Anna32

Day 80, Home (March 22nd) Our flight to Hamburg last night was on time and, thankfully, short. Our first suitcase came out after only a few minutes, and the rest soon followed. In the taxi, I almost fell asleep a couple of times, and was more than happy when we finally arrived home. One of the cats looked at us a little surprised when we opened the door, and then promptly ran away. But that was only for a short while. Both cats seemed very happy to see us. My brother was still at our place, which he had freshly cleaned. Wow, thank you!!! Our young neighbour also showed up to look after the cats. They were a bit overwhelmed by all the attention and cuddles. We didn’t last long. Quick shower and then bed. We woke up around 5am, and enjoyed our morning routine. Coffee, and then breakfast for the cats. Our day has been filled with unpacking, laundry, shopping for groceries and going through mail. In between cuddling the cats. We took a long nap after lunch. Fortunately we only have to work again on April 3rd, so we can take it easy for the next few days. We have been around the world in 80 days. This is it. The end of our wonderful, extravagant, magical journey. It has been in the planning for almost five years. And now it‘s over. But it will stay in our hearts for a long time to come, and the memories we made will last a lifetime. Thank you all for coming along!

Day 79, Auckland to Singapore to Frankfurt to Hamburg (March 21st) Technically, all our homebound travel is happening on the same calendar day. This only works because our first flight is scheduled to depart in the very early morning (1:20am) and the time zones are working in our favour, as we gain 12 hours on the way to Germany. As far as the actual travel went - it was pretty smooth. Singapore Airlines flight from Auckland to Singapore was delayed by one hour. That didn’t faze us, however, as we have four hours layover until our connecting flight to Frankfurt. We were trying to actively manage our body clock, so when we finally boarded at 2am we tried to stay awake as long as possible. SQ‘s business class cabin is very spacious, and the individual seating pods are generous and also have a great layout. After the more than narrow seats on Delta, which were a tight squeeze, this was a pleasant surprise. Mr. Duck approved, as he got his own little cubbyhole to sit in. The downside: we couldn’t see him with the door closed, and were a bit worried that we would forget him. So an hour before landing he had to go back into Holger’s backpack. Dinner service was speedy and very friendly. We both watched a movie, and then fell asleep. I have had many hotel beds far less comfy that this airline seat! We encountered some turbulence, but I still got a solid five hours of sleep in. After that, I made use of the free WiFi until the breakfast service started. We both ordered the Dim Sum, which was very good. Landing in Singapore, we had to transfer from Terminal 1 to Terminal 3. The sky outside showed some dark clouds, and promised rain. We stayed inside, and found the SilverKris Lounge. More breakfast in the form of Dim Sum, which was even better than on the plane. Then we went to freshen up. I was tempted to play with the remote control in the bathroom, but that might have ended in some kind of disaster. As it was, I enjoyed the heated toilet seat, and briefly wondered if it also had a cooling function for hot summer days? Boarding to Frankfurt was on time. Whenever we have flown through Singapore, at least three different people around the gate area have checked our boarding passes - sometimes for no apparent reason. The same was true today. Good to see that some things haven’t changed. As a pre-departure drink, we got offered a Bellini, which was very good. Mr. Duck approved! Singapore Airlines offer the „Book the Cook“ service on some intercontinental flights, and I had pre-ordered it for this segment. It is free of charge, and you can select from a vast amount of different dishes. I had chosen the Beach road prawn mee soup, a noodle soup with shrimps. Even the flight attendant who brought it looked a little jealous. It was super duper yummy! I am a fan of Asian noodle soups, and this was one of the best I have ever eaten. Only very messy, there is no elegant way to eat a noodle soup with chopsticks. We spent the time watching several movies each. I couldn’t sleep, so decided to stay awake, which will hopefully mean I will be able to sleep tonight. We landed on time in Frankfurt, and are now already boarded on our last leg to Hamburg. I will do a final post tomorrow, and sign off for today.

