Nice weather left, so a good idea was going cruisin´in Auckland Harbour. Nice views of the Sky Tower, Harbour Bridge and the city marina´s. First hopp-off was Rangitoto Island, the youngest volcano in the Auckland volcanic region. Nice place to climb the mountain and do the crater rim track (I meet two belgian girls from Ghent). A nice lava cave exploration and then back down to the wharf. Still two hours till the ferry picks me up; so enough time to go diving in the Bay and sunbathing on the beach.

In the evening I went out with Daniel and Tamara, to the ACB Globe Bar. Awesome Sunday night out! Next night is barhoppin´with Tamara (Daniel hasn´t got enough power left): Fat Camel Bar pool competition, Fusion Bar, Carpark danceclub, Crow Bar, Forté Bar, ACB Globe, Cassette Bar… But it´s Monday and not much people going out; nice music though. Conclusion: i need to go out much more in Belgium

Next morning to the airfield for the extreme long flights back. I arrived very good in Amsterdam, not thát much problems with my jetlag, but I´m gonna have a long sleep now

A word of thanks to all these good friends I made during my trips (chronologic): Siva and Vasuki in Colombo (Thank you so much for your hospitality in your country!), Davshana in the office in Colombo, the children in Goculam Children´s Home,  VijayVijay in Baticola (thanks for the nice day out at the East Coast); John and Jessica in Rotorua, Sylvia in Tongariro, Nina in Taupo, Julia in Wellington, Charlotte on the Interislander, Katrin, Karin and Martina in Franz Josef, Harri and the co-habs in Dunedin (thanks for your great hospitality and care), Alon and the girls in Wanaka, Paul in Te Anau, Laura (from Oostkamp!) on the Milford Track, awesome time in the South Island with Yaja and Team Austria (Matthias, Claudia, Julia and Johanna), much fun on the street with Kathryn (vive Québec!), Pablo in Christchurch, Anna and Hanna (great time in Gisborne-Tatapouri and review in Paihia), Sara, Sandy, Peter and Travis in Coromandel, Daniel and Tamara in Auckland. My islandhopping-time was awesome!

Sweet As, and go kiwi!!

Stijn

City of Sails

Rangitoto volcanic field

Rangitoto lava caves

Sky Tower at night

Auckland nightlife

After a short stay in a stinking room in Auckland, I went up north to Paihia in the Bay of Islands. A very nice day, walking in the shopping street and taking the ferry to Russell, the very first European settlement in New Zealand. We visited the treaty grounds of Waitangi, the place where the Maori Chiefs signed the agreements about the creating of the country of NZ.

Russell is a nice, but very small place, so after a small walk I went for some sleeping and sunbathing on the beach! In the evening I went for a drink in the local pub where I met two friends whome I already met three times before. It was really nice to see them again! Wat a nice evening!

Today I took the bus as far north as possible, to Cape Reinga. The Pacific Ocean and Tasman Sea come together and make a wonderful scenery. On the way back, we drove over the ninety mile beach in the sand back to Paihia, really cool. You could see several cars crashed in the sand. Our bus wasn’t really a bus, but a truck with the back of a bus Otherwise it couldn’t drive over the beach. We all had our fish ‘n chips in the best fish ‘n chips take-away in NZ and had our dinner all together in the bus

on the ferry to Russell

Anna and Hanna in Paihia. We met in Tatapouri for the shark cage diving, but I had to leave early and weather wasn't very good. They stayed till weather was good enough for diving, but the sharks never came

Cape Reinga: the Maori beleave that this is the place where the spirits of the dead return to the Underworld

sandboarden on Ninety Mile Beach

driving on Ninety Mile Beach (it really is a busy road)

More than a one night stand on the bus...

zorbing in Rotorua (I'm inside that ball ful of water, rolling down the hill)

stingray feeding in the Pacific, in Tatapouri-Gisborne

Cathedral Cove

Hot Water Beach

Today I took the bus back from Coromandel Town to Auckland. Tomorrow I’m heading north to Northland (very original), to the Bay of Islands and Cape Reinga, where the Pacific Ocean and the Tasman Sea come together.

