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Brisbane Airport (Stopover) by 5 PM.
The
plane is then completely full. |
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Arrival in Christchurch 25
min. after midnight.
I of course don’t book any
hostel. It works quite well this way.
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Since the earthquake in 2011 Christchurch is a very desolate
city. |
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Even many graffiti campaigns do not help much. |
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Attempt to make a virtue of necessity: a container mall. |
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That
they hang
flags as
a
sign
of mourning at half mast, I knew. |
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But
who needs a shower? A sauna's also available. |
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Unfortunately not for him. |
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My
tour
through New
Zealand, I have booked with Kiwi Experience,
because
I mainly want to admire the
highly acclaimed landscape (so
Christchurch
is
already
a
magnificent false start). Kiwi makes it simple: there is
a set route, you can
hop
everywhere on and off. Hostels are also booked on request, and
you
can book various activities for the next destination on the bus.
Fortunately, I
only
have to stay one night in Christchurch.
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Arrival in Kaikoura. Looks
already better. |
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In
the hostel there are actually still video recorder along with cassettes.
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This
sign clearly shows that we are no longer in Australia. But fortunately
heated rooms are not required
yet.
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The "Great
Views". |
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In
NZL waste separation is practiced. There is another container for
leftovers. |
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Also
frequently encountered. But is mostly ignored. |
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Both
bottle sizes are in the same fridge.
Even the water is insanely expensive in 600 ml bottles. |
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While other swim with dolphins for $ 130, I hike along the coast.
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Just
as I had imagined the NZL-trails. |
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The
grill
at the
sea makes ... |
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…
the waterfowl carefully. |
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For
them there are, after all, no restrictive fishing quotas. |
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The
supposedly sleeping seal ... |
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…
barks pretty annoyed when I'm too close. (A Ranger criticizes me for
approaching- could have been expensive.) |
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Undaunted I practice as a trainer: seat!
(mouse on pic)
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On
the rest of the route I learn ... |
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…
that seals are nothing special here. |
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In
New Zealand there are also funny trees. |
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The
very next morning we move on to
Kaiteriteri. |
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Interim wine tasting. Red and white wine from the same glass, and
without any temporal neutralizer. Amateurs. |
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But
they have a great life wisdom on
hand.
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This
picture IS New Zealand. |
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Late
arrival. The mood is still good, despite ... |
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…
the worst hostel ever. The residential containers from the outside and
... |
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...
from the inside. The one under the rear window has clearly lost. Greedy
bastards. (Kaiteri Lodge) |
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Counter-productive, anti-social and yet to be found again and again.
Coolers in the fridge. Other examples follow. |
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Most
AUS and NZL-Traveller have such a cool box, because
as a matter of the prices
you
usually cook here
yourself or
at least prepare the breakfast. Unfortunately, there are two problems.
First, there
is
basically only a limited space in the fridges and these
boxes are
disproportionately large. Second, they
are usually closed, and that is simply stupid, because then they
keep the cold
outside. But as I said - unfortunately standard
in the hostels. |
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The next day I use the time for another hike - and land somehow on the
mountain bike trail. |
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Given such sections pretty dangerous. After two hours I fortunately find
undamaged the exit. |
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Time
for a breather ... |
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... on the beach. |
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A
Kiwi, who is not only incapable of
flight. The departure is delayed by a few hours. |
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But
then we start in direction of
Westport. |
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One
of the most pleasant hostels of my trip - staff included. The
Bazil's. |
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Unfortunately, again for one night only. |
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That
doesn’t prevent the girls in my room
from
establishing
domesticated. |
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That’s how a common area has to look like. |
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Again, pure nostalgia. |
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Unfortunately a bit blurry, but I have to show it. The official hostel
tree. |
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By bus
we go to a barbecue on the beach. |
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Collecting wood ... |
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… is
no big challenge. |
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That's a real campfire. |
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Meanwhile a nice view to the sea. |
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Then we drive to the pub.
But this is still the bus.
Standing Room Only. |
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Exceptions confirm the rule. |
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I do
not know where this sign hung. Bukowski's
quotes are the best. |
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The
next day. Slightly hungover, we drive towards
Franz Josef. This is a town’s name. In NZL. |
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A quick stop for the Pancake Rocks
and blowholes. |
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The
former. |
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The
latter. Here the wind whistles through.
(For those who laughed dirty about the name.) |
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A kind of cicada.
It makes a noise like a
jackhammer and is about 5 cm long. |
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No,
unfortunately no Kiwi. But the animal that comes closest to it (Weka).
I accept it. |
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Preparation for a game - while driving. |
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Bug Splat Bingo.
Everyone buys a square and at the end
wins the one who has most critters on his. |
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However, Garage, our bus driver, elects the winner by gender.
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Stop 2 PM for shopping.
Fortunately, the supermarket
has not such a sign like many other shops. |
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Another game: Busaoke. But
with the real singing in the background. |
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It's also
possible without.
But
I
fail miserably with my sober(!)
acapella-interpretation of mein kleiner grüner Kaktus. (No,
I didn't become completely grey on my trip - that's the sun!) |
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Arriving in Franz Josef -
famous for its glaciers. |
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Pizza Taxi. |
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Maneuver
out, please. |
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Busaoke
is replaced by Billardqueueaoke
(what a word - 6 vowels in a row). |
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Franz Josef
is one of the few places where I
spend
more than one night,
namely
two, as well as most
of the
others in the group. However, while
most of them
book a heli-tour on the glacier
(from $ 240)
and there march through the ice, I decide to explore the area on foot
again. |
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Through well-developed paths ... |
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... I first get to Lake Wombat.
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As usual, everything is well signposted.
Next
destination: actually the hot pool at the hostel. |
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However, I met an Austrian who comes from Alex Knob and ask him
if it's worth the way. His answer after looking at my slippers, "Yes,
but with the shoes you have
impossible."
Although I did not want to go there, I take the challenge and
head
to the summit. |
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Where exactly was the problem? |
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The reward. |
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The direct view of the glacier (at
bottom center a helicopter for size estimation). |
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Next reward: the hot pool at the hostel (prohibited alcohol, therefore
Martin sunk his beer). |
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And the best reward ever. |
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Later dorm party, which is terminated by the staff quite quickly.
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We
continue to Wanaka.
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Stop
at the Mirror Lake.
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Next bus game: you have to swallow a cereal bar (weet bix) without water as quickly as possible. |
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As usual, there is enough nature to admire on the way. |
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A
last stop. They all want ... |
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...
to
eat a slice of toast with these fish gizmos for $ 6.50. |
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Since I prefer to talk to Kiwi
Hennes. |
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