Day 32: Touching the clouds

So I have made it to Taupo in the meantime and it's been cloudy throughout my stay so far. But I don't mind the clouds really. They are there for good reason. Without the countless loads of rain this country would not be as green as it is.

Instead of sitting by the lake shore desperately waiting for a sunny, clear lookout to the mountain range on the other side, me and my French hostel mate went up Mount Tauhara. It was a nice bush walk, a very nice one with native plants, waterfalls and all that stuff. And up there I felt like I would touch the clouds. I tried to capture it, but obviously it's hard to capture this special atmosphere from up above.

#newzealand #northernisland #taupo

Day 31: The clearest water imaginable

Look at this picture and tell me when you have last seen such clear blue water and where and it's probably going to be my next travel destination! :)

#newzealand #northernisland #taupo

Day 30: Please mind the Fresh Air Zone

I couldn't feel any more disgusted about the thought of having a cigarette. After almost three years of not touching a cigarette at all I'm enjoying my life as a permanent non-smoker. It's great not having this as a part of your life anymore. And it's great this cool cafe here (Café Ujazi) has announced its outdoor area as a fresh air zone. Gave my cappuccino a much better taste.

#newzealand #northernisland #napier

Day 29: The age of plastic

It really hurts seeing people putting their five sushi rolls on a plastic plate, even though they're having it in the restaurant. It hurts seeing people having their coffee in to-go mugs, even though they're having it in the Starbucks cafe. It hurts seeing all those single cake pieces wraped in plastic foil, even though they have not been ordered for takeaway yet. There are some things NZ is a little backwards still at. But at least they seem to have noticed the problem as this great street art painting in Napier told me.

#newzealand #northernisland #napier

Day 28: The rewards of traveling alone

It's been four weeks now that I'm down here. And my first month has been quite an amazing one. Saw so many gorgeous places. However, I realized that most of the time I've been traveling and seeing those places on my own, which actually I don't feel sad about. Of course I got to know some people along my way, but I realized I'm more tending to make this a "my thing" journey. I don't wanna compromise on others, don't wanna wait, don't wanna hear about others' problems and so on. I also feel that seeing beautiful places makes me think very abstractly. It's giving me this relaxing and refreshing moment, which I surely won't have with company. This way I think I can better absorb the energy surrounding me. I like people joining me for some part and I'm open for new faces, but I don't need it to make me feel complete.

#newzealand #northernisland #napier

Day 27: In search of the NZ flavour

What's actually a typical NZ dish? One of them is the so-called Hokey Pokey ice cream. Basically vanilla ice cream with toffee pieces in it. Sadly it's a little contradictory to my commitment to my teeth (made bad experiences chewing frozen caramel), so I decided one try is enough.

#newzealand #northernisland #napier

Day 26: A cool city vibe

I've been making progress when it comes to NZ cities. I'm almost at that stage where I can start to compare them with each other. So far it's been getting better with every city what I visit along my way. In the meantime I have arrived in Napier - a nice little place, and the first city I see to have this kind of charme that makes cities so unique. Cute little buildings, palm trees and cafés. A city that has a nice vibe, especially on sunny days like today.

#newzealand #northernisland #napier

Day 25: Kiwi wandering

Finally I found one of those very unique "Kiwi wandering" street signs. While following the trail through the bushes I attentively watched out for small caves or holes in which I may see a sleeping Kiwi bird, but of course it requires a well trained eye and even more luck to spot a kiwi in the daytime, and for sure they're not so keen into having their day rest next to the streets. However, I liked my imagination of being surrounded by sleeping kiwi birds.

#newzealand #northernisland #ohope

Day 24: My most Eastern point

Who actually decided that America is west, Asia is East, Europe is north and Australia is south? Rhetorical question, but just a reminder that everything is just a matter of perspective. So if we take the maps we are tought with in Europe, then NZ is in the very right bottom of this world. One of the most Eastern points. I realized that Gisborne was actually going to be my mostern Eastern point on my NZ journey and therefore my most Eastern point on this world (so far, in case I'm not getting to any of those nomansland islands in the Pacific). I certainly enjoyed the thought of being at my most Eastern point and celebrated it with some minutes of meditation.

#newzealand #northernisland #gisborne

Day 23: The first city to see the daylight

They say Gisborne is the first city in the world to see the new day. Needless to say I tried to catch the sunrise on a clear Friday morning. Getting up early is not really for me, but I was highly rewarded for it. Just before 6am I made it to Wainui Beach and I could see the red haste introducing the sun of the new day somewhere in the distant Pacific. And there suddenly she was! In all her beauty, majesty and strength. The sun of the new very young day, and I was one of the first persons on this planet to see it.

#newzealand #northernisland #gisborne

Day 22: New Zealand colours

The best thing about a sunny day in NZ is that you can see all those colours shining brightest. The Ireland-green hills, the turquese blue water of the ocean, the pink/yellow/red/white flowers, the long white clouds everywhere. It's so nice to be in the middle of that all.

#newzealand #northernisland #ohope

Das 21: Two springs in one year

I like falls, it's probably my favourite season. I like the melancholic effects it has on me. So it's a bit of a pity I'm gonna miss it this year, but experience the Southern hemisphere spring instead. It's my second spring this year and it's interesting to see the flowers bloom here. It's interesting that people are awaiting September, October, November, December. Everything is the other way around. So not only do I have to switch my brain to left-side traffic, but also to Southern hemisphere seasons change.

