435 Days Abroad – My Personal Highlights and Review (Part 1)

Hey folks!

First of all, I wish everyone a Happy New Year! I hope you had a great start into 2018 and wish you all the best for the next 12 months 😊🍀

Anyway, I decided to write this blog post to summarize and reflect upon the longest trip of my life. On 22nd November 2017, I got off a Eurowings plane at Cologne Airport. I did not only arrive with a trekking backpack filled to the very top but also with numerous memories and impressions from the last 435 days which are most definitely staying with me forever. Eight countries – New Zealand, Samoa, Fiji, Australia, Thailand, Cambodia, Lao and Vietnam - on two continents, heaps of new friends, spectacular and incredibly beautiful scenery, an amazing fauna, fun, thrilling and crazy activities, some really difficult and sad moments, completely new working experiences, insights into totally different cultures and countless nights out – I guess I had quite a memorable and filled time. Now, after being back home for exactly six weeks, I have actually come to process all these new impressions properly and I think the time has come to put this unique trip into words. Let’s start with the first chapter.

1. New Friends

I was traveling alone. I didn’t know anyone before I started my trip. But it was so incredibly easy to get in touch with other backpackers from all over the world. There wasn’t a single country where I didn’t meet fun and friendly people traveling on the other side of the world, just like me. Especially in New Zealand, it was so so easy to get in touch with others and make new friends since I was traveling with Stray, probably one of the best bus companies in the world. I’m so glad I chose the option to go by bus instead of buying a car. I would probably have seen a bit more by car but I would most definitely not have met so many fun, friendly and lovely people and made so many new friends, most of them on my Stray buses and during my winter holidays in the South Island. It was the same with most of my jobs. I really enjoyed being part of a group of people working at the same place, particularly during my time in Murchison and Clinton. In Australia, it was very similar. Very good friendships emerged from an amazing 40 day trip along the East Coast, especially during my legendary tour around Fraser Island and the final days of my trip in Mission Beach and Cairns. I even got to see three of these new friends again for my birthday weekend which was certainly one of the greatest pleasures of my trip. And of course, I got in touch with so many backpackers in Asia. I would like to highlight my time in Cambodia where I made new friends almost every day and got to see amazing places at the same time and the group I traveled with in Vietnam for a while during the very last days of my trip. Of course, I got disappointed by some people for various reasons and not everyone I met turned out to be as nice as they appeared to be. A couple of people left me quite confused with their behavior towards me but you can’t always get what you want. These people were just a minority of the ones I met during my trip, and all in all, I really enjoyed almost everyone’s company and I’m extremely glad that I’ve met the ones whose names I eternalized on the cover picture of this post 😉 Whether we got to spend our time together during trips, parties, hikes, activities, at the hostel or somewhere else, I nearly always had a good time and lots of fun 😊👌 Thank you for that to everyone whose name is on the list at the end of this post and on the cover picture! I hope to see as many of you again as possible!

2. Activities

I honestly don’t know where to start. I did so many activities during my trip. Some of them were quite expensive but almost every single one was totally worth it. My most extreme one was probably my skydive. Jumping off a plane while you’re 14.000 feet above sea level is certainly not everyone’s cup of tea, and $520 are nothing but a bargain. However, I’m so glad that I made the decision to do this activity. The feeling of flying towards a beautiful landscape in the Abel Tasman National Park at the speed of 200 km/h can’t be put into words. It was one of the greatest moments of my life, and the video will always be a great reminder of this awesome experience, just like the pictures. And then, just four days later, on Christmas Eve 2016, I ended up in a helicopter which dropped me at a place that can only be described as a glacier wonderland. Franz Josef Glacier was one of the most surreal landscapes I have ever seen. Never will I ever forget this day. Just like I will never forget the very first activity I did during my trip: Canyoning in the North Island. Making your way through a river by jumping, abseiling, sliding and climbing was just amazing and loads of fun. Totally recommended! Same with caving in Waitomo and flying down the biggest rafting waterfall in the world in a boat on Kaituna River. Zorbing was loads of fun too. Not everyone needs to see a sense in rolling down a hill while being caught in a ball but this was so enjoyable. Another day I will always remember is my very first scuba dive in the Great Barrier Reef. Moving several meters below the surface of the ocean and seeing all the corals and fish from such a close distance was simply wonderful. So was a day I spent in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The special thing about that day was that I spent it with elephants. It was so amazing to be side by side with these majestic animals for a full day. Everyone should do that activity at some stage! I also got in touch with some other animals in New Zealand, for example horses. I had seen quite a lot during my life, but I had never sat on one. I finally got to do so in Whakahoro, a blue duck station in the middle of nowhere in New Zealand. And it worked out! I really should have gone for a horse ride earlier. And of course, I have to mention the kayaking trip I did in Byron Bay, Australia. The special thing about this activity was that we were kayaking in the middle of a group of dolphins. Truly wonderful! Otherwise, Skyline Luge is always worth doing. I knew it from Calgary, Canada, and in New Zealand, I even did it at two places: Rotorua and Queenstown. Always great fun, not too expensive and amazing landscape views during the rides – what else can you wish for? During winter, I was finally able to do one of my favourite sports: skiing at Cardrona, Treble Cone and The Remarkables. Going down a snowy hill while there are simply beautiful scenic views right in front of you and the sun is shining is one of the most fantastic things you can experience. As long as you don’t fall and hurt yourself 😜 I can also highly recommend ziplining, tree trekking, sandboarding, jetboating, surfing – no matter where you are - going on a lord of the rings tour and snorkeling which is always worth doing even if you have snorkeled before. You always get to see such an amazing underwater world and it’s really cheap, so got for it! 😉 My best snorkeling trip was definitely the one I went on in Koh Rong, Cambodia. It was one of the best packages you can get. Snorkeling, catching fish, walking to a waterfall, a sunset bonfire and watching the sparkling plankton in the dark made for a perfect day 😊