After Wellington we went to the east coast and visited Napier, “Art Deco Capital”. During Art Deco period there has been a giant earthquake and the whole city was distroyed. They rebuilt everything in the Art Deco style. Really nice place with very sunny weather.

The day after I took the bus to the Bay of Plenty, to Mount Maunganui, but as Magic Bus is a “hop on hop off” bus I jumped off in Rotorua. Team Austria got off too, but they left for Hamilton, to visit some friends, and the next day, they had a plane to Fiji! Cool. After Fiji, they continue to do the West Coast of USA and then to Chili and Argentina.

I’ve already been in Rotorua, but I had to change there if I wanted to get to the East Cape. I started a three day-tour along the east coast and -cape, with a stop in the city of Gisborne. We didn’t really visit the city, but stayed at “Dive Tatapouri” just outside the city. A nice place, with nice activities. I got up at 5.30 am to see “the first sunrise in the world”. I wanted to go Rocksliding, but I was the only one who wanted to do that, and that wasn’t enough, so that didn’t go. Then I wanted to go Shark Cage Diving, but there was to much wind on the sea, so that got cancelled too Then I went Stingrayfeeding, that was kinda cool The stingrays were sucking my fingers!

Then from Gisborne to the East Cape, a lot of nice views. Today I went from East Cape back to Rotorua and went Horsebackriding. We stopped at the place from a friend of the busdriver close to some hot springs. They digged a small river from the springs to fill their swimmingpool with hot water. Nice swimming

Tomorrow I get back on the bus from which I jumped off, to Mount Maunganui. That bus gets in Rotorua at about 2pm, so I’ve got a free morning. So I booked a white water rafting before I leave

After Christchurch, I went to Kaikoura, Sea Life City at the east coast. I take the whalewatch boat into the ocean together with Claudia and Julia. Matthias and Jaja go for a coast walk, Johanna goes for dolphinswimming, she saw more than hundreds of them, all swimming around her! I’m on a very big speedboat waiting for the whales to come to the surface. All the boats in the region are connected with radios together with planes and helicopters. When one of them sees a whale or finds one on the sonar they let eachother know and then all passenger have to take their seats, and then high speed forward to the whale I saw two huge sperm whales (there’s a big white stuff in their head) and a group of Dusky Dolphins and a group of Hector Dolphins, cool! All jumping out of the water and swimming along the boat. It’s very hard to take a good picture of the dolphins because they’re so fast.

In the evening the six of us (Jaja, Matthias, Johanna, Claudia, Julia and me) go to the pizzeria for our last supper all together. I take the Crayfish pizza, very known here in Kaikoura, the Maori kame here for the fish. Kaikoura is maoria language for “eating crayfish”. We have a great evening together and after the pizzas we go and drink us crazy

Today Matthias and Jaja stay in Picton, the ferry harbour in the north of South Island to go hiking the  Queen Charlotte Trek in the Marlborough Sounds. I would love to join them, but my time is running out, and I have so much left to do on the North Island! The girls join me to Wellington. On the bus to Picton we stop at a short walk to a seal colonie at a pool near a waterfall. It’s a great place: every year it’s full of seal pups. I could sea five, they’re all playing with eachother, really cute! 

I’ve already seen the whole city of Wellington when going south, so tomorrow I’m off to the east coast of North Island to Napier, “Art Deco City”.

Before leaving just one question: Who is reading this?? Let me now! Write a comment or a joke or something else! That would be nice. I’m curious if it is actually worth writing this in English.

