a backpacker with vacancies on the following day. But finally we are lucky to find one "The Pickled Parrot" where we can pitch our tent in the back yard and leave the car on the parking ground.

Then the time has come to go onboard The Rock (www.rocktheboat.co.nz). From now on everything just happens. Chatting with people from the US, NZ, UK, Australia, Germany, a shooting contest (airgun on empty Coca Cola bottles, that are dancing on the stern wave), everyone fishing with rods... Since no-one is really successful in fishing, the evening BBQ consists mainly of sausages and salad.

After dinner almost everyone is interested in night kayaking. So the party is divides into smaller groups of six people. We amongst the third group leave the landing of "The Rock" at 11 o'clock. This includes an instant wet bum, since the members of the groups before have splashed each other and the canoes are so-called ride ons. I am cold since I have slept almost an hour after dinner - I have been very tired.

But my drowsiness is gone in a second, when the lights at the landing are turned off. The water around us gleams in the dark. Every movement in the water is clearly visible as there are algae that react on it phosphorescing. Every millilitre of water that drops back into the bay can be seen vanishing in the deep as its concentric waves spread out. Little fish zigzag through the water leaving a shining mark on every turning point. As we have to guides with us, we cannot get lost, because the stern wave of their canoes can be clearly seen, too. Fascinating!

Tuesday 04-01-2005

The Rock - Paihia
 

Still aboard The Rock. Early in the morning I get up to see the sun rise. It is very quiet, just a few waves breaking on the ship's side disturb the silence. The official day starts with a simple breakfast, before we see lots of dolphins swimming around our boat and other boats, too. The dolphins seem to play with people, until the tourists joining a "swimming with the dolphins" tour crawl after them. The guide of this party is yelling to the swimmers: "Go, go, go , get them". But the fish are clever enough to swim away from them...

The next task on our boat is already waiting, too. Many are getting into wetsuits and put a mask and snorkel on. I need a bit longer to make up my mind, but then I decide to go snorkelling, too. Unfortunately, there is no wetsuit that really suits me. But for a little while it should work. The others are already gathered around a rocky little isle with scallops on it all over the place. We are snorkelling around collecting scallops and bring them to the dingy several times. But the water is pretty cold, and after a short time I feel very chilly and get back onto the boat. But we have done well - a real bunch of scallops gets back with us. Everyone who wants to test raw scallops is handed a prepared half. They taste strong and salty.

We spend the time around noon on an island called Motuarohia! This is the place, where Captain James Cook set foot on New Zealand's ground for the first time. There is a fantastic lookout point on top of the hill. Taylor, the son of Peter (owner and host of The Rock) tells stories. He is the best entertainer of the crew.

After having spent some time on the beach and fighting with the kayaks we return to the "The Rock". A pool billiard content is the latest challenge. I stay 2nd like I was in the shooting contest the day before. Then it is time to leave the boat, the crew and the other backpackers. It is a strange feeling going apart after having such a good time. 22 hrs full of excitement and fun.

But we are not fed up for this day. We also visit the Treaty House, the place which was the setting for the signing of the "Treaty of Waitangi". It stands for the going together of Maori and English and the birth of New Zealand as a nation. If the Maori people are really equal with the white immigrants, we cannot say. For the whites the treaty of Waitangi had of course been an important step in laying their hand on the land that belonged to the Maori before, since it included an offer by the Queen of England to buy Maori land - connected with the right of first refusal. At least nowadays there is no open fight between the Maori and the white inhabitants... One seems to get along

On our way back we are taking a slight detour, wanting to find the Haruru Falls at last. And we do. In the evening we have pasta and make plans for the following days.

Wednesday 05-01-2005

Paihia - Kawhia
 

We get up early because there is going to be a lot of driving today. Past Auckland and then into the direction of Hamilton. We leave the State Highway 1 just a few kilometres before we reach Hamilton. We have coffee in Pirongia and take some time to look around a small art and crafts shop, where we buy "Belly Boogie".

Then we decide to go to Kawhia. This is one of the places where one of the "ancestor canoes" landed - meaning a big old canoe the Maori arrived with and set feet on Aotearoa. Apart from that Kawhia is just a sleepy fishing village - and unfortunately the museum containing the canoe is already closed when we arrive at 4 p.m.