Day 78, Kelly Tarlton‘s Aquarium, Auckland (March 20th) First of all, thank you for the many well-wishes for our trip home. It is very touching that we have become part of the daily routine for some of you with our stories and pictures. It has been a great honour to take you all along! But wait! We are not quite done yet! There is one final day in Auckland left for us to enjoy. And what a beautiful day it is, with the sun shining from a clear blue sky. Allison and Paul had warned us about the heavy commuter traffic in the mornings. That‘s why I called our Uber half an hour early. Appointment is appointment, we are very German that way. As it turned out, the worst of the Monday morning rush was over, so we arrived at Kelly Tarlton‘s Aquarium 20 minutes early for our 10am slot. Not a problem, because a) it wasn‘t very busy and we could walk right in and b) the views of downtown Auckland across the bay were so beautiful that we had to spent some time looking our fill and taking pictures. The aquarium is built into the side of a cliff wall and is basically one big cave with a number of tunnels and rooms inside. You walk in on the right hand side facing the cliff, and come out all the way to the left, through the gift shop. Coming in, we could see from markings on the floor how long the queues could get on busy days. Fortunately not today, it was nice and quiet. We walked right to the front desk and had our digital tickets scanned. Turning around the corner, we were standing right in the middle of the first exhibit. Scott‘s expedition hut in Antarctica. Okay, the original is still down there, but here was a replica of the different areas, together with some original accessories. Like cans of food, woolen socks and mittens, books and scientific gear. Including a slight musty smell, that was probably a lot more intense in the original hut, with almost 30 men, plus dogs and ponies living there. Next up was an area about conservation work in Antarctica. We had heard a lot about that from our two conservation carpenters on the Silver Cloud, and it was great to be able to revisit the subject. Then you had to walk through an „ice tunnel“. Not really ice, but the walls were moving which gave you a disoriented feeling. It was called the White Out Experience, and was pretty cool. Penguins! Kelly Tarlton’s claims to have the largest sub-Antarctic penguin colony on display. You could see them swimming, but also waddling in the snow or simply sleeping with their heads on their shoulders. There were a number of gentoos and king penguins. The two species don‘t really mingle a lot, they were each keeping to their group. Some were coming quite close to the full sized windows, so you could stand face to face with the penguins, with just a centimeter or two of glass between you. My only gripe was there was music playing in the visitors’ area, so we couldn’t hear the penguins braying and calling. Watching the penguins, I said to Holger how we have come full circle, with Antarctica being our first stop on this incredible journey, and now Kelly Tarlton’s with the Scott Hut and penguin exhibit being our last stop. It felt very fitting and brought a huge big smile to my face. After a children’s area with small tanks of coral reef fish, I could already smell the coffee. Yes, we found the cafeteria. We settled with our coffees next to a big tank with eagle rays, turtles and other fish. One of the keepers did a turtle talk, explaining that the three turtles currently in residence had all been rescued within the last six months from New Zealand’s coastline. They had been cared for in a quarantine area, and were now slowly made ready to go back into the wild. Great to see that there is also a lot of conservation work going on. Sharks and manta rays were next, in the big shark tunnel. We learned that this has been the first aquarium worldwide to install such an exhibit. Nowadays this is pretty standard, however very impressive that Kelly Tarlton himself had the vision to build something like this. He must have been quite the trailblazer. We passed through a few more exhibits, with lobsters, eels and sea horses. And then Mr. Duck had to do a photo session with some of the friendly plushies in the gift shop. All for the fans, is what he told us. Traffic on the way back to the airport was not too bad. We had lunch at a little sushi place near our hotel. Then we took a nap. We are trying to slowly bring our bodies back into the German timezone, bit by bit. I woke up from a text message from Singapore Airlines. Our outbound flight will be delayed by one hour. Since we have a four hour layover in Singapore this shouldn’t be an issue. We will now shower, change, finish packing and then slowly make our way to the airport. See you soon peeps!

Day 77, Timaru to Christchurch to Auckland (March 19th) Judging from the loud music that we could hear in our hotel room this morning, the party continued bright and early. The music was interspersed with the sound of engines roaring. The vintage car faction seems to have quite a few early birds. We packed and weighed our suitcases. They can’t have more than 23 kilos each, since we’re flying today. Holger’s checked out at 22.9 kilos, while mine was a little lighter. Tomorrow we need to pack the stuff that we left with Allison and Paul, but Singapore Airlines allow us to pack 40 kilos each, so we should be good. We filled the car first with our luggage, then with petrol, and then made our way towards Christchurch. There were a lot of classical cars on the road, unsurprisingly. My highlight was a Cadillac that shimmered in metallic pink. I was too slow to take a picture, as I was raptly gazing at this lovely automobile. With all the natural beauty we have seen in the last weeks, a classical piece of machinery has its own kind of grace. Our drive took two hours and was very uneventful. Farmland. Roadworks. Traffic cones. After a last petrol stop we found the rental return address and received a friendly welcome from one of their agents that we had already met two weeks ago. She was holding the airport shuttle for us, and after a last fond goodbye to our trusty Toyota Corolla we were off. Check-in was a breeze, and security didn’t take long either. Which was good - I was getting a tiny bit hangry at this point. It was lunchtime, and I had skipped breakfast. Fortunately the Air New Zealand lounge had a good selection of sandwiches and salads. Best of all, they had an in-house barista, who set me up with a lovely cinnamon cappuccino. Byebye hangry! All to soon, it also was Byebye South Island. Our flight to Auckland boarded, and then we were off, on the first leg of our long way home. We took the shuttle bus from the Domestic Terminal to the ibis at the airport. Our room is tiny, but clean. After a little bit of suitcase Tetris, we were ready to meet Allison and Paul for dinner. There was a Gastropub right next to our hotel which had really good food. Conversation was great as always, and time flew by again. Byebye Allison and Paul, thank you for everything and hope to see you soon, somewhere on this marvelous planet we all share!

