NZ

I MADE IT.... FINALLY HOLE STORIES AND PICTURES...

NEW ZEALAND HERE I COME!

Where to start?...hm...Maybe in the real beginning....Sorry guys it is gonna be a long one!

This story is about a crazy road trip of 4 girls with lots of food and camping gear in a definitely too small car. But anyways it turned out to be a great trip with lots of fun....

I have to acknowledge that I had moments, doubts came up that it's not gonna work with 4 girls but I have to say I am still amazed how we got through it. Girls you are great! Thanks a lot!

THE ARRIVING.....

I arrived in Auckland on the 28th of October, wow, time is really flying by!
It took me quite a long time to get out of the airport. The dogs loved me....(they smelled sth. in my bag). So I had to go through all the procedure and it took ages... (stupid me also told them about my hiking shoes so I had to open my big backpack and of course my shoes where in the total bottom). But anyways I made it and Tchung was already waiting for me. (Fortunetly, I was worrying that she might be already gone).

THE CAR PICK UP.....( 1 Challenge...)

That' s gonna be a challenge....and I was happy that I didn't have to make this decision by myself (Thanks Tchung)! The big question was: Are we all gonna fit in this car with all our staff and the gear? Or should we maybe hire a bigger car? But that means another 10$ on top of our 19NZ$ a day...Great Value huh?... Ages later we decided to go for the smaller car with the option to change it if we're not gonna fit in it! Tchung drove, cause she's already used to drive on the left-hand side. But I wasn't a good front passenger at all.... I am kind of blind in reading maps, so we ended up driving up and down the highway....We really fitted in the cliche of girls driving in a foreign city...But we finally made it...Yeah...I was surprised as well..(kidding..)

PICKING UP EVERYBODY...

Anouk (from the Netherland, I've been already travelling for 3 month with her in Australia) arrived at midnight! We picked her up and had still problems to find the way back to the hostel in one role....
The next day we got up very early and were heading up north to the BAY OF ISLANDS (PAHIA) to pick up our forth passenger Patti (I studied with her in Kempten).

DAY 1: WIATANGI TRACK AND HARURU FALLS

After a 5 hours drive we met Patti in Pahia. It was a bit of a strange feeling to meet her on the other side of the world, cause back home we hardly manage seeing us...
But anyways, we are now altogether and we checked into a lovely backpacker lodge and had lunch together. We realized that it will be impossible that everybody buys its own food, cause our car is definitely to small for that. So we will have to find compromises....
Without wasting any time we headed up on your first track together (3-4 hr return). There will be many more:)

DAY 2: GETTING CAMPING GEAR (2 Challenge...)

We went to KERIKERI to get our Camping Gear, although being aware of the fact that the car is already pretty full! I was driving. It was a weird feeling to drive on "the wrong side of the street"...But I got used to it pretty soon, altough the missing clutch, the indicator and wipers on the wrong side caused me a few problems....
We were so lucky, found some tents for only 100NZ$ which were originally priced at 200NZ$, got our selfinflaltable sleeping pads (me and Patti, the other two girls went for the more luxury alternative and bought 2 big airbeds, which turned out to be so much more comfortable :(. Our first stay at a Campsite (top 10), was in Whatuwhiwhi! And organised as girls are....2 put up the tents... and two cooked...
Only to find out that poor Anouk airbed was missing a plug and there were no pots and pans so we had to borrow some from other campers...but in the end we had a delicious meal (thanks to Tchung, who is a really good cooker) in consideration of the circumstances.

DAY 3: CAPE REIGNA

Cape Reigna is the most northern tip of NZ. Its the place where the Tasman Sea and the Pacific meets and from the light house we had an amazing view at the tide clashing as they join. It was a beautiful sunny day and we enjoyed it till the huge buses with many people arrived...It was time to leave....
Ruturning back down south through the west coast, we decided that it would be nice to camp at the Waipoua Forest, famous for their huge Kauri trees. Unfortunately the campsite we had planned to stay at was closed and it was getting dark and we was getting lost and i sense some of the crew was getting a little annoyed and frustrated....Finally we found a campsite and Patti and Anouk put up the tents in the dark, annoying other people by making lots of noise. Me and Tchung went straight to the kitchen to prepare sth. to eat and in the end of the day everything was fine!

DAY 4: WAIPOUA FOREST

This day we did a few tracks to check out the huge Kauri trees... and indeed they were HUUUUUUGE.... In the afternoon we drove to three lakes which where nearby. But the absolute highlight on this day was our night track next to the campsite which was meant to be great for kiwi spotting. We tapped out the torches with red bags to avoid terrifing the kiwis and headed out the the forst. We didn't really spot one but it was great fun....