We find a cabin in "Kawhia Beach-S-Cape", since it is raining steadily. Exploring Kawhia is easily done. By car it would take about ten minutes. We do it on foot - so it takes a bit longer. There is a hot water beach at the ocean, but unfortunately the low tide is at noon and after midnight. At low tide one can dig oneself a hole and it fills with hot water - if you have the right spot and the right time.

 In the evening we talk for an hour with a South African white lady, who has lived in New Zealand for ten years.  

Thursday 06-01-2005

Kawhia - Waitomo

We are up early and since the weather is still nasty, we leave the coastal area. We have lunch in Otorohanga and visit the "Kiwi House", an exhibition on and about local birds, that has two Kiwis on display as well.

Having arrived in Waitomo in time we are informed that all "wet" tours including Tumu Tumu Toobing have been cancelled due to the heavy rainfalls of today and the day before. There simply is too much water in the caves. Instead we are offered two other tours for the same price. The moment we decide for "Hogga's Hanking Holes" this tour is booked out. But we have luck - now the assistants are offering a very special tour: "The Lost World".

This cave tour includes a 100m Abseil and walking through the cave. I don't know what Katharina really thought of it but we finally decide to do it. The girls beg us to tell no-one that we have been given the 225$ tour for less than half of the price. Of course I will keep this promise.

Since the tour starts at 3.30 p.m. we have enough time to get ourselves an accommodation and we use the chance to get onto the internet to send some emails back home. Then the adventure begins. Our group consists of eight people, two Brits, two Americans, two Aussies and us. Then of course there are two guides with us. After a twenty minutes drive and having crossed several cattle gates we find ourselves on a sheep farm far from any public place. A container holding all the climbing stuff is everything we recognize at first in the hilly landscape. Then there are a few trees and sheep. One doesn't really expect to find a hole in that landscape that is about 100 metres long and 20 metres wide.

But we have to put on overalls, harnesses and helmets with pit lamps on it. Afterwards both guide double-check on this equipment. Equipped like that we walk into an exercise area where we are taught how to handle the snap hooks while walking through the caves. It is getting more and more serious now. Just a few more steps and we stand on the platform 100 metres above the ground. Although we are not able to actually see the ground, we can hear the roaring sound of the underground river . We abseil in groups of four with every group having its own guide with them. We takes care of the security ropes and stays right behind us thus controlling the abseiling speed, too. So we are 100% safe. Alright, let's make it 99%.

Arrived safely on the ground we start our way back up again. There is a bit of rock-climbing and it is rather wet because of the mist (high tide underground) and the water raining into the cavern. In a separated hall of the cave we find stalagmites, stalactites and several glow-worms. Unlike the glow-worms in Germany the Kiwi ones glow in a blue color.

The last thing to do is to climb a 30m high vertical ladder. Nice sport and the best part of this tour for me (Katharina has liked the abseiling more). After that ladder there are just another few and we climb out of a different hole into fresh air again...

We have steak and chicken in the Waitomo tavern for dinner - and a draught beer! The evening is packed with "The Lord of the Rings" in the TV room of the backpacker.

Friday 07-01-2005

Waitomo - Rotorua

We leave Juno Hall Backpacker's in the morning and forget to pick up the abseiling photos from Waitomo Adventures. The way to Rotorua isn't that long meaning we are in the town around midday. In the visitor centre we take some time to decide what to do next. Finally we book a Maori cultural event for the evening (including a "Hangi", the traditional Maori meal cooked in an earth oven). Right after that we check into a backpacker called "Spa Lodge". The term "lodge" doesn't seem to be so right, because the bunk bed room they have available doesn't remind me of a lodge at all. Not very comfy but still 20 bucks per person.

Our backpack needs to be repaired so we are on the search for Dr. Shoe. At least that's the name of the shop that takes care of fixing the shoulder strap again. Then we start a walk through the city. Highlights: Kuirau Park with sulphurous steam everywhere coming out of the earth, out of tarns and ponds. It stinks like foul eggs. Ohinemutu is a Maori village we are not allowed to enter. Then we take a break at the front of Lake Rotorua drinking a "thickshake" at a kiosk.

Since we have nearly one hour left until our shuttle to "Mitai" leaves, we take a bath in the hot spa and talk with Katja - another German girl on a WWOOF (willing workers on organic farms) program.

