North Island of New Zealand

After a long time, I would like to check in here again. In the past twelve days, I traveled through the North Island with a bus tour. I felt very comfortable in the group from the beginning and unfortunately, there was no time to write due to the constant entertainment program. Yesterday, my journey ended in Wellington, a small bustling capital that is said to be windier than Chicago. At least it is definitely not as windy as northern Germany has been in the past few days. Currently, after a ferry crossing to the South Island, I am on an InterCity bus to Christchurch, which is why I finally have some time to look back on the last two weeks.

My journey began in Auckland, from where we drove north towards the Bay of Islands. We had our first stop in the sleepy town of Paihia. From there, we visited New Zealand's first capital, Russell (about 30 inhabitants including lighthouse keepers), as well as Cape Reinga, the northernmost point of New Zealand, where the Pacific Ocean meets the Tasman Sea. In addition to sandboarding, jumping dolphins, and a stronger breeze than on the Dörnberg, there was also a hole in a rock in the sea here (see pictures). A very impressive landscape, which probably invites more travel in the summer. We then went from Auckland to Hahei, where the three guys in our travel group (our bus driver, a Brit, and myself) spontaneously booked a rafting tour to explore the local coast. That's right, our main goal was to admire the local rocks and not to race across the Pacific Ocean in an overpowered tiny raft. After spending an hour inspecting the local rocks meticulously from all angles on the boat, the unexpected highlight came for our boat guide. On the horizon, we spotted a whale, and we quickly chased after it. After losing sight of it, the humpback whale suddenly surfaced a few meters behind our small boat, so close that our guide became a bit uneasy and wanted to gain some distance. An impressive experience. We then spent several nights at various stunningly secluded lodges, all of which are dedicated to environmental or social projects in their respective areas. For example, one lodge donated leftover barbecue food from dinner to needy school children the next day, another farm is committed to the conservation of New Zealand plants, and yet another focuses on a sustainable and organic livestock farming.

Another highlight of the past days was undoubtedly a four-hour cave tour, where we squeezed through tiny holes and abseiled down underground waterfalls. The Tongariro Alpine Crossing was also very impressive, allegedly the most beautiful day hike in the world. When I think of the Alps, this title may be a bit bold, but the hike through a volcano, snow, and jungle was very impressive, with fascinating views (although limited due to the weather). For the next week, I have rented a small campervan from Christchurch, although I would have also loved to travel the South Island with the bus tour. I hope everyone is doing well and that no one has had their toupee stolen by the wind and that the lawn mowers continue to dutifully do their job.

Best regards,

Felix