3. Nature (only New Zealand)

Many of the landscapes I got to see were just stunning, especially in New Zealand. The places I loved most were the summits of hills and mountains I had just hiked up before. It was always worth the effort! The viewpoints I know best are definitely the ones near Queenstown, Ben Lomond and Queenstown. They’re both incredibly great and you get such a great view of the surrounding mountains, lakes, forests and towns. That’s why I went up there three times each 😆 They’re totally different but equally beautiful during every season. Apart from these hikes, extremely beautiful places with world-class views in the Otago region are certainly the ski fields of Cardrona, Coronet Peak and Treble Cone. Another epic hike was the Tongariro Alpine Crossing through the world famous area of Mordor. The weather wasn’t perfect but good enough to get some great views. I also loved Roys Peak near Wanaka. It’s a really steep hike but not that long and you get panoramic views once you’re on top of the hill. Mount Cook National Park is a paradise for passionate hikers. You can do so many hikes around the highest mountain of New Zealand and once you’ve reached the end of a hike, you always get rewarded with a brilliant view. The mix between alpine flora, mountains and glacier lakes and rivers is just stunning. One of my favorite places in the world is Milford Sound. High mountains and a fiordland comparable to parts of Norway, topped with high waterfalls, dolphins and seals make for a perfect combination. Of course, the two glaciers of New Zealand, Fox and Franz Josef, are always worth a visit even if you’re traveling on a budget and not up for a heli hike. Otherwise, the coastal views on both islands of New Zealand can be amazing, especially but not only if there’s something really special about them such as the Moeraki boulders, the Pancake Rocks and Cape Reinga in the very north of the country. Another place no one should leave out while they’re in New Zealand is the Coromandel region in the East of Auckland. The cathedral cove is definitely a must see and the hikes and beaches around Hahei are absolutely beautiful. And make sure you go to the Tasman region in the North of the South Island. The Abel Tasman National Park is not only one of the warmest regions of New Zealand but also one of the prettiest, and the area around Murchison, the place I spent more time at than at any other place in the country, is great for everyone who likes farmland. In my opinion, the best place to have mountains and sea at the same time is definitely South Otago, the area around Dunedin and Palmerston to be more precise which actually reminded of the Eifel, the region around my home town in Germany, the difference being that there is no sea at all in our area. And of course, there are lakes and waterfalls all over the country which are all worth visiting. I particularly enjoyed the lakes located in an alpine surrounding, such as Lake Wanaka and Lake Wakatipu near Queenstown or Lake Pukaki and Tekapo between Christchurch and Mt Cook. In the North Island, people should definitely see the geothermal parks around Rotorua which are a really surreal place with some crazy water colours and other phenomena such as fountains and steaming lakes, and the two islands you can reach by ferry from Auckland, namely Rangitoto, a volcanic island, and Waiheke. Last but not least, I always really enjoyed walking up to the highest point of a city like Mount Victoria in Wellington, Mount Eden in Auckland and the Christchurch Skyline. I think it’s great to see all the houses and other buildings just like the parks and gardens from a high position. Conclusively, I could clearly recognize why so many movies have been produced in New Zealand and why so many people consider it to be one of the most beautiful countries in the world. The nature is incredibly diverse and there’s something for everyone: mountains, beaches, lakes, forests, waterfalls, glaciers, farmland and much more. If you go to New Zealand, you’ll love it. Satisfaction guaranteed unless you only like cities 😉

