South Island NZ

Oh dear, this blog really leaves a lot to be desired...
Many things have happened, of course; mainly very beautiful, impressive experiences and fortunately only a few unpleasant ones. A month after my Beijing disaster, I finally found out from my account overview that the restaurant story cost me 550€! Of course, the chef didn't cancel any transaction at all - what a rascal...
Was I too lazy to regularly describe and publish experiences in words?
Hopefully not, at least my thought book confirms that. I believe I simply used the time to talk to local people and tried to move forward personally. Whether that worked out, you can let me know when I'm home in just under half a month.

Anyway, I don't want to let the blog completely fall apart, so here are a few impressions of the past time.
I have already explored the South Island extensively and am now back on the North Island. Two days ago, a three-day tour around the lonely volcano Mount Taranaki in the west of the North Island was successfully completed; hours of trudging through dense rainforest, the face is eventually covered and stuck with spider webs, but that's also New Zealand. During the first 9-hour stage, my friend (whom I know from Germany and met here) and I didn't encounter anything except trees, trees, and maybe a few bushes for variety.
All in all, a fascinating tour that once again makes us aware of our high-quality and demanding standard of living upon completion.
But let's start from the beginning, for that I have to search through my mobile phone pictures and data, it feels like it was only yesterday, although it was so long ago.
On the west coast, which we (we = travel group until about a week ago, between 3 and 11 people ^^) drove along after the Abel Tasman National Park and the Golden Bay towards the south to the former gold mining town of Hokitika, the only nuisance were the many sandflies, which, despite their 'fruit fly-sized' size, cause annoying bites.
Many beautiful sunsets can be experienced on this side of the country, and in general, this very rainy coastal side is suitable for beautiful hikes in nature, which could hardly be more intense and colorful here.
Over Arthur's Pass, you reach Lake Tekapo, one of 4 larger lakes in the middle of the dry, desert-like Mackenzie Basin, where the Battle of Helm's Deep (Lord of the Rings, part 2) was filmed.
Fun fact: Storms and rain clouds hit the New Zealand Southern Alps in the west, causing unsettled weather and a lot of rainfall, east of it (Mackenzie Basin) the clouds have usually dissipated and the sun is allowed to provide juicy sunburns again ^^
Thus, Lake Tekapo is a landscape with very clear, dry air - ideal for an unforgettable night under the open starry sky, with many shooting stars and a view into the depths of the universe, which of course we did not miss.
The route is now characterized by constantly beautiful landscapes and hikes, so one is certainly 'spoiled by nature' and only natural wonders of the next larger dimension can make one dizzy, such as the huge fiords of 'Milford Sound', also known as the 8th wonder of the world.
Christmas was spent on the beach on the east coast south of Dunedin. The morning sunrise, veiled in mystical fog, was truly a fascinating Christmas gift.
Many seals can be found on the east coast of the South Island. In Kaikoura, I even had the opportunity to go out to sea with a boat before sunrise and swim with dolphins - lovable and adorable creatures.
On the way back, we made another stop at the farm mentioned in the last blog entry, where we were able to gain many experiences such as hunting and shearing sheep within a week.
The crossing to the North Island was scheduled for the night this time, which, apart from a few truck drivers, only occurred to us ^^
When the large trucks were thoroughly anchored with heavy steel chains in the ship's floor, I thought to myself: 'Yo, don't exaggerate, guys'. But when a storm like the one that according to the crew hadn't occurred in the Cook Strait for months raged, I knew why such measures were necessary. After brief periods of weightlessness (due to the gigantic rocking of the ferry), I was glad that there was no reunion with dinner and that the car was still in good condition for the onward journey.

'Sometimes I'm really lucky,' I think to myself after a skydiving jump in the best weather in Taupo. From the plane, you could even see the remote volcano Mt Taranaki, which my friend, whom I was going to meet later that day, and I later circled on foot.
After that, we were invited by a mountain biker for a bike ride, who had once been able to count himself among the top 30 in the world ranking - so he naturally raced ^^
Currently, I'm on a farm near New Plymouth. Two days ago, a car crashed into the cow pasture on the property. The driver took off and left behind the wrecked car along with expensive drugs, which were taken by a police officer today.
The car will stay here for a while so that people from the surrounding area can remove useful parts from it ^^
Well, the cows have already been milked for today ;)

These were just a few impressions, if you want to hear more, feel free to contact me anytime :)