#newzealand #northernisland #ohope

Day 20: Seeing the world from its most remote angle

I must say I was close to declaring Tauranga "boring". But I hadn't seen Mount Maunganui before. I mean of course I have seen it from various points of the city, but not from the top of it. As the sky was clearing (finally) on my last day in town, I made the hike up the volcano at sunset time. I was mostly all on my own when going up the mountain and I enjoyed it a lot. Having some company every once in a while can be nice, but you get to think about a lot of things when you go to places like this on your own. Having the endless Pacific Ocean in front of me reminded me on where I actually am right now. I'm in New Zealand! Never have I been so far away from home. And it feels so great to see the world from its most remote angle!

#newzealand #northernisland #tauranga

Day 19: More public water dispensers for Germany pls!

One thing I really, really miss about Germany is the free, easy and spread supply of drinking water. In NZ you would never have to worry getting too thursty on your hike, because you would probably encounter 2 or 3 or more water dispensers. Whereas in Germany you will have to order one and actually pay for it or use a public toilet to fill up your bottle with this confused look of the others around you.

#newzealand #northernisland #tauranga

Day 18: Keep left

Left-side traffic. Still a challenge for my brain. Which way do I have to look first when crossing the street? Right or left?... Took me a while to understand that the left-side thing also applies to pedestrian walks, biking lanes, railway tracks, roundabouts and hiking trails. You have to literally switch you whole allday habbits to the left side. Otherwise life can be pretty dangerous here.

#newzealand #northernisland #tauranga

Day 17: Birds that even locals haven't seen before

It makes you feel quite good when you take pictures of a colourful exotic bird sitting in the fern trees and some random people who turn out to be Kiwis (locals) stop by as well and tell you they have never seen a bird like that since living there, and you HAVE...in your third week. Well...if you're not striking it lucky with the weather, you will have to strike it lucky with something else.

#newzealand #northernisland #tauranga

Day 16: Sun, rain, sun, rain, sun, rain...

If there was one thing I had to learn to calm about on my NZ travels, it's the weather. At least the weather of the Northern coast line of the Northern Island is like a lottery in August and September. I've had clear blus sky days, I've had grey rainy days and then I had a lot of those unpredictable sun-rain days. You can stand in pooring rain, while on the next hill there is sunshine and vice versa. Often showers last only for 5-10 minutes, but are strong enough to make you wet all over!

So...I learned to take it easy, very easy. It's just the way it is and there's nothing you can do about it. Oh by the way...there have been three showers and to sunny periods as I was writing this.

Day 15: NZ first, America second?

I was quite surprised that there will be elections in NZ on September 23. Unlike in Germany, election posters are mostly placed on people's properties here. Means you know which households support which party. This one obviously supports the "NZ First" one...

Day 14: Going on coaches

I've been riding on buses in quite a lot of countries and of course NOTHING can beat Mongolian buses. But NZ buses are a class apart as well. Except for the bus stations which look shabby everywhere, there is no toilet, no table, no footrest, very limited recline on the coach. And the streets are in that kind of condition that you can't lean your head on the window or type in letters on your smartphone properly.

Authentic traveling is the coolest way of traveling. :)

#newzealand #northernisland #somewhere

Day 13: The land of golf courses

If I was to name a national sport in NZ, I'd say golf first. The volcanic history of NZ left the country with plenty of fresh bright green hilly grassland. Goes without saying that hence there's also plenty of golf courses. Also...no need if you ran out of golf balls. You can purchase them in convenience stores next to apples and bananas....ugh...thank God!

#newzealand #northernisland #auckland

Day 12: Narrow, steep, curvey

There's something that doesn't really match well in NZ. There is this tendency towards big cars, pick-up trucks as I remember them from my Canada/US travels. But on the other hand, the streets here are narrow. I mean narrow narrow. It's not only the left-side traffic or the curvey up/down-hill roads...it's also their narrowness that I need to arrange myself with, even as a pedestrian (since I'm no longer in pedestrian's land Germany).

#newzealand #northernisland #waihekeisland

Day 11: My office without walls

Yes, I'm one of those boring office guys. Always made my money working on the computer, sometimes more, sometimes less (lately rahter less). So actually I'm really happy my current office is an office without computer. It's even without a desk, and even without walls. It's actually not an office at all. It's the garden of a lovely Kiwi lady I'm currently staying with on Waiheke Island.

#newzealand #northernisland #waihekeisland

Day 10: Island smalltalk

I love being on islands and being separated from the mainland. I always felt that people living on an island are a living in a somewhat closer community and then potentially every other islander is a neighbour and friend. So in my first few days living on Waiheke Island I had to get used to even more English smalltalk than on the mainland. People don't only ask you how you are, but also tell you how cute your dog is or how lovely the weahter is or about any other of their latest anecdotes. It's funny.

#newzealand #northernisland #waihekeisland 

Day 9: The city I won't miss that much

Let's be honest about this: You don't come to New Zealand because you want to bungee jump from the Sky Tower, shop at an H&M, party hard in clubs, drink out in pubs.
Auckland was a nice spot to start my NZ journey, but now it's time to leave the big city with too many brands and shops reminding me of home. And so on Day 9 it took me to the nearby scenic Waiheke Island!

#newzealand #northernisland #waihekeisland

Day 8: Easy to get fat

"Do you want your muffin with butter?", "Do you want your scone with cream cheese?", "Do you want your hot chocolate with marshmellows?"...etc.

It need to be careful. My German gym is +18,000 km away, but within <100m radius there is so much junk food and there is even butter, cream cheese and/or marshmellows on top.

#newzealand #northernisland #auckland #devonport