Day 76, Dunedin to Timaru (March 18th) New Zealand‘s National Flower should be the white-striped orange traffic cone. Long rows of them grace almost every road. Occasionally you can find a single one out there in the wild, but typically they come in great clusters. Driving along Route 1, we saw plenty of them today, in full bloom. We left Dunedin shortly before 10am. The blue sky looked squeaky clean after yesterday‘s heavy rainfalls. We enjoyed a last view of this lovely town, nestled in its sheltering bay with a backdrop of rolling hills. Very understandable that first the Māori and then the Europeans settled here. We definitely hope to return one day. Driving north along the coast, we continued to enjoy lovely views of the Pacific Ocean and the surrounding countryside. Traffic was light, and all the traffic cones forced us to go slow and take it easy. After about 90 minutes, we saw a sign marking the Moeraki Boulders, and decided to check them out. Parking area, café, gift shop - the holy Trinity of New Zealand tourism was present here, as in so many other places. We took the walkway and wooden stairs down to the beach, where we could already see the famous boulders. Now, those aren’t any old stones. They are perfectly spherical globes - or in some cases half globes, lying sometimes in clusters, sometimes just a single one on the beach. Apparently they consist of mud, fine silt and clay, and have been shaped out of the surrounding cliffs and bedrock by Mother Nature. They are very striking, and make for great photo ops. One lady who was rocking a glorious round baby bump posed right next to a huge round bolder. A great memory for the family album! After we had taken our share of pictures, we walked back up and enjoyed a coffee in the adjacent café. Strong, black and tasty, just how we like it! Fueled by caffeine we drove on. Our next stop was the Little Blue Penguin colony in Oamaru. We had hoped to see some of the little birds in the wild. However they were all out to sea, fishing. Their nesting boxes were empty. We did see some fur seals chilling on the rocks by the ocean and enjoying the beautiful day. On an old pier there were also plenty of shags basking in the sun. Oamaru has an old Victorian warehouse quarter, that was full of life today. A band was playing, and some kind of street festival was happening. We went into the local craft beer brewery for a spot of lunch. No beer for us today, just some sodas, and loaded fries with pulled pork and cheese. It being Saturday, the brewery was really busy, and will probably stay that way until late. Unfortunately we had to move on and couldn’t sample the local brew. We also still have a couple of bottles from Monteith‘s of Greymouth in the car, so we‘re good. Another hour of driving along rows and rows of traffic cones brought us to Timaru, our stop for the night. I had booked the very last hotel room for this night on one of the big platforms a few days ago. The town didn’t look that busy, but maybe there is some kind of event going on? We‘ll surely find out. The Grosvenor Hotel is in an old building close to the city center. Right now it is hidden behind scaffolding. The rooms inside have already been modernized and are clean and comfortable. The lift, however, must be one of the oldest still working in New Zealand. It was quite the adventure to get to our floor. There is a classic car festival this weekend in Timaru. We saw a number of very pretty automobiles when we went out to dinner tonight. We found food at another brewpub - most everything else was closed in downtown Timaru on a Saturday night. Even the Turkish Kebap store wasn’t open. Maybe they were all partied out from the festival, who knows?

