Final Part 1: From the one who set out to... what are you talking about?

Welcome to the Grand Finale.

While writing, I asked myself some questions. How do I make my final blog furious?

How do you look back on your journey? What was important and how has it changed me in a Loni-like way? In the following, I tried to take stock in an entertaining way. I hope it worked.

I want to thank Glocki, but I have no idea for what. Just for everything😄

How did we come up with the title above?

I wanted to call this blog 'From the one who set out to...' but I couldn't come up with a good ending for this sentence. So, I asked my friends on Instagram to complete the sentence fittingly for my journey. They came up with some really cool suggestions. Thanks to everyone who helped me out creatively, even with something like this.

But the best was Eric's reaction. He simply answered 'What are you talking about?' and probably wanted to express his displeasure with my blogger antics. I thought it was funny because he likes to complain and luckily I don't take myself too seriously.

I also liked the honesty, if you think something is stupid, just say it, brother.

What noteworthy things happened during our last week in New Zealand?

In the twelfth and final week, we spent a lot of time in coastal areas with white beaches. First in Abel Tasman National Park, where we went kayaking, among other things. I steered a zigzag course during the kayaking, but the Austrian woman I shared the boat with forgave me. The national park really has a lot to offer from the kayak and the lookout platforms:

By the way, kayaking is a great pastime. It's so much fun that we're going to do it again tomorrow in Kaikoura, the area we're currently exploring.
It's now autumn for us and the days are not as warm anymore, but even now this coastal region is still amazing. In a hot summer, this must simply be paradise.

Besides activities on the water, the coastal region of Kaikoura is known for its diverse opportunities to observe wildlife in their natural habitat.

For example, there are boat trips where you can get a close look at whales and dolphins. Glocki and I, of course, took part in one of them.

We also saw a sperm whale, those creatures are huge. Unfortunately, no dolphins showed up.

The ride was also intense because our boat was rocking heavily due to the sea. It was like a permanent roller coaster ride. Eventually, some people around us started vomiting into their sickness bags. I think it's hard to imagine seasickness if you're not affected yourself. Fortunately, I'm not prone to it, but it was really pitiful to see how pale and unsteady on their feet people became and how they had to vomit continuously. In that state, you just want to get back to land, no matter how much the ride cost. Glock eventually unpacked his snack. Madness. Stomach made of steel.😂

Fortunately, I was spared from seasickness, so my biggest problem was that there were no dolphins. But that's just how it is. If you want to be sure, you have to go to the zoo.

Another highlight in Kaikoura was watching little seals in their natural habitat. We could walk among them and get very close. Touching them is, of course, forbidden, but you know how tourists are...

I could watch the baby seals play all day long.

Anyway, I don't want to talk too much about week 12, otherwise this will get overwhelming.

In Kaikoura, we hiked the last kilometers of our long journey today. I covered many kilometers in New Zealand, but it was definitely fun in this landscape.

For example, we hiked 16 kilometers and 1229 meters in altitude to Roys Peak. The Tongariro Alpine Crossing was a challenge with 19.4 kilometers and almost 800 meters in altitude.

And what about you, little Schwarzwaldverein Hausach? 😄

How did I experience the ubiquitous photo craze of the tourists?

I've thought about that because I was not immune to it either.

That's why I'm proud of myself for not taking a single photo on a mountain we hiked. Because I don't want to end up with 2000 photos on my phone. That would just be too much for me. At some viewpoints, I deliberately didn't take a picture if I knew beforehand that I would never be able to capture the panorama in one photo. In that case, I prefer to keep the view for myself. That's why, in my opinion, I have found a good balance in terms of taking photos.

As for photography in general, I don't think anyone should feel guilty for taking many photos. And even not when they take many photos of themselves in front of attractions, as long as they don't obstruct anyone or strike 15 different poses. If someone enjoys taking photos or being photographed, that's fine. Just please don't adopt the Asian style and touch everything without consideration. 😄

What were my most beautiful experiences in New Zealand?

At first, my goal was to list the most amazing activities here. But I can't. On the one hand, there were simply too many and on the other hand, I don't want to highlight individual moments because they were all great. (Okay, now that sounds a bit like the acceptance speech of a beauty queen. To end it fittingly: I wish for world peace and strong beer.)

What kind of ranking list is there instead of a list of highlights? There must be one because ranking lists are just awesome. Similar to to-do lists. Or milestone plans, as a tip for those who are currently writing their bachelor's thesis...