About hundred people have come to have the Hangi at this special Maori place. Our host explains the schedule for the evening. We start with the election of a king and two supporters. They have special tasks during the following welcome ceremony. Meanwhile we witness how the Hangi is taken out of the earth oven and can now be prepared for dinner. The welcome ceremony and the cultural show takes place at the theatre. There is a lot of singing and dancing, ugly tattooed faces and tongues sticking out. Great show. After we've sung a welcome song the Maori chief is getting a lot more friendly and explains in English all the songs, dances, tattoos, weapons and the whole living of the Maori in general and of his Mitai family in special.

Have I been sceptical before the show has started, I am now relaxed and we enjoy dinner very much. Lamb, chicken, potatoe and Kamura (a kind of sweet potatoe) get on the plates. Not lng after dinner is over we go on a night walk through the forest. Our host explains about the fern tree and its use when you're lost in the New Zealand rain forest - just put the leaves on the ground with the silver (lower) side up. Of course this only works when it's a silver fern. We see glow-worms again sitting in the bushes and then we take a look at a beautiful pond of water with fresh water springs and eels in it.

Saturday 08-01-2005

Rotorua - Lake Taupo - National Park

We leave Rotorua in the morning to see the Lady Knox Geyser erupt like she has done it every morning for eighty years now in Wai-o-Tapu, the thermla wonderland. Just a little help of 300 grams soap is needed...

After that great show (?!?) we visit further mud holes, green lakes, emerald pools and stuff. Stinky!

Katharina has got a cough for two days now and she needs some rest. So I find myself driving to Taupo on my own. Just before we reach the beautifully situated town we visit the Huka Falls, that carry a lot of water in these days. It is not the height of the falls that is impressive but the imagination of how much power this lot of water must have.

We take a short break in Taupo for a late lunch (pasta) at three o'clock and another one in Turangi for buying some food for dinner.

Before we reach the little village of National Park, we cross Tongariro National Park for the first time. If the weather is okay, the Tongariro Crossing - the most beautiful one-day-walk in New Zealand - waits for us tomorrow.

We get up early to catch the bus that takes us to Mangatepopo Road. At 8.10 a.m. we enter the track for the Tongariro Crossing. At first we're stuck between people of our bus and several other groups that must have arrived only minutes before us.

The track winds up at a slight slope, following a little stream. We can see wide areas covered with tuff stone or black solidified lava streams. After half of an hour of walking the weather is getting worse: It starts raining with a light drizzle, but when we reach the first steep ascent the rain seems to double. Furthermore the wind is now blowing right from behind wetting our calves and socks. After another 40 minutes we reach South Crater - a bizarre landscape at 1500m above sea level - the soil is even and flat like a pancake. Little puddles of water contribute to the feeling that we are at the North Sea beach somewhere on Norderney or Sylt. But the wind is so chilly I am cold even in my wind-safe rain overall.

From time to time the wind stops blowing and the clouds ease a bit so that we are able to see things on both sides of the track. But the worst part is still to come. On the ascent to Red Crater the wind blows into our face ripping off the oxygen from our mouth and making us breath very hard. Loose rocks lie around on every part of the ground. At the rim of the crater it is so cold that we don't hesitate to continue our tramp.

Black sand is the underground we are walking and often sliding on. Our shoes and socks will tell this story, too - but now they are so soaked with water, that the water starts to get out of them already although it is still raining. When we pass the Emerald Lakes, we don't even take time to photograph them. Only at Blue Lake we expose our camera to the nasty weather for a few seconds. After the descent it is flat again - we're in the Central Crater already. Only a little climb and about half an hour of a descent later we reach Ketetaki Hut. It is already overcrowded with people - it seems that every person that has started the track before us is now seeking shelter. Lots of socks lie on the oven and people stand with their bare feet shivering in the damp air. We also take our socks off and eat our packed lunch. Meanwhile a few fellow trampers from our backpacker have re-scheduled the transport back, so we leave the hut at 1.15 p.m.

As we walk down the mountain the sun comes back and we feel like being rejected by both Mt. Tongariro and Mt. Ngaurohoe. At the end of the track several exhausted hikers try to dry their clothes in the afternoon sun, some only wearing bikini pants before the bus finally takes us back to the backpacker hostel. Back in National Park Village and after a hot shower Katharina sleeps right away, while I take care of our wet equipment and I walk to the station. Inside the building a nice little restaurant is situated. I make a reservation for tonight and walk back. The dinner is absolutely fantastic - just like they promised on German TV station ZDF two weeks before we left Germany.

Monday 10-01-2005

National Park - Wellington

Everyone who has "done" the crossing on the day before seems to be a bit tired today...