Day 75, Glenfalloch Gardens, Larnach Castle, Otago Peninsula (March 17th) Today was „sleep as long as you want“ day. For me, that meant Sleeping Beauty woke up shortly before 9am. After leisurely getting ready, we were on our way at around 10:30am. The weather was a mix of sunshine and clouds. Very pleasant, and great to further explore the Otago Peninsula. Our first stop was at Glenfalloch Gardens. We had stumbled across this little gem of a park yesterday, when it just started raining. The parking area was already enchanting, surrounded by roses that were still in bloom, and giving off a sweet smell. We found a little café in the garden and decided to have brunch here. It was so so yummy, and Holger finally got a proper bratwurst, which he had been craving for a while. Then we set out to explore the park. It had several different areas, with walkways of varying comfort levels. Small bridges went over a little creek. Butterflies were enjoying the autumn flowers, and birds were calling from the trees. The sun came out, and shone upon this little corner of paradise. What a wonderful place! When it was time to move on, we drove a few kilometers uphill from the coast to Larnach Castle and Gardens. A very rich businessman had this Gothic-style mansion build in the 1870s. After living here with two wives, both of whom died, his third wife survived him after he took his own life in 1898. I am sure these family stories provide enough material for a gothic novel - with the house offering the perfect setting. When we walked through it, I felt a bit of a chill, and almost thought someone or something was trying to push me on the steep stairs. First of, though, we explored the lovely gardens. These have been created by the family that bought the derelict building and grounds in the 1960s, and has made it their lives‘ mission (over several generations) to restore Larnach Castle to its former glory, and retain it for the public. Of special interest was a garden walk showcasing some of New Zealand‘s endemic flora, from small plants to a tall Kauri tree. Many of NZs plants have a juvenile and an adult form that are very distinct. Botanists are still debating the reason for this - there will certainly be an evolutionary trigger that explains it. We then explored the mansion, where all the main rooms in use by the Larnach family have been lovingly restored, and even some of the original furniture brought back. We were very impressed by „Constance‘s Boudoir“, where some period clothing and accessories were on display, as well as the wedding gown of the third Mrs. Larnach. Overall, though, the mansion felt gloomy and also a little spooky to me. I do have an overactive imagination at times, so don‘t mind me. When we finished exploring we stopped in the former ballroom, which is now a café, for some refreshments. We sat out in a pavilion. As yesterday afternoon, the clouds had driven away the sun, and it started sprinkling with rain. Since we had a little walk to our car we decided to leave, and were just in time driving off when the rain got stronger. We relaxed for the rest of the afternoon, before it was time for our reservation at the Bistro at the Terminus. Today being Friday, we both chose the fish & chips, which were done with blue cod and absolutely delicious. The rain came down hard now, and the landlady kept apologizing. No need madam, your food was wonderful, and we will dry off again sooner or later!

Day 74, Royal Albatross Centre, Taiaroa (March 16th) Today we are visiting with some Albatross. On the very tip of the Otago Peninsula is the only nesting colony of the Royal Albatross on the mainland. All other are on remote islands, far out to sea. Well, technically New Zealand is quite remote, but with its landmass we will accept the term „mainland“ in this case. The drive from Dunedin towards the tip of the Peninsula is very scenic. Sweeping views of the coastline from various height levels, as the narrow roads are winding up and down the hillsides. You simply cannot drive fast and might as well enjoy the ride. And we did, very much. Today was mostly mixed clouds, but no rain. Taiaroa Head has always been a strategic spot on the South Island. First, the Māori settled here, building a large Pa, or fortified settlement. At the end of the 19th century, with European settlers dominating the development of New Zealand’s infrastructure, it was decided that Taiaroa was an important spot for the country‘s defence. A large fort was build and manned by soldiers, complete with a rotating „disappearing“ gun, which could be moved up or down inside the hill. Surprisingly, no one ever attacked New Zealand, so the fort was abandoned in the early 20th Century. The hill had been flattened significantly from its natural shape, and apparently looked very appealing from out at sea. From 1919 onwards, Royal Albatross began to build a nesting colony here. The headland is also used by other birds as their breeding ground. Little Blue Penguins, Yellow-Eyed Penguins, Shags and Cormorants can be found here. And fortunately a lot of work is being put into conserving their spaces. Especially for the Albatross. We had booked a tour at 11am to see the colony. This is the only way to see the nesting sites, as they are not accessible to the public. The whole area is heavily managed and monitored by rangers, who basically provide a 5-Star service to the breeding Albatross. This includes incubating eggs to let them hatch safely, if a breeding couple seems challenged. The Albatross stay calmly on their nests while their eggs are replaced by fake ones, and later the hatched chicks are returned to them. The actual parental bonding only happens when the chicks start begging for food. The parent birds take turns hunting. You can see in the colouring of their beaks that they are feeding a chick - they turn redish, due to bonding hormones. Fascinating! After explaining about the colony and breeding cycle, and showing us a short film, our guide Francesca took us up a steep hill to the actual observatory. Quite a climb, but well worth it! We could see four fluffy white chicks sitting on their nests, patiently waiting for their parents to return with food. They hatch in late January, and are being fed by their parents until September, when they are fully grown and moulded into their adult plumage. Then, they fly over 9.000 kilometers to the coast of Chile to catch the resource-rich Humboldt current, and enjoy their teenage years until they are five or six years old. One of the little hatchlings looked more brown than white. Francesca explained that she had spilled over herself - vomited up her fishy feed. This is a form of defense when the chicks feel threatened. She will get clean again during the next big rain. The chicks are over two kilos each now, which is the time when the parents stop sitting on them and fly out to catch fish, only returning every couple of days to feed and check on their babies. Therefore we didn’t see any adults today. After about half an hour the next group showed up at the observatory, so we slowly walked back to the center. There, we enjoyed lunch at the café and browsed the gift shop. Then we slowly made our way back towards Dunedin, stopping often to enjoy the beautiful scenery and take pictures. It started lightly sprinkling rain at this point, so we decided to return tomorrow for more sights of the peninsula. For dinner, we drove into Dunedin, and found the Harbourside Grill. Holger chose a steak, while I had the shellfish in a white wine sauce. Delicious!

