Welcoming joy in Neuland, off to the West Coast and much more

Oh Dunedin, how we missed it… well, there wasn't much sightseeing left here. Nor anywhere else, really. But we had our base here. People around us who we knew very well and had come to appreciate and love. The kindness, warmth, and hospitality with which we were always received is incredible.

But this time, there was a different reason why we were back in Dunedin. The first joy of reunion was for Nik, when his cousin Marie got off the plane in Dunedin. She had been in Australia before and was now visiting us in New Zealand for two weeks. But I didn't have to wait long for my joy either. On the same afternoon, my parents also arrived in Dunedin. After 5 months, I was thrilled to see them again. My parents had rented a campervan and were now touring New Zealand for about 4 weeks. During the days in Dunedin (which, as always, turned out to be longer than expected), Niklas and I, together with my old host family, showed my parents and Marie around the city and the peninsula. A second home for Nik and me. Proud to say that.

After the days in Dunedin, we headed towards the West Coast. With a short detour via Home No. 3 Queenstown, we first went to Wanaka. There, we set out to climb Isthmus Peak. This day trip, with a return time of about 5 hours, took me to a mountain between Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea. After the effort of overcoming 900 vertical meters, I was rewarded with a fantastic view. It was worth it.

From there, we drove within a few days up the West Coast via Haast Pass. The route led past the glacier landscape with its most famous glaciers, Fox and Franz Josef.

Both belong to the Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park, which we now got to see from the other side. The special thing about these two glaciers is that they extend extremely far to the coast. Only the rough weather of the West Coast allows them to exist there. Unfortunately, we also experienced this rough weather and could only catch minimal glimpses of the glacier tongues. After the detour to the glaciers, our journey took us further north to Hokitika, a small but very lovely fishing village that has its charms. That may be simply because it is a welcome change from the rugged West Coast. About 30km inland from Hokitika, you will find Hokitika Gorge. A river that carries turquoise blue water like no other. Definitely worth a visit.

After the short trip to the Gorge, we made our way back to the East Coast. The next stop was Arthurs Pass (probably the best known of the three passes connecting the West Coast with the East Coast: Haast Pass, Arthurs Pass, and Lewis Pass). Unfortunately, we didn't have much luck with the weather here either and it was heavily overcast. Nevertheless, the views were still amazing, even if everything looked very eerie. Once you had crossed Arthurs Pass, you were back in the Canterbury region, near Christchurch. This is where you pass by the "famous" Castle Hill. A crazy rock formation (also very famous in the Hobbit/Lord of the Rings) that looks like someone just threw rocks around. But these rocks are also brilliant for climbing and many other activities. This is where my outdoor camp from my student exchange three years ago took place. Back then, we spent a week in nature around Castle Hill and dedicated ourselves to a variety of outdoor activities. However, this time we decided to stick to a climbing adventure.

After spending the night in Christchurch, we continued our journey towards Kaikoura the next day. Unfortunately, the bad weather caught up with us again and we couldn't fully enjoy the area around Kaikoura. We made the best of it and enjoyed the drive along the coastal highway around Kaikoura. This road was heavily damaged by the severe earthquake in 2016, and you could still see clear signs of it. It's sad to see how little we can do against nature and the damage it can cause.

In Kaikoura itself, the bad weather prevailed as well, so we only took a very short glimpse and continued on inland. The next day, we went back to the West Coast via the Lewis Pass, where we met up with my parents again. Much is a matter of chance;). Our route then took us through Greymouth, past the Pancake Rocks (they look pretty funny), and further up the West Coast.

We drove all the way to the end of the West Coast that you can reach from the south. There we found the Oparara Arch, a gigantic natural rock arch. Here you are in the middle of nature and completely alone. Well worth a detour, even if you were quite rattled after a 15km gravel road each way. But that's New Zealand's roads for you.

Unfortunately, the road here on the West Coast was a dead end, so we had to drive 2 hours back to Westport before we could continue north. On the way, we visited one of New Zealand's best campsites, Gentle Annie Creek. It is certainly true that it is one of the best places in New Zealand. Our journey took us directly north after this short or rather long detour, all the way to Farewell Spit and the Golden Bay Area. Farewell Spit is a long sandbar that juts out into the sea and marks the northernmost point of the South Island. From the air, it looks like the beak of a kiwi bird.

That was almost the end of our time on the South Island. Our ferry was already booked and we just made our way to the ferry terminal in Picton. It was already the 20th of March and the ferry was leaving on the 22nd of March. So, we had already spent about 4 and a half months on the South Island. But there were still many exciting attractions on the way to the ferry terminal. Among other things, we made a detour to Abel Tasman National Park. A still very untouched part of New Zealand. And when you're there, you feel like the only person in the world. Picturesque bays by the sea with rainforest in the background. Have we found paradise on earth?

We also made another detour to the Marlborough Sounds. But how can I describe this landscape best? A rugged coastline where water has carved its way between mountains. Well, better take a look at the photos yourself. Breathtakingly beautiful.

But now it was time to say goodbye to the South Island. The ferry ride from Picton (South Island) to Wellington (North Island) passes through the Marlborough Sounds. This ferry ride was even chosen as one of the most beautiful in the world years ago. Our plan was to enjoy the ride at sunset. Unfortunately, all we got was clouds and rain. In addition, the ferry ride turned out to be quite wobbly. It wasn't a pleasant crossing, as evidenced by the crew starting to distribute bags and ice cubes on the ship. Apparently, we did not choose the best day for it. At least the three of us made it through just fine.

Actually, I wanted to say a few words about our time on the South Island here, but I just can't find the right words to express it. It was simply indescribable and definitely one of the best times of my life. Unforgettable nature, unforgettable people we had the pleasure of getting to know, and unforgettable experiences that we will remember for the rest of our lives. I think a picture simply says more than a thousand words:

But our journey is not over yet. The second part of our adventure is just beginning.

And Nik and I set off again, just the two of us. Marie flew back to Australia from Wellington. But I will tell you all about what awaits us and where our further paths will lead us in the next post.

Until then,

Your Luca