DAY 5 - 6 HAHEI HOTWATER BEACH

After a whole day drive from the Waipoua forest to Hahei we did very little that first night, apart from cooking a delicious salmon dinner but that next morning we were up early and straight down to the beach to dig ourself a nice hole for our hot bath :)
We had a few fail attempts...was informed there no hot water under there (hmm that explains why that spot was free) hehehe. we found a small abandon hole and started digging deeper.. wow it was hot!!!.. you really had to be careful. Looking like crayfishes (at least my and Noukie) we went back to the campsite and had milk rice for breakfast (or me be brunch?!).
In the evening, we've already been to the tent we heart great music. So we decided to get out of the tent again and try to check out where it came from. Unfortunately it turned out to be a private party with no access even though Noukie gave her great discount smile :)....

DAY 7 - 8 ROTORUA

It was smelling like hell (decomposed eggs = sulphur) when we arrived in the city. We rented a cabin for the 2 days cause it woun't be really nice putting up the tents in the rain...
A nice cultural day visiting the Maori Thermal Village, we had a guided tour explaining a little of their culture, arts and crafts and saw a traditional dance performance which was very nice. I'd tried their sweetcorn which was cooked in the thermal holes they have surrounding and located throughout the village.

DAY 9 - 10: NATIONAL PARK VILLAGE / TONGARIRO CROSSING

First we've been to TAUPO, Tchung did her BUNGY JUMP there. It looked really scarry and I decided that it is nothing for me but she was really brave and did it. Than we were heading south to the NATIONAL PARK VILLAGE. At the same day we did a three hours track with many waterfalls.
For the Tongariro Crossing and especially for the still very cold nights in the tent, three of us bought the same thermal sexy underwear. I was sure that from now on I am not gonna freeze anymore... But I was wrong it turned out to get even more could than I could imagine.....In this night I actually was wearing as many clothes as I got including my thermal underwear and I was really freezing my ass off.... I am sure we had minus degrees, even the water outside of the tent was frozen. At two o'clock I couldn't stand it anymore and I decided to sleep on the sofa in the common room. But unfortunally it wasn't really warmer...

The next day we did the 8 hours TONGARIRO CROSSING and I have to mention that it was the most beautiful and impressing thing I did so far!!!! Just awesome....It was a little hard work at the start going up steep volcanic rock and snow but possibly because the view was so amazing it really was worth doing it. Within 8 hours you see such vase and change of landscape and fauna.

DAY 11: PICTON

We were driving almost all day towards Wellington to catch the night ferry to Picton. We had a few hours left in Wellington and I tried to arrange everything for my Thai VISA. At the BAY OF ISLANDS I decided not being home for Chrismas, New Years Eve and my Birthday but extending my stay for 7 weeks Thailand. Tchung really helped me to make this quite hard decision for me. She just said: Don't you think it will be an experience worth being not home for Chrismas once? (Thanks!)
It was really annoying to get all the things together for the VISA and the woman from the travell agency didn't help me at all. After calling the embassy quite often and not getting all the documents together I gave up and decided to go back to Wellington in the end of my travell. I was really exhausted!
Then we went to the ferry. It was already dark and we arrived in the middle of the night in Picton, where we stayed in a lovely hostel.

DAY 12 - 13: Abel Tasman National Park

As you can see we had a pretty tight schedule and we had to get up again very early to head down to the Abel Tasman National Park. There we camped next to a hostel and the first day was just relaxing. I really needed it. At the second day, we got picked up by old men with a red tractor who brought us to our water taxi. We startet our 2nd 8 hour tramp along the coastal walk of the Abel Tasman.

DAY 14 - 15: FRANZ JOSEF GLACIER

Glacier trekking was ok but I won't do it again. It wasn't sth. very special to me and 4 hours was enough i must admit it was getting pretty cold and wet. Despite it was impressing to see all this ice!

DAY 16 - 17: FOX GLACIER & LAKE MATHESON

Driving to Fox Glacier the weather was tipping it down and most of us wanted to move straight onto Queenstown but Tchung wanted to stay one day as the weather forecast was meant to be clear the next day. And it turned out to be the best decision ever.
We stayed, and at the next morning Patti was woken up by a knocking on the door wasn't for us but discovered the sky was clear so woke us up and we headed straight over to the lake. WOW!!!... words really cant explain the beauty of this place, the sky was clear and the reflection was so perfect with the early morning mist gently floating over
Mitre Peak @ Milford Sound
WOW!!!!... Im Speechless!!!.. the lake and OH MY GOD!!!.. when the sun came out we watch the mist rise over the lake it really was amazing. We were so lucky....

DAY 17 - 19: LAKE WANAKA (My biggest challenge: The Climbing...)