Day 73, Wanaka to Dunedin (March 15th) The sun was shining from a clear blue sky as we left Wanaka this morning. Taking the Cadrona Pass Road, our first stop today will be Queenstown. We have quite gotten used to driving in New Zealand, and enjoy the often winding and scenic roads. Reaching the pass, we stopped at a view point, hoping to get a look across the valley all the way to Queenstown. Getting out of the car, we took one step forward and saw - a big cloud, hanging directly underneath the pass rim and obscuring any views. Driving on and a little down, at the next stop we could finally see Queenstown below the cloud. The views driving down from the pass of the town and Lake Wakatipu are lovely. Traffic getting into the city was quite busy. We decided to use one of the public garages to leave our car, not wanting to spend ages looking for a parking space. We strolled through Queenstown to the lakefront, admiring the speed boats that take tourists on a wild ride through Shotover Canyon. That must be quite the adrenaline rush. If we had more time we would have certainly done that. We could also see the paraglides coming down the mountain, one after the other. Today they apparently have very good conditions, but this is not for us. We found a café offering brunch with tables outside and a lovely view of the lake. They did excellent cappuccinos, and we both had a savory breakfast dish to fuel up for the day. We could have just sat there people watching and enjoying the beautiful atmosphere, but we still had a four-hour drive ahead of us. Byebye Queenstown, we will certainly plan a longer visit if we ever return to this part of the world. We drove along Lake Wakatipu, taking the more scenic route towards Dunedin. The weather was still beautiful, but getting a little more cloudy as we moved further east. One of our stops was in Garston. It‘s claim to fame is as New Zealand‘s most inland village. So from here on out we are making our way back to the ocean! The rest of the way was through rural country with a lot of agriculture. The most prominent feature of the landscape were the tall and long hedges, used to protect whatever is grown behind them from the wind. We were clearly moving away from wild and untamed nature into more civilized terrain. We reached our motel in Dunedin at around 5pm, and were pretty tired. Taking a little walk in the neighborhood, we found the Bistro at the Terminus, and were positively surprised for dinner. We shared a dish of greenshell mussels as a starter, and then had roast duck leg and pork belly respectively. So good that we immediately booked a table with them for Friday night for a return visit.

Day 72, Milford Sound, Fiordland (March 14th) After two and a half months of absolutely breathtakingly beautiful adventures, it may be hard to believe that we can still get as excited as children at Christmas over a day trip. But it is true, when the alarm went off this morning, I basically woke up with my fingers crossed. We still had to get final confirmation that we were a go for today. At 8am, the green light came, and we jumped into the car for the short drive to Wanaka Airport. There we checked in with Southern Alps Air for our morning expedition. A scenic flight across the Southern Alps to Milford Sound, a boat cruise along the fjord, and then a scenic flight back. I had been checking and rechecking weather forecasts, and today had looked especially good. And it was. After checking in we still had a little time, so we went over to the Airport Café to get our caffeine fix. All in all we were 16 people, flying in three little aircraft this morning. We were six, plus the pilot, in our GA-8 Airvan. A very small plane. We all fastened our seatbelts, and donned headsets, and then were off. The sky was a clear blue, with hardly a cloud anywhere. „Picture perfect flying conditions“ as our young pilot called them. Quickly we were over the mountains. What hadn’t been possible for the last two days was an unexpected bonus today: we had a great view of Mount Cook, NZ‘s highest mountain, in the distance. With awe-inspiring views of mountains, glaciers, ravines, rivers and so much more, the flight time of 45 minutes was over in a heartbeat. We were making our way up Milford Sound to the local landing strip. Flying in, we could see a huge cruise ship, the Ovation of the Seas, at the entrance of the fjord. I googled it, she carries a maximum of 4.825 passengers and 1.300 crew. Wow. Landing in Milford Sound, we took a bus from the airfield to the pier, and boarded a much more reasonably-sized ship. Still, with three good-sized decks, she wasn‘t small, and we all found a viewing spot to our liking. Holger went up top to take pictures outside. It was still a bit chilly even with the morning sun, so I found a seat at an inside window to enjoy the spectacular views. Coffee and tea were complimentary, and just what was needed at that point. The cruise along the fjord was absolutely beautiful. We saw a pod of dolphins and some fur seals. The ship went very close to the steep fjord walls at times, to give us an up-close-and-personal view of some waterfalls and other scenic areas. The Captain told us that windspeeds within the fjord can equal those of a class 5 hurricane on stormy days, as the steep and narrow walls act like a windtunnel. Today, we had calm seas and almost no wind. And with over 200 rainy days a year in Milford Sound, we were also extremely lucky to get a sunny day. The cruise took one hour and 45 minutes, and was absolutely great. Back at the pier, only one of our three pilots was waiting for us. The others had taken an extra roundtrip to get more passengers from Wanaka. He took his four passengers and left, telling us the other pilots would be back for us in about ten minutes. An hour later, with still no sign of them, I got a little nervous and called the airline. The operator was completely unconcerned, telling us the pilots would come to get us any minute now. Right. Another ten minutes later, they finally showed up, with their new load of passengers barely making the next sightseeing boat. Our little wait was the only small flaw in an otherwise perfect day. Flying back to Wanaka, we took a more southerly route across the mountains. More breathtaking scenery. And a few more bumps in the air, which made our adventure even more exciting. Way too soon, Wanaka Airport was in sight, and we were landing. By that time it was 2:30pm. Since we hadn‘t eaten so far, we decided to hit the next supermarket for some sandwiches and fruit. After our late lunch, I had to do a little planning for our remaining days on the South Island, which filled the rest of the afternoon. In the beautiful evening sunshine, we took a little drive along Lake Wanaka. Many people were out and about along the lake shore, eating a picnic dinner and enjoying the views. What an absolutely stunning day. Truly memorable.