On our way south we pass the Makatote viaduct, an impressive railway bridge. Next stop is Bulls, but just for lunch at the local Subway fast-food store.

Finding a place to stay for the following two nights (since we have booked the ferry to the South Island for the day after tomorrow) seems to be not that easy: In Paekakariki and in Plimmerton the beackpackers are fully booked. But the landlady of the Moana Lodge in Plimmerton is very helpful phoning different other hosts in the area. So we finally arrive at Murton's Motor Home and we rent a caravan for two nights.

Having that fixed we drive downtown (approximately 20 km) and walk up Mt. Victoria to enjoy the beautiful view over the city. After the strenuous walk on the day before we are very exhausted as we reach the top. But nevertheless we are fit enough to walk down to the Oriental Parade and look for a place to eat. Finally we get into "Fisherman's Table", a seafood restaurant. Not bad, but definitely not high class.

Tuesday 11-01-2005

Wellington (Te Papa)

Downtown again we visit "Te Papa", the most important museum of Wellington and of New Zealand, too. Lots of exhibitions sometimes remind us of the "Universum" exhibition in Bremen we visited in 2004. Earth's history, Maori culture and New Zealand art and lifestyle exhibitions come along.

After lunch at the museum's cafe we walk to Queen's Wharf where all the boats competing in the "Global Challenge 2004-2005" are tightened.

We take the Wellington Cable Car to get to the top entrance of the Botanic Gardens and to have another view over the city. We walk down through the Botanic Gardens and an old cemetery, that has been split in two for the newly built motorway. A short internet session later we are back in our car and on the road to Pirorua again. Corn combs for dinner.

Wednesday 12-01-2005

Wellington - Picton

We return the Mazda at half past ten to NZ Rent A Car. So we have some time left for lunch and to stroll through Wellington until we have to get back to the rental station where our bags wait for us and the shuttle to the ferry terminal leaves. On arriving there we are surprised that we have to check in our luggage just as we would do it for a flight. But this is very good because we don't have to carry everything on board.

The boat departs 2 p.m. on time and we say farewell to Wellington and the North Island.

Two hours later - it is very windy on the front deck - I am not quite sure if the captain is going to wreck the ship on the rocks that form the South Island shore. But then - miraculously the shore opens and we slip through the small Tory Channel and find our way to the Queen Charlotte Sound, where our final destination Picton, a little port village, is situated.

Our new car is already waiting for us while our bags have arrived safely in Picton, too. It is a Nissan Sunny - but this time with a manual gear shift. The first thing I do on getting out of the parking bay is to forget to use the clutch while I try to shift into rear gear. Nice sound!

We already have booked an accommodation at the Marineland Guesthouse, a B&B. We take the chance to use the laundry while we are waiting for Tanja and Michael to arrive from Abel Tasman National Park. The evening is packed with dinner and the interchanging of experiences, latest news and helpful tips about what to do and what to leave out.

Thursday 13-01-2005

Picton - Havelock

We use the chance to chat with Tanja and Michael again during breakfast before they have to go on their ferry to the North Island. Afterwards we take the "Queen Charlotte Seaside Drive", a beautiful but very small and winding road.

We arrive in Havelock, a small town with a YHA hostel and a marina that is just about to be improved. We put our tent into the backyard of the YHA and ask the host - Brent - for the best possibility to go sea kayaking in the area. He gives us a few opportunities and recommends an overnight stay aboard a boat on the Tennison Inlet - "Sounds Natural" is the name of this tour.

Since the tour is going to start in the morning of the following day, we have a day off and take a walk down to the marina watching the boats there and dreaming of a sailing tour on the ocean or somewhere else. We have pizza for lunch before we leave by car to the Pelorus Bridge Scenic Reserve where we walk to the beautiful waterfalls known to everybody as Waterfall 1 and Waterfall 2. Beautiful walk, rather minor waterfalls. But anyway - no one would speak of New Zealand as "Waterfall country". Getting back to the river we take a bath in the clear water. Rather cold but therefore refreshing.

Back in Havelock we talk a lot with a German guy  who quit his job at Porsche and left for New Zealand a few months ago. Especially in these days of uncertainty about jobs and employment I am impressed but on the other hand I cannot fully understand his decision.

Then it is time for dinner at the "Mussel Boys". "Flats" (grilled halfs of Green Lipped Mussels) for Katharina and a "Steamer" full of mussels in a sauce of coconut, ginger and coriander for me. Delicious food. In the evening we read a bit in the common room and go to bed early.

