Blogs from Wellington, North Island, New Zealand, Oceania - page 16

Hey Ihr Lieben, nachdem bei mir im März ein Stimmungshöhenflug den nächsten gejagt hat und ich mich vor Glückseligkeit und Dankbarkeit oft innerlich überschlagen habe, musste ich im April leider feststellen, dass es in Wellington wirklich auch echt graues Wetter geben kann und Neuseeland für mich doch nicht automatisch immer mit drogenähnlichen Glückszuständen verbunden ist ;)... (ja, unglaublich, aber wahr! :)) Um es kurz zu fassen: HIGHLIGHTS: * Wandern mit meinem 'Buddy' Caitlin und ihren Freunden im Wilson Bush ...von der Uni aus konnte man im 'Buddy-Programm' einem einheimischen Studenten zugeteilt werden, der einem als Ansprechpartner in Uni- und neuseeländischen Lebensfragen ein wenig zur Seite stehen soll... - und ich hatte Glück! Caitlin ist einfach superlieb und hat mir schon mehrfach angeboten, mir verschiedene Dinge in Wellington zu zeigen... und s... read more

This morning all three of us head out together, Mike dropping Caroline off at a course and then me outside the Te Papa museum in Wellington. After a quick wonder, and a hot chocolate stop in a lovely little coffee house to shelter from the chilly weather I head back to the museum for 10am. David, who came walking with us in Nelson Lakes in also now in Wellington, so we have planned to meet to go round the museum. Like Ana and many others, all of us travellers follow the same route, so you often bump into people again. The museum is amazing, much like the Science Museum in London. The sections include Fire, Land to Sea etc. The whole place is interactive and very informative, spread over 6 floors you could easily spend several ... read more

Another lovely lay in (I am clocking up some sleep hours in the sleep bank for the next few weeks) before some climate change discussions with Mike over breakfast. This morning I walk down the ferricous hill and into Petone which takes around an hour. I spend several hours wandering on Jackson street (the high street), observing again, the eclectic mix of shops. Its very undeveloped, which is nice, I enjoy seeing the real side of New Zealand, so you get the odd posh high end boutique, followed by a odds and ends shop, an second hand shop, the Dutch shop, the British shop, all dispersed with several query really nice coffee houses. After trying one out (for an fresh apple juice I have to add, I haven’t started drinking coffee), I make a cute little ... read more

What a way to wake up on your birthday…totally refreshed after an amazing night’s sleep, in not only your own room but a double bed as well! Luxuries I don’t even have at home! I then read the several text messages which have appeared on my phone overnight, including one informing me to be at 30 Knights Road, Lower Hutt at 9am. Luckily I didn’t sleep in, and after some breakfast we all head in to town. Mike and Caroline drop me off and we organise to meet in the shopping precinct whenever I give them a call and I am ready, and they head off shopping. So 30 Knights Road is a place called ‘total image’ and I have been booked in for some girly pampering…. an hour facial and 30 minutes massage. Well, I ... read more

After 5 months in Asia we arrived to we would call civilization. English speaking radio, radio advertising! road safety! supermarkets and people mostly concerned with the weather, we are nearly home :) Within 24 hours we had managed to secure a caravan and drove 3 hours over to the Coromandel Peninsula on the North coast of the North Island. Once we reached the coast line we were met with what can only be described as dramatic scenery. Coastline with a drop back of mountain scenery with dark clouds and sun shining through. I could only relate to something you may see in Scotland. Our first night was spent drinking le vino and eating le cheese with the back of the van opening out onto the beach! it really is the hard life :) After that we ... read more