Oh how wonderful! Enjoy your time on QM2!

Day 71, Franz Josef to Wanaka (March 13th) It has been raining through the night, sometimes heavily. However, this morning all looks sunny and bright. The ferns are still dripping a little bit, but that‘s just liquid sunshine, right? We make our way once again towards Fox Glacier and Lake Matheson, hoping for better visibility into the mountains, towards Mount Cook and Mount Tasman. There are still a lot of clouds hanging in front of the mountains, but at least we get a great coffee at the café next to Lake Matheson, and Holger scores some Pukeko pictures. Then we drive on, ever southward. Before we finally turn to cross the Southern Alps, we stop at a couple more scenic viewpoints looking out to the Tasman Sea. The last one has a lovely dune and beach area, but also sandflies. Ouch! Holger seems to be the top option on their menu today, while I get mostly left alone. Normally it‘s the other way around, so I‘m not complaining. We reach Haast in time for lunch. Somehow we had expected a bigger town, but it is really just the point where the main road turns inland. We find the Hard Antler Restaurant, which is surprisingly busy. It‘s a mix of roadside café and cowboy joint, with country music blasting. The decoration is in the name - antlers everywhere. Even the bathrooms are aptly named - Hinds, Stags and Wounded. Very unique. The food is good. For my drink, I am trying an original NZ specialty, L&P (lemon and paeroa), a fruity fizzy drink. Then we drive on towards Haast Pass. The road follows a wide, winding river. We are surrounded by high mountains, beautiful vistas, waterfalls, and forests. We stop at different viewpoints, greatly enjoying this beautiful day. Apart from all the campervans and buses, we see a surprising number of bikers. The road is partly very steep, so they sometimes have to walk their bikes, all on the main road. The scenery is lovely, but the traffic would significantly stress me if I were biking. We try to give them space as much as we can. The pass itself is quite unspectacular. We only notice because the road is going down again. And the vegetation changes dramatically. Gone are the lush, jungle-like fern forests. On the eastern side, the land is much drier and more brown than green. Driving along Lake Wanaka and then Lake Hawea, we see some beautiful vistas and stop for pictures multiple times. At around 4pm we finally reach Wanaka, our location for the next two nights. Maps had given a net drive time of 3 hours and 45 minutes, however we were on the road for about 7 hours today. We feel a little tired, so take a rest. Dinner is at the lakefront, where we enjoy beautiful views in the evening sun. Fortunately, Wanaka offers plenty of parking lakeside. The general tourism infrastructure is really good in NZ. A great first day of the last full week of our grand adventure!