Friday 14-01-2005

Havelock - Tennison Inlet

We pack our things in the morning. At ten o'clock Brent introduces Jutta to us. She is the one to take us to the boat and our host for tonight. She immigrated from Germany four and a half years ago and married Ed, who hired sea kayaks to tourists in Havelock. Now they both live on the boat and offer other people to spend a full day and night with them including free dishes, sea kayaking, fishing, everything. And they are Naturalists as they call FKK over here. This is why Ed welcomes us fully dressed as we get on board but takes off all his garment as soon as we reach our anchoring point. Here we are: With a nude couple - Jutta has taken off her clothes, too - and a boat and several sea kayaks. We decide for the kayaks and paddle to explore the bay. Ed und Jutta first watch if we manage to paddle but then they are relieved to recognize that we experienced enough.

As we explore the bay our hosts have prepared tea, which we have on the sundeck. I spend some time reading afterwards before we leave again in the kayaks.

This time we leave the little bay and get into the Tennison Inlet itself. It's windier out there and we have fun fighting the waves in our little kayaks. We land in another little bay on the opposite side of the inlet where we play "Jenga" with stones on our knees. As the tide falls we have to carry the kayaks back to the water and leave. Jutta radios me when we are just five minutes away from getting around the corner of our home bay. I reassure her, tell her that everything is alright and inform her that we will be just in time for dinner. Of course there is enough time to take a quick bath before that.

Dinner is lovely - grilled mussels as a starter and a huge steak after that, served with salad. Absolutely delicious! We spend the evening talking about differences between Germany and New Zealand, about Nudists all over the world and several other topics. The beer is cold and the sky is blue. What else could we want?

After sunset we wait about an hour until we go kayaking again - but this time the four of us, and in the dark. The moon - being only a thin sickle - is very bright. But as the last amounts of far sunlight fade it gets darker and darker. And we find them - the places where the water phosphoresces. We circle around the bay that feels strange to us now, although we have explored it in the morning. Rocks look different and seem to appear out of nothing when we approach them.

Exhausted after three kayak trips on this day we get back onto the boat and fall into our bed.

Saturday 15-01-2005

Tennison Inlet - Rentwick

We have breakfast early in the morning just after I've gone for a short swim in the untouched water of this clear morning.

We leave the bay and get back to the landing where we say farewell to Ed and his boat, the "Blue Lagoon". Jutta finally takes us back to Havelock. Then we head south to the tiny town of Rentwick, which is just 30 km away. The place is surrounded by vineyards - and this is exactly what we are after today. We put our tent in the garden of a backpacker and have a little nap before we go for our own very special vine tour. It is an extremely hot day to go by bike wearing a helmet.

We start at the Highfield Estate with lunch and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc (me) and Riesling (Katharina). Then we go on at Forest Estate working ourselves through a tasting tray of seven wines. Since biking in the burning sun was strenuous we are a exhausted and our palatines are rather greedy for some water than for wine. So we have to take care that we don't push it to hard.

The area is famous for its white wines, but since we rather love red wine we use the tasting as a learning session trying to distinguish between the different kinds of white wine. We visit one more wine estate called "Mud House" with a delicious liquor-like Riesling called "Late Harvest", before we start looking for a refreshment. We finally discover one at the banks of the river Wairan, that has a strong current.

We spent the evening lazy reading and planning the next places to go. After three days of rest it is time to move forward now.

Sunday 16-01-2005

Rentwick - Pancake Rocks - Greymouth

Katharina drives the first part of today's trip until the road is getting steep and winding. We are about to cross the South Island from east to west most of the time following the Buller River.

When we hit the coast again in Charleston the weather is changing. Grey and white clouds hag in the mountains left of the SH6. On the other side of the road the Tasman Sea rolls in: Huge waves breaking between strangely formed rocks. Mist is hovering across the street and slowly climbing up the mountains.

A lot of New Zealand writers and other artists live here at the Wet West Coast. We cannot imagine a better place to stay alone and write or paint pictures.

The strangely formed rocks are called Pancake Rocks, the place's name is Punakaiki. As our plans include a two-day walk in this area, we ask for the weather at the local visitor's office. But the forecast is appalling. The sunny spells won't survive until tomorrow, it's going to rain in the night and the following morning. That's why we decide to cancel the tour and follow just one fourth of the Inland Pack Track and come back to the visitor's center on a loop track. The Inland Pack Track had been built a (New Zealand) long time ago by gold miners to avoid the rough sea at the coast. The track is nearly empty, we only meet two people on the beautiful way through fern trees and palm trees. We have to cross a river but the current is not that strong. Furthermore we have asked for information in the visitor's center before leaving if the ford can be passed.

