Visit from home - The Franconian #1

After almost six months away from home, familiar surroundings, and loved ones, we had our first visit in New Zealand. Thomas, a friend of Tim's from Franconia, took the long journey to the other side of the world, even though he had never flown before!

At first, we thought he was crazy, but then we were more than pleasantly surprised by his courage. He handled everything with ease. Flight with a layover in Dubai, all the bookings, a rental car, and all the little things that are waiting for you. After spending the first few days on his own in the Far North, we met up in Rotorua. Rotorua is a touristy little town in the northern center of the North Island. It is known for its Maori culture and the enormous volcanic activity. Many different Maori tribes settled here in earlier times or later claimed this land. It partially reminds of indigenous reserves. There is also steam and hot springs everywhere in and around the city. Truly impressive, but unfortunately paired with the constant, strong smell of sulfur. We didn't miss the chance and visited one of the numerous spa thermals that advertised hot springs with various mineral enrichments. The admission was fair and worth every dollar.

For the next day, we booked a day trip to the Volcanic Valley. Here you can experience a day hike and boat ride into a kind of forgotten world. It seems as if time stood still here, and that for millions of years...

However, here you can only see the "normal" process of our Mother Earth, which changes and transforms through seismic activity and volcanic eruptions. In this case, it was very young and massive in 1886. During a huge eruption, the entire valley and the neighboring fauna were affected and changed. For example, the level of the lake at the foot of the volcano rose and buried New Zealand's former main attraction, the "Pink and White Terraces".

Back then, it was known worldwide and often described as the 8th Wonder of the World. If you want to get an impression of this valley online https://www.waimangu.co.nz/, definitely a recommendation if you visit New Zealand.

Our next stop, Lake Taupo, is located south of Rotorua. With an area of 616 km², it is the largest lake in the country. It was formed by a volcanic eruption in 186 AD, when an underground magma chamber collapsed and left behind a steep-walled crater. We were impressed by the huge Lake Taupo and its backdrop. On a clear day, we could see the snow-covered peak of a volcano in the distance. Once again, New Zealand showed us how incredibly diverse the landscape is. A campsite was located right on the lake shore, where we planned a typical New Zealand dinner for Thomas - "Green Lipped Mussel". We had eaten this type of mussel several times before and thought it was great. Together with a white wine sauce, glass noodles, and vegetables, we wanted to introduce Thomas to the taste, who had never tried mussels before and, according to his own statement, is not a fan of mushrooms. We were very pleased with the result; the mussels tasted better than in the restaurant. Thomas tried his first mussel, and after just a few moments, it touched the ground again "You want to kill me!". At least he liked the white wine sauce with glass noodles and various vegetables.

We also went on a hike to the Huka Falls. Impressive rapids in New Zealand's largest river.

On the way back, we stopped at a freely accessible hot spring in the middle of a cold river. We enjoyed the hot bath and let our souls dangle.

The next day, we planned a joint canoe trip on Lake Taupo, but the weather didn't cooperate. It was too windy on the water. Well, the alternative for the day could hardly have been more different in their perception. Caro and I had a free and completely relaxed day, while Thomas decided to jump out of a plane from 18,500ft. Okay, we were a bit nervous and very curious, too, of course.

We were also greatly impressed by his determination and courage, and there were understandably some shaky moments and uncertain looks. We were very amused and Thomas was the best. Full of adrenaline and rightfully proud of himself, he shared his experience and the videos and pictures were examined. Impressive achievement, chapeau buddy!

Before leaving the central North Island, a very special highlight awaited us - the Tongariro Alpine Crossing.

The 19.4 kilometer day hike stretches through volcanic landscapes. It is one of the most popular hikes, as in peak season, there can easily be up to 1000 people here daily. We hoped not to experience one of those pilgrim hikes, and we were lucky. Only at the extreme inclines did the crowd occasionally back up. But the entire route made up for it. Fascinated by the views, the Mount Doom known from Lord of the Rings, frozen lava streams, green and blue lakes, deep-red craters, and much more, this hike is definitely Caro's number one. We started around 6:30 am and were glad to have a hat with us because it was bitterly cold at this height. But thanks to the active geothermal zone, a warm wind blew occasionally. After reaching the highest point at 1886 m, we took a break. We enjoyed the surrounding landscape with its fantastic colors and ancient past. After seven hours, we reached the end.

In the distance, Mount Taranaki towers alone - planned visit later

On the same day, our trip was supposed to continue, but when we arrived at the car park, we were in for a surprise...

Odhi had his first flat tire. We were skeptical whether it was a simple flat tire or if someone had punctured it. We wouldn't be the first camper to experience that. But we also expected a flat tire at some point during the year due to the extreme road conditions. However, the New Zealand AA was called in for the first time. Hooray for the additional insurance we took out. After Tim explained our location to the woman on the phone for the twentieth time, we hoped everything would go well. An hour later, an employee arrived and promptly mounted our spare tire. The spare tire is not a temporary spare but a full-size tire. So we hoped to continue our journey with Thomas and only organize a new tire after he left. But after 25 kilometers, something felt off. Tim wasn't sure at first, but another 500 meters and a visual inspection with the window rolled down brought certainty. Mr. Spare Tire spent too much time under the car, was porous, and also said goodbye. We just managed to reach a small town in the middle of Tongariro National Park. So, almost two hours after we called the AA (Automobile Association), we contacted them again. They were somewhat surprised but helped us again and ordered a tow truck for the next morning. Stranded at a small supermarket whose employees were incredibly helpful and offered us Toilet and snacks, we spent the night in the middle of nowhere and planned to meet Thomas in the agreed-upon city the next morning.