So, here it is:

The Big Four of the things we hated the most vs. the things we loved the most in New Zealand:

4th Place:

Penguins vs. Mum

I usually get along very well with animals, especially dogs.

But penguins seem to be an exception because I (attention, here comes a flat joke) wasn't on the same wavelength with them.

We went to many spots where penguins are supposed to be in all kinds of weather, but (almost) none of them showed up. We only saw one. It was a bit pathetic and wanted to hide from us. But it wasn't a talented hider, so at least we could see it. Can you find it too?

In contrast, I found friends in Auckland as well. The longest-serving employee at Impression is Marcia, also known as Mum. I guess she's in her mid/late 50s. I got along great with her, especially after I recreated the Johnny Depp picture she has as her desktop background (The picture is available on request). Since then, I'm her sweetheart. 😄

3rd Place:

Surf scene vs. Campsite owners

The surf scene played a trick on us.

Sometimes the surf schools were already closed for the season when we asked about it. On some days we were too late to rent a board and on other days the weather was just bad. Due to these circumstances, I never got the chance to go surfing.

In comparison, we were very popular with the campsite owners. This was partly because I learned to approach people even more and my English has noticeably improved. Especially speaking. And I'm really likable. 😄

I have a little anecdote about the campsites:

Last week, we were at the creepiest campsite ever. It had all the characteristics that are important for a bad American horror movie. It was remote and hard to find, almost empty, the main building with kitchen and bathroom facilities was old, there were suspicious, dark rooms with half-open doors, the older owner was really nice (too nice?), and the full moon kept peeping out behind clouds with eerie light. But the worst part was the multicolored flickering fairy lights at the reception. They perfected the horror film atmosphere. When Glocki and I went separately to the bathroom in the main building, I wouldn't have been surprised if a clown with a harpoon had jumped out of one of the rooms.

Fortunately, we survived and in the end, it was just a cheap, moderately equipped, old campsite. But I wouldn't stay there again.

2nd Place:

Franz Josef and Fox Glacier vs. Queenstown

In New Zealand, there are several glaciers. The Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers are located at a junction on the West Coast of the South Island. If you're traveling around the island, you inevitably pass by there. There's simply no other way. In this area, a bridge was destroyed by the rain, and it's the only bridge that leads to the West Coast, i.e., the only road on the West Coast. So, we had to reschedule our trip or rather buy time and hope for a repair. Fortunately, the bridge was repaired just in time, so we could still drive the route to the glaciers with a one-day delay. The glaciers are actually very worth seeing. Unfortunately, almost all hiking trails were closed due to the rain and since you could hardly see the glaciers from the only open path, the trip in this area was pretty disappointing. But at least we didn't have to take a detour thanks to the repaired bridge.

Can you find the glacier in the picture?

In contrast, Cape Reinga, the northernmost point of New Zealand, didn't disappoint us and showed itself in its full beauty. It was incredibly beautiful there.

That completes the first ranking list, but there may be more to come.

What was the biggest challenge of the trip?

Definitely when you had to pee in the van at night. Getting up from the blanket and sleeping bag, finding your flip-flops, and waddling to the toilet is extremely annoying. By the way, you're completely screwed if it's also raining outside.

What were the most useful equipment items?

The softshell jacket and the ankle-high hiking shoes. Definitely.

Don't believe it when Mom says she had to force me to take them with me. 😄

It wasn't a summer vacation on the South Island. I wore the softshell jacket more often than a t-shirt. I also became a leggings wearer. Clothing-wise, I was sometimes criminally underdressed here. It's an acquired taste.

In general, the temperatures on the South Island weren't on our side. When the sun was gone, it felt like winter, but when it came back, it immediately became 10 degrees warmer. Unfortunately, it didn't show up often enough. 😄

On the other hand, it was lucky for us not to be here during the summer peak season. We would have had to book campsites and activities several days in advance and we would have been much less flexible. Additionally, the sights would have been much more crowded. As always, the truth lies somewhere in between.

Today, I just want to give a shoutout to Britta in Ludwigsburg. I hope that your relationship with your professors is still as close as that of the past years. 😉

And Tom Franke can also come as a chaperone.

To end it, here are some pictures from my time on the North Island.

With that, see you soon for Part 2, which will be released soon. I secretly hope it will be featured in Der Spiegel as an insert. Probably as real satire.