In my next post, I will go on with my review and deal with the nature in the other countries I visited, my sightseeing trips, difficult moments, my cultural experiences, special occasions such as Christmas, New Year and my birthday, and my working experiences. Hopefully you enjoyed reading this post 😊

Cheers

Max

PS: If you don’t find your name in the following list, please let me know 😉

Aia

Alana

Alastair

Alex H.

Alex V.

Alexandra

Amelie

Andi

Andre

Andrea

Andrew B.

Andrew G.

Anika

Anna

Anna J.

Annabel P.

Annabell Louise

Annalicia

Annie

Aoife

Ashley D.

Bella

Benedict J.

Benni

Beth

Bianca

Bo

Bobby

Braydon

Brent

Brian

Brittany

Bryan

Byron

Caite

Callum

Camilla

Caroline

Carolyn

Catrin

Celina

Celine

Charlie

Charlotte Jessica L.

Charlotte K.

Charlotte S.

Chase

Christian P.

Christoph "Jesus"

Claire

Conner

Connor

Cooper

Cris

Daan

Dan F.

Dan O’M.

Daniel

Danielle H.

Darija

Darren

David

Denise

Diandra

Diane F.

Diane FIJ

Diane M. H.

Dominik

Dor

Douglas

Dylan P.

Dylan W.

Eemil

Eilis

Elaine

Elisa

Ellen

Ellie

Emer

Emil

Emily H.

Emily Ha.

Emma P. M.

Emma T.

Eve

Evie

Falk

Felix H.

Felix K.

Frank

Gabriel

George B.

George J.

Hanka

Hattie

Henry

Huy Dong

Ian

Iris v. D.

Isabel

Isabella

Jake

James E.

James K.

James R.

James T.

Jan H.

Jan R.

Jan-David

Jane

Jannik

Jason

Jasper

Jenna

Jenny D.

Jenny T.

Jens

Jeremy

Jessie AUT

Jessie S.

Jikke

Joan

Joaquin

Joe

Joel

Johanna

Jonas E.

Jonas H.

Jonathan

Jordan

Jordy

Jose

Jule

Julia M.

Julia W.

Juliana

Julie

Juliette

Jullian

Karen K.

Karim

Kate

Kathryn

Katie

Katja

Kevin

Kieran

Kimberley

Kirsten

Konstantin

Kookie

Kristina

Laoise

Lara

Laura G.

Laura I.

Liam

Linnea R.

Linsey

Lionel

Lisa B.

Lisa C.

Lisa C. S.

Lisa J.

Lisa K.

Lisa M.

Lisa Marie St.

Lisa Schr.

Lisa Se.

Lorna

Louisa

Lydia

Lynsey

Mads

Manuel

Marc

Marcel

Marije

Martin

Maryk

Mathilde

Matthias

Matti

Max D.

Max G.

Mayu

Megan

Melanie A.

Melanie P.

Melina

Melinda

Micah

Michael M.

Michael P.

Mickael

Mikaere

Mike

Milane

Milla

Minal

Miriam L.

Miriam O’K.

Mitch

Mona

Nadine

Natalie

Natascha

Niamh

Nicola

Nicole

Nicolette

Nils

Nina E.

Nina S.

Nina Wairuna

Ninja

Nipper

Olli

Pat

Paul JCL

Paul M.

Paul W.

Paulina

Pedro

Phil

Philipp M.

Pietro

Rachel

Rafael

Ralf

Rebecca

Rebekka

Reece

Renee

Richard

Robbie

Robert

Robin

Romeo

Ron

Ryan

Sacheen

Sally

Samantha P.

Samuel

Sandra

Sara

Sarah

Saskia

Schaho

Scott

Selma

Shaun

Shira

Silka

Simon H.

Sophia O.

Sophia W.

Sophie B.

Steffi L.

Steffi R.

Stephanie L.

Suraj

Svea

Sven

Tanner

Taryn

Tatiana

Tessa

Thies

Thilo

Thomas A.

Thorsten

Tim B.

Timo

Tobias M.

Tobias T.

Tom

Torben

Tristan

Truc

Viktoria

Vince

Wouter

Yannik

Yolene

Zac

Zeno