Norden.Daumen.Auenland.Stadt

Brad Pitt, Leonardo Di Caprio and Matt Damon have one thing in common: they have become world famous in Hollywood. So did Peter Jackson. He has immortalized himself as the director of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Despite his worldwide fame, Peter has not turned his back on his hometown Wellington. He still lives in the capital of New Zealand, whether in the middle of the city or on his huge estate in the countryside... So I have arrived in Wellington...
I look at my calendar and notice that it has been a while since my last entry. There are several reasons for this... listing them here would be a waste of time for both sides.

The ferry from the South Island docks at the port of Wellington after about 3.5 hours. Welcome to New Zealand's capital. As a city person, I can already feel the vibrant life of this city at the harbor, which could not be more picturesque in a bay. I had no idea about everything Wellington has to offer, but I was pleasantly surprised...
I have always been enthusiastic about night markets and Sunday markets. First Saturday night at the night market and then Sunday at the traditional Harbour Side Market. Wellington, you are already bringing me joy. Smiling people, live music and fantastic smelling food everywhere also put a smile on my face.

Wellington is considered the hipster center of New Zealand and also quite modern and upcoming. If you walk up and down Cuba Street, even the biggest country bumpkin will find it hard not to share this opinion. Cafés, bars, clothing stores and designer shops line up stylishly and colorfully. Even with an empty wallet, it's worth walking up and down for an afternoon...

If you want to see Wellington from above, you should head to Mount Victoria. Well, it's probably more of a hill, but Mount just sounds more impressive. And so is the view down to this city. You can see the harbor basin with the directly adjacent city, some remnants of Maori culture, and behind you the airport with houses on the hills of the bay. Somewhere around here Peter Jackson probably lives as well.

Since I don't have much time left in New Zealand, I'm moving east after three days. Napier is the next stop. Those who have been following my blog attentively will remember that I'm unfortunately traveling on the North Island without my car. Money is tight, but the spirit for adventure is still high. So we made cardboard signs, stood on the side of the road, and stuck out our thumbs. Pauline, a German girl I met along the way, and I stood with great enthusiasm at the largest intersection in the middle of Wellington and simply tried our luck. Ten minutes later, a family of three stopped and told us to get in, they could take us for almost three hours. Fantastic start. Three of the five hours are already secured. As dusk slowly sets in, they give us their address and phone number so that we can sleep at their place, just in case. But we have three more strokes of incredible luck. First, a very brave 17-year-old girl takes us, then a 35 year old man, and finally a Maori family. I don't think I could have had more luck on my first tramping adventure... well, the main thing is that we arrived in Napier, by the way, I don't have a bed for the night. The second uncertain adventure of the day. Fortunately, the first hostel we came across still has a free bed. Fortunately doesn't even begin to describe it, because this weekend is the annual Art Deco Festival. Napier is THE Art Deco city of New Zealand. Usually, all beds are booked months in advance. I'm a lucky guy! The people walking the streets here this week are dressed in the style of the 1920s and proudly show off their vintage cars. It's not really my thing, nice to look at but I want to move on... heading up to Lake Taupo, to Rotorua and Matamata. You will read later why I absolutely want to go there...

Lake Taupo. I've heard a lot about you: adventure capital, sailing into the sunset, hot pools, and above all, the Tongariro Crossing!
The latter is one of the 9 Great Walks in New Zealand and is reputed to be one of the most beautiful and the setting of Middle-earth in The Lord of the Rings. All of this made this walk indispensable for me. This is where Frodo threw the Ring into Mount Doom and destroyed Sauron!

Mount Doom, called "Mount Doom," is in the middle of this national park. An old, beautiful but also dangerous mountain. Steeper than 45 degrees and loose gravel made the climb the most strenuous thing I have ever done. Take two steps forward and you slip one step back on the volcanic gravel. 20 meters higher, someone shouts "Rock! Rock!" which means that a large rock has just been dislodged and you need to take cover. All these hardships were hopefully worth it. Once at the top, I was speechless. Speechless because I was completely exhausted but even more so because of the overwhelming view and the feeling of being exactly where the best trilogy of all time comes to an end!