Whalewatching

sperm whale

dusky dolphin

evening in Kaikoura

seal pups

We had two nights in Lake Tekapo. The water is not blue, but turquoise because of the glaciers in the surroundings. We had a big bbq with 14 people from the bus, and the day after I went climbing the Mount John with Jaja and 5 Austrians (“Team Austria”). We had a great view of the Mackenzie Country and the Southern Alps.

After Tekapo we went further on to Christchurch, the biggest city on the South Island. I went watching the Rugby Final of the New Zealand Cup between Christchurch and Wellington. Was cool to see, but there were not that much supporters as I would expect on a final. After the match we went out with “Team Austria” in the nightlife in ChCh. That was fun

Today I visited the city and the Christ Church Cathedral, the Botanic Gardens, the Avon River…, really nice. I think this is one of the nicest cities I’ve seen till now in NZ, it’s a real English city. In the afternoon I had a nice stay next to the pool sunbathing. Tonight I’m going back out with Jaja and Paulo (Chili) and some german girls.

Tomorrow another day in ChCh, after that to Kaikoura. I first planned a one day return trip inland to the Hanmer Springs, but the price was to high for wat I would get. No prob, then I’l do some more stuff an the North Island.

Yooo!!

Moeraki Boulders

vue from my breakfast table in Lake Tekapo

Mount John, above Lake Tekapo with Yaja and Mattias

Canterbury - Wellington rugby final

going out in the "Saints and Sinners" on Cathedral Square

Punting on the Avon river

Christ Church Cathedral

After visiting the doctor, I’ve been good in sleeping the last days. 15 hours a day the last 3 days, not bad. Today was the first day I came out of the house. I went for a walk around the city, visited the old scottish railway station and the Octagon. I didn’t go to the peninsula for the blue pinguins Jen, I;ve already seen a yellow one yesterday Not much else to see or do actually, so I went for a guided tour in the Cadbury Chocolat Factory. Wonderful smell, yummy! Then to the supermarket to buy some beer and wine to thank the housemates for serving me so well! Thanks to Harri, Marina, James and Tom! You were great!

Tomorrow I’m leaving Dunedin to Lake Tekapo with a stop at the Moeraki Boulders. I’l still have to keep sleeping enough, I take life day by day

Cheerio

in da kitchen (Tom, Marina and James)

railway station

Stijn and the Chocolat Factory (with a 30m high chocolat waterfall!)

view from the city from Harri's place

I’ve got the bus in Te Anau at 7.15am so I already went to bed very early. Next day (Sunday) I’m going south to Invercargill, the most southern city of New Zealand and I change buses to go to the Catlins Coast. I follow the coast to the east until I arrive in Dunedin.

What supposed to be a wonderful trip didn’t really attract me because of my illness. We stopped at two waterfalls (i’ve seen enough waterfalls for the moment), a nice fossilised forest in Curio Bay, we stopped at two lighthouses, and we’ve been watching seals, sea lions and pinguins in their native living area. Everything very nice, but I’m having high fever and don’t enjoy anything. I’m waiting to get to Dunedin and see a doctor.

We arrive at 7.30 pm, the bus driver dropps me off at Harri’s place, a friend of mine whome I met in Franz Josef. She invited me to stay at her place with her housemates, Mutch better than a hostel They drive me to the urgent doctors place.

My throat is extremely bad, they give me some painkillers, “in between paracetamol and morfine”, and antibiotics and a gargle-juice.

I take them as fast as I can, and had a good night’s rest. I’m not doing anything, I stay inside wathing television or sleeping. I haven’t booked anything from here on, so I wait till I’m cured before I leave. I already feel better than yesterday.

a growing fern, the national symbol of New Zealand

a dead sheep driving a bike, that's what I call art

a yellow-eyed pinguin, an endangered species only living in the south of New-Zealand

Some pictures from Queenstown:

hanggliding on Coronet Peak

hanggliding on Coronet Peak

jetboating on the Shotover river

jetboating on the Shotover river

This is wat I did the last days:

Te Anau – Te Anau Downs – Glade Wharf – Clinton Hut

I took the bus from the DoC (Department of Conservation) in Te Anau with all co-trampers to Te Anau Downs, a small port for one boat up north at Lake Te Anau. After 1h15min we arrived at he Glade Wharf at the far north of the lake. Then we started for a short tramp (1h30min) up to Clinton Hut, along the Clinton River. The track wasn’t that hard, but it was hard to get used to a heavy backpack with all your gear and food for four days!

