New Zealand - North Island

Now we have been in New Zealand for 10 days, and as we are currently crossing from the North to the South Island by ferry, I finally have the opportunity to write something again.

At the moment, we are exploring New Zealand at a fast pace; because my companion only has 'only' four weeks of time. I can remain completely relaxed about this. If we have to skip something, I know that I can catch up on it in the six weeks after Manuela's departure.

After picking up our campervan "Ben" in Auckland, we drove to the Coromandel Peninsula. In Coromandel Town, we ate "green-lipped mussels", a type of mussel with a green edge. At Hot Water Beach, during low tide (at 11 p.m.), we bathed in self-dug holes with warm thermal water along with a horde of drunk backpackers, and the following day we hiked to Cathedral Cove, the beach famous for its archway which became the home screen of a certain software company (which shall remain unnamed).

After that, we headed inland, first to Rotorua, where a Maori led us through his village, where the residents cook their food using the steam from the hot springs (steam pudding or corn on the cob are said to be particularly delicious). We then went via Taupo to Tongariro National Park, where we did the Tongariro Crossing, which is part of every New Zealand tourist's must-do list. It's a 7-hour hike where you cross a pass between the peaks of Tongariro and marvel at a landscape dominated by lava, volcanic craters, and lakes.

Two days ago, we arrived in Wellington, the vibrant multicultural capital of New Zealand. Although there are some concrete monstrosities from the 60s and 70s in the city center, the city has a certain charm, and you can spend your time wonderfully with museum visits, shopping, and coffee drinking.

So, that was the North Island in fast forward for you.