We struggled through mountains, valleys, and forests for a total of nine hours. After that, we were just glad to finally sit in the bus. I could look forward to the perfect end to this unique day. Sailing into the sunset with pizza, beer, and wine, as much as we could eat and drink. The best part is, I don't have to do it alone. Claire and Emily, an Australian and an American from my hostel, were also on board. Putting our feet up, stuffing our faces with pizza, getting a little tipsy, and jumping into the water from the boat a few times... I was the most tired but also the happiest young man on Earth!

In Taupo, I met a Canadian guy. Jimmy from Toronto. We got along great from the first moment and had the same plans for the last part of our time in New Zealand. So off to Rotorua and Matamata, with the goal of visiting the Shire! In Rotorua, we also met Erin, an American girl. Erin happened to have a car, so we could drive to the Shire by car. With our tickets and both fingers crossed that we wouldn't have to do the tour with a thousand Chinese tourists, we set off towards Hobbiton. Are the 79 dollars worth it just to see the film set of the Shire? I was convinced. But what would later turn out, even I couldn't have guessed. We caught one of the last tours and there were only seven of us (normally there are at least 30 per group!)! Peter Jackson, under the music of the Shire, says a few words to his visitors and wishes them a lot of fun... our tour guide Jane has been a part of the Shire since it opened and knows everything! It was overwhelming, everything really looks like in the film. One can imagine how Gandalf and Frodo once rode into the Shire together, how Bilbo was at his birthday party, and where Sam comes home at the end of the third part... I could tell so much more, but I want to conclude the Shire part with the following: I could never have imagined it to be so impressive and authentic, I have never invested 79 dollars better!

The next day, Jimmy decided to stay one more day in Rotorua. Erin and I took a road trip to Coromandel. A small town by the sea. We discovered all the classics from our childhood on her iPod. Avril Lavigne, Pitbull, Maroon 5, and Backstreet Boys. Plus, the highway along the coast, sunshine, and chips. It can't get much better than that!

The second to last stop of my adventure in New Zealand is the Bay of Islands. A few days relaxing on the beach and in the most beautiful hostel I will ever be in. Full glass windows facing the sea and a surrounding couch with a huge kitchen made this hostel unforgettable. I spent the last night on the couch and woke up by the sunlight.
I was at the southernmost point of New Zealand, Slope Point, so the northernmost point, Cape Reinga, is a must. This is where the Pacific and Tasman Seas meet, creating deep blue whirlpools on the surface of the water. Cape Reinga is also the most sacred place of the Maori. This is where the souls of the deceased embark on their final journey...

Jafa, that's what people from Auckland are called. Just Another Fucking Aucklander. Why? Most Kiwis say that Auckland doesn't belong to the rest of New Zealand. The people there are the complete opposite. Stressed, fast, bad-tempered, and city people. Most backpackers also say that Auckland is a shitty city. But from the beginning, I had a different feeling. There is so much to say about Auckland. It's beautiful, modern, fast-paced but anything but hectic. The people are city people, but I haven't encountered anyone unfriendly. And Auckland has an interesting history. There is something to discover on every corner and the green parks made Auckland a highlight of my trip to New Zealand. Most people who have been there probably won't be able to fully understand it, but from the very first second, I felt comfortable in this city, and that's what counts for me!

But now the time has come... I have to say goodbye to New Zealand. Two eventful months are coming to an end. I think I have experienced pretty much everything that this unique country has to offer! Nature, city, adventure, setbacks, people, and much more. I can still remember every day and don't want to miss a single one. It was a pleasure to travel you and I will never forget how much freedom you have given me! Thank you, New Zealand, you have given my journey a face... see you soon!