Day 70, Greymouth to Franz Josef (March 12th) Our neighbours from the adjacent units in our motel gathered in the parking area this morning, forming a choir and singing „For auld lang syne“. I was awake after that. Can someone bring me a coffee, please? I can report that we didn’t feel any ill effects from the Huhu grubs yesterday. From all the disgusted feedback we received from you, dear virtual travelers, we got the impression that our adventure was not to your general taste. Let me assure you that we quite enjoyed ourselves with this little challenge, even if it was slightly outside our comfort zone, too. This is the joy of traveling, to explore and experience new things. We have gladly taken one for the team. We set out further southward today. Shortly before Hokitika, the police had set up a roadblock, but waved us through. A bit strange on a Sunday morning, but maybe they were searching for something or someone in particular. We drove on, and greatly enjoyed the beautiful mountainous landscape with wild forests, streams and lakes, as we got closer and closer to the Southern Alps. At one of the lakes, we saw a white heron fishing. No wonder that this is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the natural beauty is stunning. We reached Franz Josef at shortly after noon, and drove to the viewing area for the glacier of the same name. It has retreated quite significantly in the last twenty or thirty years. The part we could see had a dirty grayish colour. Maybe this was due to the heavy clouds today. All in all, not very spectacular. We decided to drive onwards to Fox Glacier. The road was winding up and down through the mountains. We saw a number of Pukekos along the roadside. They live a dangerous life, attested by some relatives that hadn‘t made it safely across. Why did the Pukeko cross the road? They don‘t seem to be the brightest bulbs on the Christmas Tree… Reaching the viewpoint of Fox Glacier, we should have been able to see Aoraki / Mt. Cook, as well. However, the clouds obscured the views of the higher mountains. We got a good look at the glacier, but that was about it, and it started to drizzle lightly. Holger found a few fantails, small birds with impressive tailfeathers, close to the viewpoint. So our output of bird pictures today is quite good. We drove back to Franz Josef. Our motel today is called „Rain Forest Retreat“. A very adequate name. Our little cottage is nestled between the trees and ferns, and feels very cozy. Dinner will be at the motel‘s restaurant, before an early night. Tomorrow will be a long day.

Day 69, Wildfoods Festival Hokitika (March 11th) There are opportunities that are too good to ignore. The wonderful Allison Oosterman pointed out that our stay on the South Island would coincide with the annual Wildfoods Festival in Hokitika. Food and Festival are basically our middle names, so I immediately made it a part of our itinerary. Mr. Duck kindly gave his approval. He wanted to make the - brief but intense - acquaintance of a few snails and Huhu Grubs. Yesterday I had spoken to our lovely brewery guide about the festival. She recommended we should take some NZ cash, as not every food stall would have a POS. So our first mission this morning was to find an ATM. That was easily done, and the town center of Greymouth still seemed very sleepy on this Saturday morning. We drove along the coast to Hokitika. Initially I had tried to find a hotel in town, but they were all fully booked for the festival. No big deal, a 30 minute drive seems to be a small distance by New Zealand standards. The town center of Hokitika is - shall we say - compact. The festival is done on the local rugby field, and driving around it, we found a great parking spot on a street next to the field. Climbing out of the car, I heard a child crying. Or was it? It turned out that we had parked next to a house were someone was breeding Siamese cats. They were all in an enclosure at the front of the house, and - as is typical for this breed - very vocal. We spend a few minutes talking to them, and they seemed happy about the company. Such random encounters are the best! As we were still a little early for check-in, we took a stroll through town. In the tourist info was an aquarium with baby eels, much to Holger‘s delight. Walking on, it started to drizzle a little bit, so we went into the next shop. They had some beautiful pieces made with local jade, a stone that Hokitika is well known for. Fortunately the drizzle had stopped when we walked over to the rugby field. We checked in, and got our „beer and bug taster“ bracelets. First stop was a stall where you could get your free bug - deep-fried crickets, either on a stick or as a jello-shot. I had to have the jello cricket, while Holger took his insect pure. It was pretty chewy either way, and no specific taste that we could detect. Mr. Duck was noisily demanding Huhu grubs. They are the larvae of an endemic beetle, and seem to be the stuff of New Zealand legends. Considered a delicacy by the Māori they are said to taste like peanut butter. The Hokitika hockey club had a stall where you could try them. They had brought in fresh tree trunks in which the larvae live. They where being chopped then and there, and you could try them as they came fresh out of the tree. There also would have been a fried option, but only for the weak-hearted. Holger and I both decided we would sample a live one. We had a choice between small or large and chunky. Go big or go home is our motto, so we both selected a big grub. Mine was wriggling around, and bit me in the finger with his little pincer. Okay, his morning definitely ended worse than mine. The taste was somewhat slimy and milky, while the outside was surprisingly chewy. I couldn’t detect any peanut butter taste, but I am certainly no expert on grubs. After we braved this challenge we deserved a pie. They had a great selection of them in one of the stalls. Holger had a venison one, and I selected the Manuka honey smoked wild boar. Very delicious and filling! Next I tried a feijoa mead, which was dry and sparkling, very good. We wandered around and checked the different offerings. One thing we had to try were mountain oysters - sheep’s testicles. They were unseasoned and pretty bland. We sat down for a little bit and listened to some live music. Lots of people were in costume - there was even a competition for „feral fashion“, handcrafted costumes out of anything found in nature. For such a small town, this is clearly one of the big events of the year, and everyone was out in force. After one final round of the festival grounds, and a passion fruit cider, we decided that a couple of hours were all we needed. We were keen to explore the hinterland a little bit, and took the Blue Spur Drive away from the coast. This must be a bikers and hikers paradise, with green hills and small rivers providing some beautiful scenery. We didn’t do much for the rest of the day, and that was fine by us. Enough grubs and bugs to last us for a while!