The path is now sometimes wet an muddy from the lots of rain that have poured down the days before. When we reach the coast again following another river, the high tide is already over, but still the water shoots impressively under the limestone rocks, carving its way through them. Certain rocks have turned into giant "blowholes" where a huge fountain of sprayed water emerges every time the waves are coming in. As it is almost 7 p.m. when we are through with all walks 'n stuff we only get to the town of Greymouth staying in Global Village Backpacker.

I call Jochen and give him my best wishes because today is his birthday!

Monday 17-01-2005

Greymouth - Fox Glacier

It rains like hell in the morning. No scenic stops on the road today and only two bathroom stops before we reach Franz Josef. We leave out the town and drive directly to the glacier. It is still raining as we reach the car park, but after a short nap the sun emerges and so do we. Due to today's flooding the glacier track is roped off after a ten-minute walk. But we have a good view anyway.

We're back on the road since it has started raining again. We reach the little town of Fox Glacier and we are happy to book a helicopter flight for tomorrow. The accommodation is not that beautiful but we don't really care. After a giant pizza we use the weather (improving, hehe!) for a walk around the beautiful Lake Matheson. The lake is called Mirror Lake because when the water is calm and the weather is nice, the mountains of the Southern Alps are reflected in the crystal clear water of the lake. Although it is not raining anymore, we are not able to experience the full beauty of the place. But after rain like the one we saw and felt this morning, it is a pleasure to walk around the lake.

Since it is still dry when we return to the town, our last trip takes us to the Fox Glacier itself. We walk through bushes and then across a field of loose stones the glacier might have carried in former days.

Tuesday 18-01-2005

Fox Glacier - Queenstown

After an uneasy night my alarm clock rings at six o'clock in the morning. It has been my plan to jog around Lake Matheson again and take some photos from Reflection Island if the weather is fair enough. But - it is raining and so I get back to sleep. Later on we have breakfast downstairs and leave the Inn. Our helicopter flight at 10.15 has been already cancelled due to the bad weather conditions. The mountain tops are all hidden in the clouds and it would definitely be no fun to fly around these tops in the mist. So we just make a few telephone calls to arrange things for the following days and nights and leave the glaciers behind.

It is still nasty weather, even for driving. But as we leave the West Coast at Haast things are getting better - and the sun comes finally out when we reach Wanaka. It is very windy now and there is a surfer out on the lake Wanaka.

Katharina is tired and falls asleep as we leave the town on a scenic route. Small tussocks of grass grow all the rolling hills the road is winding through.

When we reach Queenstown Katharina is wide awake again. The Adventure City. The first adventure is to get to the backpacker hostel we booked: The hippo lodge is in the upper part of the town nestling on the edges of its surrounding mountains. We go downtown again to explore the town and to find something to eat. It is a good day fro Queenstown's merchants and retailers. A t-shirt and a Jade (greenstone) amulet changes hands and finally we have dinner in a lovely little restaurant called "Surreal".

Before we get back to the backpacker we write some emails to the ones at home in an internet cafe. The bathroom of our apartment is blocked as we return. Two other travellers have just returned from a four-day-tramp around Queenstown and need to shower really long...

Wednesday 19-01-2005

Queenstown - Te Anau

Right on time 8.15 in the morning we check in for the next adventurous part of our trip - the rafting tour. We are taken out of town on busses and we get wetsuits, jackets, life vests and helmets before we hop onto the busses again. The following 45 minutes we sit crammed into our seats with all the equipment and altogether with 20 people and some scary looking guides who are keen to making the mickey out of us. One guy is talking all the time since we left the rafting home base. He is now responsible to tell a lot of jokes just in order to distract us from the small winding and sometimes dangerous road we're driving on. It is not open to the public - not even to cars, and those lunatics are taking us down there in a bus! But the joke teller is making a hell of a good job. And an important one it is, too. At least everyone is convinced of the fact that nothing could be more dangerous than to drive the way back in this bus - not even to go in a raft and six other people down the river.

