First week in New Zealand

Exactly one week has passed since we landed in New Zealand. Due to low data volume and limited Wi-Fi, it's difficult to keep my travel blog up to date. But now I'm taking the time to share the amazing pictures and impressions with you.

From the first day, we felt very welcome in New Zealand. From the airport staff to the taxi driver to the hotel staff, they all welcomed us. The New Zealanders have a warm and pleasant demeanor and are very helpful and accommodating.

So far, we have driven from Auckland to Coromandel and then up to Cape Reinga. Along the way, we were surrounded by a picturesque landscape. We drove through dense forests, along breathtaking coastlines where we even saw penguins, and along kilometers of cow and sheep pastures. This small piece of New Zealand was already so diverse that I'm really excited to see what awaits us next.

Cape Reinga was the most beautiful landscape I have ever seen. The view that awaited us there is simply indescribably beautiful. We camped at a campground without electricity and running water, but instead at a beautiful spot right by the beach surrounded by tall cliffs.

On the way back down, we made a stop at a glowworm cave and took a tour. The cave is owned by a Maori family and they are very proud of it. Our guide was the youngest of the family, a 14-year-old girl, who told us the story of her family in connection with the cave with so much passion and pride. She sang songs that her grandfather always used to sing to her with an angelic voice. In the midst of the pitch-dark cave surrounded by thousands of glowworms, it was a very special atmosphere and somehow magical.

Tonight we will sleep in Auckland again and then continue to Rotorua tomorrow. There, we will participate in a traditional feast of the indigenous people and visit the geysers and hot springs.