结论 新西兰

In New Zealand, a lot of things are different. The swans are black, the deer are fenced in, driving is on the left lane, the seasons are reversed, and from the perspective of Germany, you're living in the future. Everything is a bit different, yet I've come to love it so much. The people are extremely nice, open, and helpful. Getting a compliment from the cashier at the hardware store is not uncommon. I often caught myself feeling uncomfortable about certain things in front of the locals because I'm used to it a certain way. For example, I thought the woman was going to ask me if I was serious about filling up 10 bottles at the public water faucet. Meanwhile, she wanted to kindly offer me her key for a separate faucet because it was faster. Do you understand what I mean? The people here are, for the most part, simply more open and generous.
So, my conclusion about New Zealand is simply 'Wow, what a country!' New Zealand is certainly not the country for people who constantly need action or enjoy spending a lot of time in big cities. New Zealand is the country for people who love nature, can appreciate the little things, can enjoy peace and quiet, and it's perfect for those who enjoy traveling with a camper.
Wild, deserted beaches, beautiful sunsets, unique starry skies, rainforests, primeval forests, glaciers, mountains, blue lakes, green meadows, beautiful landscapes, volcanoes, sulphur springs, great hiking trails, the Maori culture. We were able to experience all of that in the past few weeks. New Zealand, we will never forget you and the time we spent there.
Here are a few tips from me on the side.
Tip 1: Don't smear yourself with peppermint oil, thinking that it will help against sandflies. Bumblebees actually love peppermint. The result of that is a bumblebee infestation around your camper.
Tip 2: Never use aluminum foil as a windscreen for the gas burner. The result of that is a broken stove and a cold meal. Not to mention that the thing can also explode.
Tip 3: Never book your flight separately. It's quite possible that it was the last ticket and someone is left without a flight ticket.
Tip 4: The blinker is on the right, the control for the windshield wipers is on the left.
Tip 5: Always fully release the handbrake!
That's it. Oh well, I'll tell you something about the budget! We're doing well, I must say. New Zealand is really an expensive country. Groceries, eating out, activities... You definitely have to dig deeper into your wallet for all of that. But since we are frugal, we managed it well. We mainly refrained from alcohol because it's simply expensive. And the desire for it was also very low. We mostly shopped at Pak n Save, which is the cheapest store in New Zealand. We refilled water at public drinking water stations and mostly cooked for ourselves. We treated ourselves to a few activities, but many things can be done in New Zealand on your own. We sold our car with a loss of about 300 euros, as the exchange rate was unfortunately worse than when we bought it. Of course, we still had to spend some money on the car and take out insurance. All in all, we accounted for a loss of 1,000 euros for our budget for the car. We even stayed slightly below that! :) We mostly stayed at free camping spots, which saved us a lot of money. So, for New Zealand, the two of us spent around 5,000 euros for 2.5 months. We actually budgeted for a bit more, so it's going well! Most of the costs went towards fuel and groceries.
By the way, we arrived safely in Brisbane and are starting our road trip along the East Coast today!