It was such a beautiful day after the morning at Lake Matheson, and Tchung was actually joking saying that she should grab the opportunity to do her Sky Dive...and it really worked out. She and Anouk did it a few hours later. Me and Patti watched them. Looked like lots of fun but as I am already broke I unfortunately couldn't afford it. Especially cause I extended my stay for 7 more weeks....
We really have been so lucky in NZ, the weather has been great for us and Tchung meeting Mark was absolutely great, bless him having to put up with us 4 girls taking us out climbing. The first two rocks weren't that difficult and I always reached the top first. I thought maybe I am born for climbing but I was more than wrong... At the third rock I was the only one who had to give up. My hands and legs were burning like hell and I couldn't stand it anymore....And then....the biggest challenge....the fourth rock. Marc was already on top of the rock and the hole idea was to get us all up. When it was my turn I was already a bit scarred. Trusting a total stranger....but it is all in your head....At half way my legs started shaking like hell....it must have been a funny picture....everybody (including me) were laughing...I lost control of my hole body (kind of strange feeling)....but in the end I did it YEAH!!!! I reached the top...I still don't know how I finally managed it...(probably cause Marc was pulling the rob quite often...) Was so proud of myself!!!

DAY 20: QUEENSTOWN

We stayed there just one day...but we are coming back....

DAY 21 - 24: TE ANAU

Finally we camped at a farm and Anouks dreams came true... Many horses, deers, a dog etc.
Then, Milford Sound! Lucky as always we had sunshine! The weather over there is supposed to be bad. It rains four days out of five but not when 4 nice girls arrive....We had a lovely ferry tour and afterwards we did a track to a lake. The scenery was so beautiful....
The other day we arranged everything for our 3 day track and chilled out a bit.

Day 25 - 27: ROUTEBURN TRACK

Carrying at leat 12 kg for 3 days...we will see.... Stupid me thought I am gonna starve to death and took just in case 6 apples, 3 oranges, cauliflower, broccoli, cucumber, peppers etc. More....That's gonna be a heavy one. I started eating already after one hour to lighten my backpack...
At the first day we had great weather and amazing views. After 4 hours walking we arrived at the Lake Mc Kenzie Hut and Tchung and Anouk went for a swim in the lake. I couldn't stand the temperatures... HUH TO COLD!
I was surprisingly fine. I mean my shoulders were a bit hurting but not that bad than expected. But anyways I am not allowed to feel sorry for myself it was my decision to carry so much staff.

The second day was pretty exhausting! We walked for 6 hours and it was quite steep! It was a petty that it was cloudy and folky so we couldn't see the scenery but I know I really should shut up....One day a few clouds and already complaints....The third day was very smooth and we arrived after 3 hours the end of the track! We all made it!!!! YEAH!!!

DAY 28 - 29: QUEENSTOWN

The day after I went by bus back to the divide to pick up our car. We were all a bit worrying in what condition the car will be! They told us, that we should be careful when we open the door, cause the KEAS (birds) are stealing the rubber out of the window. Shit we are not insured for that.... In the worst case we just have to find someone who steals our car cause our inssurance covers that.
The cars was fine and I drove back to Queenstown!

DAY 30 - 31: MOUNT COOK

We've already seen Mount Cook in Fox Glacier but now we are on the other side! Did a really windy walk for 4 hours and had a nice sunbath afterwards. On our way to Mount Cook, we stopped at a salmon farm and bought 1,5 kg fresh salmon. Delicious Meal!

DAY 30 - 40: CHRISTCHURCH

The end of our road trip is coming closer and closer! Christchurch is our last shared destination!!! It's a petty! Girls please stay with me and Patti, just change your flight tickets!
We went out for dinner to celebrate our farewell even though there is nothing to celebrate! It is so sad :(
But no worries girls I definitely gonna visit you back home soon!

After the girls left, there were just me and Patti left. We stayed at her boyfriends aunts home. Was great there. Had our own room and a real bed for everybody. We made a few day trips to DIAMOND HABOUR, LYTTELTON and AKAROA! Then we went to Hamner Springs, Rotoroi Lake and Kaikoura. We had to camp in the Middle of Nowhere once! It was for free but there was no kitchen. But exactly that fact made it sth. special. We just cutted salad and had it with bread in the tent.

DAY 41 - 47:

The time came to further came for me as well! I went to Wellington by plane. I had to arrange everthing for my thai visa. Met a nice dutch guy in the hostel and we went to the beach a bit out of Wellington and surprise, surprise I've been in the sea for a swim. It was fucking freezing but it was worth it! At least I can say I swam in the sea in NZ.

DAY 48 - 50:

My last 2 days I've been to Auckland. Arranged the last things for Thailand, went to Devonport and up the Sky Tower.


Our road trip in NZ was awesome! NZ is the most beautiful country I've seen so far but who knows what's gonna happen in Thailand....

Hope your all doing well and I am sorry guys that this story is that long and in english. But I wasn't in the mute to write it in two languages! If you don't wanna read it, fair enough....

Take care. Cu soon.

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