Hello!

New Zealand is the last stop on my trip, the last 7 weeks have begun. And the first few days already promise me that I have chosen a very special goal. The North Island has beautiful nature. Wild coastal roads alternate with fantastically beautiful beaches, followed by forests with the largest trees on the planet, interrupted by hectares of green fields dotted with black and white mottled or rich brown cows and white sheep. It almost seems as if someone has copied a lot from the local Allgäu region, except that the sea isn't just waiting behind the next hill.

When it comes to mentality, at first glance New Zealand isn't that different from Australia, but you probably shouldn't say that too loudly here as the friendship doesn't seem to be that great. All in all, it's very relaxed, I haven't experienced anything like hectic in a long time (unless I do it myself, and Germans are particularly good at that). Everyone is very friendly and happy to help with any questions.

The Kiwis solved the issue with the indigenous people much better, even though it wasn't much later. There was a relatively peaceful relationship then as now. The Maoris, who are represented today at around 30%, live their culture even more intensively today, maybe it just seems that way to me because the Maoris simply reveal more about it and let strangers share in it. Today there are still around 150 tribes that live their community to a greater or lesser extent. Maori names and art are ubiquitous, although much more present on the North Island than in the South. The two overnight stays with Maoris, including the open question times, were very informative regarding food, family ties, gods, etc. and gave me a picture of an old culture that has been adapted to today.

The cities, similar to Australia, are all very similar. There are often the same shops and smaller places consist of one large street, which is always home to the Library (equivalent to Free Wifi) and the iSite (Visitor Center), which makes the life of the traditional backpacker quite simple.

Otherwise there is so much to do here. Here is a short summary of my activities:

Hot springs on the beach, feeding stingrays, wine tasting, cycling, countless viewpoints and beautiful sea views, rolling landscapes, sunrises/sunsets, a visit to Hobbiton the set of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, sailing excursion, Maori cultural evening, Beach loungers, sitting in the hotpot, campfire including guitar and singing, glowworm cave, walks, tour of the macadamia nut factory, throwing rubber boots and so on. Oh, I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves this time!

And it's supposed to be even more beautiful on the South Island, it's hard to believe that this is still possible!

We will see...