In Arrowtown with Jörg and fishing in Kaikoura

With raised thumbs, 4 different vehicles transported me from Monowai to Arrowtown, to be precise, Arrow Junction. I had been there exactly 10 years ago with Vampy and Säckn, and we ended up staying because of the outstanding all-round service. A lot has happened since then. Jörg was still a pilot back then and also produced gin on the side, which he had just started marketing. Now he is a full-time manager of his distillery and restaurant owner. He now has several gins and also vodka, whisky, rum, and softer alcoholic drinks, which he exports to 14 countries around the world. For the reception, there was a terrine made from 40 quails, which he received from a friend who is a Michelin-starred chef the day before. But the other dinners that were served in the following days were also very decadent: greyfish (lobster), codfish, lamb, roast pork... And it wasn't just the dishes on the table, but you could also see and feel the new prosperity in Jörg himself.

On the one hand, it was really nice to meet Jörg again, to reminisce about old stories, to see what has changed and what has remained the same. But then the conversation quickly turned to the tiresome topic of money, and it was clear that Jörg was very occupied with calculations and planning. And money can quickly turn subjects into objects, which in turn can lead to a detachment from the nature of human beings. I don't want to go into the details of our economic system, its effects on people, and the current global crises again and go off on a tangent, but this encounter once again made it clear to me how difficult it is to maintain a good balance in life and that money alone certainly does not bring happiness.

Then I met Irina, who was spending her last days in New Zealand near Arrowtown. We took a trip to Wanaka to Roy's Peak. A mountain that has gained popularity due to its stunning views and wonderful photo opportunities. It was still dark when we arrived at the parking lot and luckily managed to find a spot. When we set off just before sunrise, it didn't take long for the first people to come towards us and head back home. There is also a particular spot on the mountain where you have to queue to take pictures, even though there are similar beautiful views nearby where you can be relatively undisturbed. It was an overall wonderful day, and we had a great time with beautiful panoramic views during the not entirely easy ascent.

A day later, Lutz and Sanny, whom I met in Fiji, and who are currently on a world trip from Hamburg, were also nearby. We had planned to go hiking, but the weather only allowed us to explore the cafes in Arrowtown together. So we spent the day exchanging travel stories and enjoying some delicious hot drinks in the charming Arrowtown.

Noah from Aschaffenburg, Jörg's best friend's nephew, also arrived at Jörg's during those days to take a 1-year break in New Zealand. In the morning, we formed a work team where we were entrusted with the honorable task of building a fence for Jörg. In the afternoon, we went on excursions, and in the evenings, we enjoyed a glass of gin. It was fun to dig holes with Noah, cut iron bars to the right size, and weld them together. He was highly motivated, and we had a similar work pace and morale, which made the work feel like leisure time. In the afternoons, we took Jörg's bikes and one of his employees' bikes and rode to starting points for short hikes to conquer some mountains. These were less well-known mountains, which meant that we sometimes didn't encounter a single soul and also had beautiful views. And then I had the pleasure of riding a full-suspension mountain bike for the first time in my life and was simply blown away by the comfort, ease, and fun of riding downhill. On the last day of my stay, there was a gin festival for which Jörg gave us free tickets, and Noah and I tasted our way through the different gins.

The next day, I set off early in the morning to Tony, who lived a bit north of Christchurch and lured me with fishing pictures and surf stories. First, I was picked up by an Englishman my age who discovered traveling a year ago. Then Max, a young man from Bochum on a world tour, Peter, who lost his house and car near Auckland in a hurricane, bought a new one on the South Island, and was now on his way back, and Anton and Eric from near Düsseldorf, who were on a working holiday in New Zealand. The two of them, after being invited to go fishing on a boat, decided to buy a boat themselves for one year. They earned money behind the bar, bought an inexpensive but in need of restoration boat, and fixed it up. Since they were on their way to a wonderful fishing spot, I decided on short notice to travel to Tony the next day and keep them company on the boat the next morning. We spent the whole day on the boat in Kaikoura, watching penguins jump through the water, dolphins follow us, and occasionally catching a fish. The two were very different in character. Anton was more rational, structured, calm, and decent, while Eric was more lively, scatterbrained, extroverted, and also funny. And after just a few minutes, they started to argue, have verbal battles, and escalate over small things. This occasionally led to a small explosion, with one person becoming louder and more offensive. Then there would be a brief period of silence. The person, usually Eric, who crossed the line, would then, a short time later, initiate friendly and calm contact again, unrelated to the previous dispute, making the atmosphere more cheerful again... until the next conflict ignited over something trivial. It was like traveling with an old married couple. At first, I tried to intervene, but quickly realized that I was fighting a losing battle, so I just let the two of them continue their endless cycle of friendship and enjoyed the weather and the fish. Although we had some bites, to put it in Franky's words, we mainly caught small fish. So we let our greed get the better of us and took home some fish that didn't quite meet the minimum size requirements. When we were about to drive the boat onto the trailer at the harbor, three pickups suddenly arrived and blocked our way out. It was the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, who arrived with this fleet of vehicles after sunset. It made quite an impression, and we got weak knees, especially because we didn't know if every fish met the minimum size requirements. Our fish were then inspected by one of the three men. He didn't measure them, but he seemed to have no objections to our catches. He then said goodbye and let the other men do the talking. They were interested in where we were fishing. It turned out that we were fishing in part of a marine reserve. That means a $600 fine per person, confiscation of the boat, and deportation from the country. However, we were able to convince the two men of the ignorance, unintentionality, and stupidity of German tourists, so they showed mercy and only recorded the data for a possible further offense. What an excitement. They then recommended an app where you can see which areas are protected. It may be less relevant to me, but it's not a bad idea for Eric and Anton to check out the fishing spot in advance. When we were about to leave, still in mild shock but also relieved, the car battery suddenly died. But that was just a minor side note of the evening. Since it was already late and Tony went to bed, I spent the night in Cheviot at the rugby field under a starry sky before Tony picked me up the next day.