New Zealand

---

Well New Zealand is nothing quite like one would ever come to expect and yet hugely varying. Well if I describe forests and mountains that would be forceeable but it taking about miniature topical juggles, Alakan chilliness and Moonlike terrain might sound less familiar (none have I known first hand (this sepicically mentioned because of my brother) but merely through pictures and figures of speach).

I arrived in Wellington and decdied, that due to the mere 12 days before my onwards flight it be best to travel quickly at first thereby having time to spare later one. I arrived in Wellington late at night following a New Zealand Air flawless flight from Australia. New Zeland air certainly provided outstanding serivce and great facilities. I wandered about the quiet harbour town rsurrounded by hills doted by houses of all sizes and colours. The next morning I headed to the harbour and visted the very impressive Te Papa museum. Unilke anything I had ever visited before it had interactive and traditionally presented exhibits making it particularily stimulating (also showing a giant squid). I took a bus towards Napier which is renouned for its unique art nouveau architecture. Not overly intensive with life but a quiet coastal town. I hitched then a ride with a couple of german girls to the famous town of Taupo. Being quite famous for a number of things, one of the activities drew us the most. Sky Diving.

Well its quite a heart stopper. Nothing quite like anything done before but not quite as exilerating as expected. We had to wait for quite some time before we were invited to board the plane but looking back I was quite glad of that as it allowed us to take it all in before and be quite ready for the jump. We chose to jump at 12000 feet (4000meters) and thereby fell for 45 seconds. The flight up is quick but the senstation of falling out is somehow unreal. Being the first on to jump I had no warning so no way of "considering" it. At first one feels like the sudden loss of support but quicky due to the speed the air creates like an invisible cushion. Breathing is actually quite difficult as it becomes brutally cold through the pressed spead resulting in a sensation of icicles pining down the throat. The jolt of the chute is suprisingly soft and the descent giving some time to appreciate the sceenery. The whole operation was over within four minutes though the 240nzd price tage was worth it. For other dives I would choose more dramatic environments (as it was particularily green and flat arround) but provided just the right illusion of security for the first time.

I then decided to do the Tongariro crossing the following day, as it is one of the more popular walks arround the Northern Island. The bus dropped us off at one end and picked us up at the other. Intending to go up Mt Doom (so named following the trilogy movies of the The Lord of the Rings but really called Mt Ngauruhoe) I headed of first and up the steep lava front. Its quite a sketchy climb, but great to get to the top. The view is quite good but the satisfaction of doing some real physical activity just delightful. I got back down and completed the remainder of the trek with other of my us whom had not climbed thereby compensating for their speed. The hike is 18km and takes about 8 hours but can easily be done in less. Its highly accessible and very sceenic, running along turquoise waters and steamy rocks to finally go through scottish-like bushes and artificial looking jungle. Great day's excursion.

I then headed to Rotorura but was marginally dissapointed by the intensity of the natural beauty sights taken by commercial opportunites. Shame really. However one still gets to see the pools of mud bubbling about, developing an intense smell of sulfure. It was nothing really unique or that special but just one of the must see things of New Zeland. Consdering the big cost of the bus, I decided to give it a go by hitching. Suprisingly effective. Got to Thames faster than the bus would have gotten me there and a mere 50nzd wealthier (or rather less depleted). Thames was quiet town with a few shops and a 1850's hostel of wodden walls. Charming actually. I then rode with four germans towards Coromandle where we stayed two nights. Its at the tip fo the the Coromadle peninsula with charming surroundings, strunning coastal Lake District resembling terrain and strongly changing weather. We were offered to work instead of paying for accomodation and thereby spared on a nights stay. The work was for the us two (men) quite delightful and certainly comfortings as the women were cleaning the kitchen, windows and bathrooms. Instead we built a trampoleen (which we natrually had to try out extensively) and cut a hedge down to a more resonable hight. Both jobs highly satisfying as the result is imediate and long term. Being recomded to discover a little hidden creak on the other side of the peninsula, I was shocked by its beauty. A creak where no cars, boats or anything artifical is resembled to what one could imagine a uninhabited island would look like. Just amazing, pure perfection and frantic beauty with the incoming sea folding smoothly on the white sand. The access being quite tricky was more than worth it. We returned there twice once taking a nice swim in the rather chilly water and attempted to fish, though highly unsuccessfull. We tried to fish in a place that instead of resmbling the carebbean looked like the Alaskan wilderness. Though I would have never had access to this had it not been for the cars that both groups had.

I then hitched a ride with a couple from San Fransisco into Auckland and touring a little arround town were actually relatively dissapointed. Not defenetely so but more less charmed by its slightly unnatural feeling to it. I got accomodation in down town and was quick at getting some good geraphic impressions of the centre. Auckland does have a impressive hrabour (with the largest sailing superyahts on the seas), a charming park and a very aritificial but quite charming wandering street. I just prepared my onwards journey towards the US which could have become quite an issue but resulted in being perfectly straight forward. I met a school friend of my brother's in Auckland but was also suprised by the little there was to do at day. At night it's quite a scene with plenty people going out and certainly a little less adventures type travelers than the ones I have been encountering. Its been perfectly progressive throughout my trip. Hard Rock and Roll travellers in Central Asia, some highly intelectual ones in China and South Corea, Japan; completely party and beach destined travelers in Bali, others "escaping home" travelling for a year in Australia and New Zeland (on the money of their parents, hint of an irony). They all make this trip all the more interesting; the stories and experiences varying so greatly that the hopefully learning outcome is also enhanced. Just a really different perspective, expectations and resulting learning that all bring insights of "could be" experiences.

Have just arrived in LA and will be writing about this part of the trip from back home. Strange impression that this is the last time I am doing it from abroad... Until next time....

---