On this track I met for the first time a Belgian (Flemish!) girl Laura, and  more surprisingly she is from my village (Oostkamp)! Cool! I could speak westvloams for the first time in weeks!

In every hut there was a hut warden who gave us a “hut talk” about weather forecast, track info etc. Weather was good that day, a nice sunny walk and easy to get nown for eachother.

Clinton Hut – Mintaro Hut

The helicopter was booked for avalanche danger, not for flooding. But avalanche danger stopped so the chopper is cancelled. Weather was really crap today, extremely rainy for the whole day. Jaja and I had to walk in our rain trousers and poncho. We were happy to finnaly arrive at the Mintaro Hut, the beginning of the climbing for the next day, There were so many clowds, you could only see about 100m far. There were a lot of rivers and creeks to cross because of the rain, luckily we had our walking poles so it was easier to cross them! And thanks to the rain, we didn’t have any problems with the sandflies! And there were much more waterfalls all over the mountains. Every evening we went to bed at about 9pm and got up at 7am.

Mintaro Hut

Laura and me

Mintaro Hut – Mackinnon Pass – Dumpling Hut

Tonight it stopped raining, yes! But it started hailing and snowing This morning at sunrise the weathergods were friendly, and the sun came through. We had wonderful weather for the whole day. That was very good, because today was supposed to be the hardest day! We had to climb for two hours over the Mackinnon Pass from the Clinton valley to the Arthur valley. Then we had to climb down the rest of the day. The main track was closed for avalanche danger but we could take an emergency track to pass the danger area, but that track was much steeper! One hour from Dumpling Hut we could take 1h30 detour to the Sutherland Falls, but we were so tired so we continued to Dumpling Hut. We had nice views of the falls from the track, so that wasn’t a problem.

in the morning after the night's snow

Dumpling Hut – Sandfly Point

6h walking and the boat leaves at Sandfly Point at 2 pm, so we had to leave early enough. The last day was actually more of the same, crossing the rainforest without any up-hill or down-hill climbing. Just follow the river

At Sandfly Point we took the boat to Milford Sound, a small cruise of about 20min with views of the Mitre Peak and the wonderful Fiord. Then 2u30min bus back to Te Anau (good sleaping) through the Homer Tunnel and along the Milford Road. We arrived at about 5pm.

The best thing was a good shower, the first time i felt water over me in 4 days!

Lindsay Falls (dat kon ik toch niet laten passeren )

view in the Arthur river

We survived the Milford Track!

cruise from Sandfly Point to Milford Sound

I arrived in Te Anau, small city at the gates of Fiordland National Park.  I booked the Milford Track for the day after tomorrow, but because a friend of mine is doing it tomorrow, I’ve changed that and so I’m already leaving tomorrow too. I went buying some extra termal gear and rented a walking pole.

Tomorrow is gonna be good weather. Wednesday bad, thursday bad in the morning, but better in the afternoon, and good on friday. I had to book a helicopter too, because some areas on track are flooded! This is gonna be an adventure!

I just went to the supermarket buying my food for the four days together with Jaja, the guy with whome I’l be doing the track. I’m really ready! Now let’s hope I will survive

So it will take 4 days befoure I’m back to the world. See ya all in a few days!

Stijn

Tmin  Tmax

Mon Oct 26 –  6°C - 13°C

Tue Oct 27 – 4°C  - 14°C

Wed Oct 28 –  7°C - 12°C

Thu Oct 29 –  3°C – 13°C