Stirling Sunriser

Most people take a boat tour in Milford Sound to see the fjords. However, Kate recommended I go on a kayaking tour instead. She had done the 'Stirling Sunriser' tour, which features the highlight of paddling under the Stirling Falls. With a drop of 151m, the Stirling Falls are indeed the second-highest waterfall in Milford Sound. Despite my lack of experience and a rather bad memory from a school trip related to kayaking, I booked the tour - and it was really fun! There were six participants and one guide; we were first outfitted with thermal clothes, rain jackets, and spray skirts and then taken by boat to the end of the fjord. There, we climbed into the kayaks and paddled back.

Initially, we passed by a seal colony, and I had never gotten so close to seals in a kayak before. That was the first highlight. When we arrived at the Stirling Falls a little later, we first let a few tourist boats pass and then had plenty of time to paddle under the waterfall multiple times and let the water cascade down on us. Of course, with the necessary respect, as our guide mentioned this was the spot with the highest potential to tip over. Luckily, that didn't happen to anyone, and after we had enough of that, the wind strength was just right - not too strong, not too weak - and we were able to sail a little bit.

By the way, during the tour, I shared a kayak with Alex, as we both registered alone. Coincidentally, Alex also lives in Leipzig and made me aware of the topic of organ donation. In New Zealand, it's marked on the ID whether a person wants to donate their organs or not, while in Germany, you can live your life without ever thinking about this issue. At least until either you or a close person needs a new organ or when you have to make this difficult decision for a family member.

Both cases are clearly not particularly pleasant scenarios. So take some time and think about the topic. At https://organspende-register.de, you can document your decision online and change it anytime. In case of necessity, the decision can be retrieved very quickly. And remember: Even if you initially do not agree with organ donation because you don't have the time or desire to deal with the subject, you might be relieving your relatives of this difficult decision in an even more challenging situation.

I made the decision a few years ago when I happened to have an organ donation card in my hand. My reasoning back then was: if I need a new organ, I want to get it as quickly as possible. It’s only fair that I also make my organs available for donation.