That's why we end up in groups of six or seven people in a big blue raft, holding onto our paddles as the guy in the rear (pink paddle - obviously a lot of rafting experience, even if he doesn't say so) ask us to get off the banks. Everyone has listened very carefully to the safety instructions (no big red button to let the water stop flowing!), but no-one has told us how to get the thing down the river. But this is not really our job. In fact we are just in the supporting role. The leading role belongs to "Chief", our Maori guide. He is quiet and calm as longs as he is not asking "Team - paddle forward, please!" It takes some time to form a good team which we haven't got, but in the end out of the ten rafts that make their way downstream we are certainly not the worst. Unfortunately I am the first to test the fitness of our crew when at the second major rapid we are not able to avoid a rock in the river. I instinctively lean backward an in an instant of a second I slip out from under the air cushion where my feet were crammed and simply fall off the boat.

Remembering almost everything from the safety talk in the bus I make myself comfortable in the water, my feet pointing down the river, my head behind and I look to the side. There is this kayak guy who is with us also for safety reasons and he is yelling at me: "Swim to the boat!" I do as I'm told and after a few strokes I reach the raft again. Katharina pulls me when she recognizes that she is the one to do this because she is my neighbour. It isn't easy at all for Chief to get the raft back into control as we are now in the middle of the current and everyone has tried to help me in and has not been paddling. Finally we are on track again, but the Chief seems to be a bit angry about me falling out of the raft at such an easy-peasy rapid. But at least he refrains from trying to urge me changing rows with someone of the other guys and from now on we're a really good team.

We are not going to lose anybody else and when another boat flips over and is carried away floating upside down we are ready to save the "passengers" and get them into our boat, of course made aware by Chief yelling "Grab for the swimmers!" There are a few more very hard rapids, but we are strong, too! Then we are through and enjoy the hot shower and sauna afterwards. Even hot tea and sausage-rolls are supplied before we get on the bus that takes us back to Queenstown.

We do a bit if shopping (All Blacks shirt!) and order photos at the rafting company. It is not easy to leave Queenstown as it is so cosy and lies there so nice in the southern sun...

170km of driving later we reach Te Anau. This is where most busses to Milford Sound leave from in the morning. And this is why we are here, too.

The Te Anau Lakefront Backpackers consists of many separate buildings. Quite comfortable but the TV is running all the time in our lounge. Therefore we leave the building and go out for dinner in the "Olive Tree Garden".

Thursday 20-01-2005

Te Anau - Milford Sound - Gore

We leave Te Anau at 7.35 a.m. on the coach that takes us to the Milford Sound. Is is a scenic bus on this scenic route and the driver gives us a lot of opportunities to take photos. We reach the little town of Milford Sound just in time to go aboard our "Nature Cruise" vessel. It is called the "Milford Mariner" and it gets around the sound with us in approximately two hours. The sound itself is clearly a fiord since it was carved by a glacier during the ice ages. It is very windy but we stay on the outer deck wondering how high these mountains rise just a few metres away. Waterfalls look rather small but are in fact very high - only the huge stone walls paying on the other impression.

As we cruise through the sound we see a pod of bottlenose dolphins that try to swim with our boat as the captain gains speed.

Only a short time after we have reached our turning point on the Tasman Sea (the skipper makes a remark that we could make it to Australia in four to five days on his ship and the stocks of fuel and water) it starts drizzling. We decide to get off the boat early and use the chance to visit the underwater observatory for additional 25$ pp. But this is definitely worth it! As we walk down the spiral staircase we find ourselves in a gigantic bottle floating under the surface of Milford Sound. The bottom of this bottle is exactly eight metres below the water surface. We see lots of fish, starfish, corals and much more underwater life that can normally not be seen in such shallow depths. The reason why it is possible here is that the fresh water that is washed down the rocks when it is raining builds a  layer upon the salt water of the sea. So the temperature and lighting conditions under the surface of Milford Sound resemble those that can be met in several hundred feet deep sea.

A water taxi takes us back to the wharf and our bus is already waiting there, too. After a lot of stops (a walk through the rain at The Chasm, fresh water out of Monkey Creek) on our way back we reach Te Anau, where we pick up our groceries from the fridge. Then we drive eastwards to Gore, where we arrive at the Motor Camp in the evening, but just in time to get something from the local supermarket.

Friday 21-01-2005

Gore - Dunedin - Kakanui

We leave the motor camp and follow the "Presidential Highway" from Gore to Clinton. As we go further on SH1 we reach Dunedin, a town that is affected mostly by Scottish immigrants. It is now the most important town in the province of Otago. It is also host to Cadbury's New Zealand and their exhibition in the "Cadbury World". The factory tour is guided by a handsome young man, but mostly video-driven. But what could one expect if there is a tour every quarter of an hour? Workers would not be able to work at all if visitors would be allowed to come closer to the production of Perky Nana, Moro bars and Chocolate Fish.

