Castle Hill

Friends of Sun,

In this blog post I'll tell you about an incredibly great hike and a not-so-great experience here in New Zealand.

After I had let off steam on the South Island of Christchurch, I decided to go back to Christchurch and continue planning my further South Island trip there or get a rough overview of where I wanted to go and what I wanted to see. There was no better place to do this in Christchurch than Starbucks. So first we went to Starbucks and then to my favorite campsite where all the people were super nice and I was able to fill up on drinking water and get rid of my trash. Since the weather was supposed to be great the next day, I picked a hike near Arthurs Pass.

So far so good. The next morning I went out early and motivated for my hike up Foggy Peak and, if all conditions were right, on to Castle Hill. When I arrived at the parking lot, I looked at the parking lot and chose a parking space that was super far away from the street and where I would certainly not be a hindrance to anyone. Then I grabbed my hiking gear and off we went.

It was only after the first 100 HM that I discovered a real well-trodden path which I then continued on. Before that it was actually more cross-country towards the hanging wall.

The paths, the terrain and especially the flora and fauna are very different here from my usual hikes in the Alps. Here the hiker can see exactly where she is going and where she wants to go as there are no steep walls or trees to block the view. This allows for an incredibly cool view and a wide view over other scree slopes.

For all the nerds among you: I felt a bit like a hobbit on the way to Mordor. So many stones and steep slopes with a really beautiful view were simply breathtaking. The climbs were pretty steep, especially at the beginning of the hike, and I was very glad I had my hiking poles with me. After I reached the first peak - Foggy Peak - the weather was still good and my legs were still so fit that I dared to climb further up Castle Hill. There were also a few French people on the track, which also made the decision easier for me because I thought: "Oh, if something happens now, at least someone will find me quicker."

At the summit I was very, very proud that I completed the hike at 1200 m altitude and the view up there was really great! In addition to the great view, it was very, very windy, so I only stayed briefly on the summit and then quickly went back down the last steep slope so that I could take a break in the lee of the ridge.

On the way back the French did a photo shoot with a view and I played photographer. A single picture of me was also taken.

I was overjoyed and then got to my car. Some have already noticed and others will find out through this blog post. Unfortunately, Liselotte is a pile of junk! A pile of scrap in which I can fortunately still sleep, but also a pile of scrap in which I cannot drive any further. Because while I was away, a first-rate idiot managed to lose control of his car in the curve in front of the parking lot and drove into my car at full speed. At least those responsible left a note behind. The car involved in the accident was a rental car and therefore definitely insured.

After I sought help from Dutch campers who were enjoying the view to close my door, I first drove to the nearest police station to get help. I didn't have a single shred of net in the parking lot and was pretty much lost. True to Murphy's Law, things continued the same way over the next few days.

The police station was closed and I couldn't hope for any help there. So in my distress and in my slightly perplexed and nervous state I drove to my first port of call and drove back to the campsite in Christchurch. When I arrived at the reception, I burst into tears at Karen's and realized the entire situation. After the technicians from the campsite sealed my doors with duck tape so that it wouldn't rain in, I drank a few bourbons with Marc and Josef and we talked a little about our life stories. That was really very necessary and the two of them supported me very well and cheered me up that evening.

The next day Marc drove me to the car rental company of the person who caused the accident and I explained my problem and the whole accident to them. But they weren't really helpful. They have passed my case on to the insurance company, but as of today (March 27th) I have not seen any concrete progress, even though I call at regular intervals and put pressure on things to move forward. Insurance seems to work exactly the same way around the world. The accident happened on April 14th and I've been stuck at the campsite ever since.

I got a new camper organized within 24 hours, which I'll get tomorrow and then at least I'll have a set of wheels again, but unfortunately it's not really clear yet what will happen to the old car. My best-case scenario would be that I get the money back from my first car purchase from the insurance company (at least partially) and they use it to buy the car straight away and scrap it. I don't think the car can be repaired and I don't really want to wait for it since I've already bought another van.

Unfortunately, I can't do anything more than wait. My first plan was to find a job in Christchurch and thus bridge the waiting time, but unfortunately I have received either no response or a negative response to all of my applications. This means that my current plan is that as soon as I get the new van I will spend the remaining 5 weeks of autumn exploring the South Island, then head north and start looking for a job again in a warmer environment.

Well, so much for my situation and broken Liselotte. Shit has happened - but I'm growing with my tasks!

I'll show you more about the current status and what I've been up to while I've been stuck at the campsite for 2 weeks in the next blog posts.

Wish me good luck,
Your Britta