We are asked a lot of questions and rewarded for every correct answer with a chocolate bar. This is big fun, especially for the children joining the tour. In the end we see the highest "chocolate waterfall" that has been constructed in an old storage silo.

After all that chocolate blocks and  Moro bars we seem to be ready for other things like nature. The Otago Peninsula and its northern cape Taiaroa Head are host to the sole Royal Albatross Colony in New Zealand. 150 albatrosses come at least every second year to this place to bring up little albatross chicks.

We are lucky to see one albatross flying although the winds are rather calm. She lands on the hill walking the rest of her way down to the nest where her mate is incubating the one egg. Twenty-three fertile eggs have been laid in the colony this season, and one chick is already hatched. From the observatory we can see five nests with breeding parents. And we finally watch the crossover from one parent to the other (she who has just arrived) now taking over the place on the nest. We are not fortunate enough to see the other Albatross lift-off from the ground - obviously the winds are not strong enough.

We head back to Dunedin and then north again. Last stop-over on this grey day is held at the Moeraki boulders. These are large stone balls lying on and in the beach. Miraculous things, even more when the Japanese passengers of this huge coach are gone...

We spend the following night in a nice backpacker called Coastal Backpackers. Ieuan & Jenny Morrow are friendly hosts and the accommodation is simple but clean. Jenny even provides us with fresh potatoes and mint we have for dinner.

Saturday 22-01-2005

Kakanui - Akaroa

We take it easy in the morning getting up late and asking just then for another night to stay. The double we've stayed, has had already been booked out the day before, but meanwhile even the dorm beds are gone. So we change plans and just go down to the beach with the dog for a walk, before we leave the rough landscape.

It is mostly driving on this day with a few stops not worth mentioning until we reach little French-style town of Akaroa on the Banks Peninsula.  Frome here it is just a few more kilometres on asphalt and gravel to get to the Onuku Farm Hostel, the most beautiful place to stay considering our whole trip through New Zealand.

We have a gorgeous room in the hostel which was situated in a separate building on a hillside with views across to the surrounding mountains and the Akaroa Harbour. These accommodations are provided by the D.O.C. (Department of Conservation) for trampers walking the Banks Peninsula Track. But it is often given to backpackers, if the normal rooms are booked out and not many people are walking the track.

At six o'clock it is time to play volleyball. The sheep are driven away from the grass and the game begins.

Sunday 23-01-2005

Akaroa

This is going to be our last full day in New Zealand. Unfortunately it is too windy to go kayaking again - at least that is what our kayak guide (a Swiss girl) is telling us. So we try to do nothing at all. Not a discipline I am really good at. I read my book, of course we have to eat and therefore to cook, and afterwards we go down to Akaroa by car and browse through all the galleries. On our way we buy meat at the supermarket and fresh fish at the wharf having that all for BBQ in the evening. Well done.

Monday 24-01-2005

Akaroa - Christchurch - Singapore

The rest of the story is easily told. We get into the car and to the airport of Christchurch - a city we haven't seen at all. At NZ Rent A Car we return the Nissan and are brought to the terminals. On checking in our luggage I have to rinse my camping stove the second time in this holidays - without even having used it once.

We spend the remaining time shopping through all the souvenir, duty free and Global Culture shops until almost every Kiwi dollar is gone and the plane is ready for boarding, too. On the flight back to Singapore we watch "Bend it like Beckham" and the New Zealand movie "Whale Rider" that sets a perfect end to our travels.

Since this time our bags are checked through to Hamburg we have nothing to collect or worry about at Changi Airport. Just the common order - Singapore Stopover counter, shuttle bus, hotel, room, bed.

Tuesday 25-01-2005

Singapore - Frankfurt - Hamburg

Since we are going to leave in the morning already we don't have time to do other things than breakfasting. We spend at least 90 minute doing nothing else but eat, drink and read the newspapers (the cheating German football referee Robert Hoyzer plays an important role). It is going to be a 31-hour-day.

And things don't work properly for us. A technical problem on the 747 causes a delay of 30 minutes. Then strong winds prevent us from getting back on schedule. But finally we get our connecting flight in Frankfurt and land safely at 11.30 p.m. in Hamburg.