Day 68, Carters Beach to Greymouth (March 10th) The last of the rain finally stops as we are leaving our hotel this morning. The landscape looks scrubbed clean, and the sun is peaking out. Fabulous! Now we can actually see some of the mountains behind the coastline, that so far have just been blurred behind dark clouds. Driving south along the coast, our first stop is at Mitchell’s Gully Historic Gold Mine. Looking at the parking area and entrance, rather than a historic gold mine, we get hoarder vibes. All sorts of rusting vehicles and paraphernalia are dumped there. No one is around, and the whole set-up doesn’t really look trustworthy. The entrance fee is self-service, and we don’t have any NZ cash on us. We decide that this adventure is not meant to be for us, and move on. Our next stop is at a view point along the coast, where we see the spectacular waves crashing on the shore. Looking at the ocean is absolutely mesmerizing. There is a fine mist of spray hanging over the scenery. My lips taste salty, and my glasses need to be cleaned. A small price to pay for this wonderful atmosphere. We reach the parking lot at Pancake Rocks again. This is as far as we got yesterday. It is a lot drier, but also pretty busy today. We start the walking track along the coast. One viewpoint is more spectacular than the next. And even before we reach the famous blowholes, we can hear the occasional „boom“ from the waves crashing against the rocks. The walkway is leading us between the rocks, crossing a gorge and among some of the swirling pools of white water. My glasses and also my clothes get soaked from the spray - I love it! We spend quite a bit of time here, enjoying this special place. Then we head back to the café for some brunch. Holger has the Wild Coast Breakfast, while I order a huge slice of carrot cake and an Americano. So very yummy! The café also does a thriving to-go business today, both with their coffee drinks and bakery items. They have a great selection of pastries, pies, muffins and scones. We grab two date scones for the road, and also a new Pukeko fridge magnet as a keepsake. Driving further south, the coastal views never cease to wow us. Around every corner is another scenic vista. Until we turn inland, and reach Greymouth, our stop for today. Since it is still the middle of the day, we debate what to do next. One option would be Shantytown, a gold mining tourist attraction. There is also a public pool and spa across the road from our motel. Or, as a third option, a tour of Monteith‘s Brewing Company. Decisions, decisions. Okay, no big surprise, they had us at „beer“. It‘s a relatively short walk from our hotel to the brewery, but with the sun out it‘s warm! Checking in for our tour, we are being given our West Coast Passports. Among other things, they include a number of vouchers for different west coast attractions. Then our tour starts. First, our guide explains about the history of the brewery, and the beer brewing process in general. We are then free to walk around, among other things a bottling line. Then we are shown a video about brewing, and finally get to draw our own tasting beer from the tap. They have a wheat and a lager for us to try. We also get to taste malt and smell hops. As a good-bye present, each of us gets to select six beers or ciders for their very own six pack. We really enjoyed the tour. While we were there, the brew pub filled up considerably. It is Friday night, after all. We are lucky to find a table and order some food and a pint of cider each. Very delicious! Then, carrying our six packs on our backs, we walk back to our hotel. What an absolutely lovely day.

Day 67, Tauranga Bay and Pancake Rocks (March 9th) Rain, rain and more rain. Today‘s forecast calls for a read-nap-and-eat day. We do have a slow start in the morning, sleeping in and hanging around the hotel room for quite a while. Once it‘s a little drier, though, we set out exploring. Our first stop is the viewing deck for the fur seal colony at Tauranga Bay. From the parking area, there is a walkway along the coast towards Cape Foulwind. After about 500 meters, with some spectacular views of the pacific waves crashing on the shore, we reach the viewing area above the seal colony. There, on the rocks, are a few seal babies with their moms. The cutest! As usual, when baby animals are around, my hormones get in to the driver’s seat. It is all I can do not to excitedly squeal „babyyyy“ at the top of my voice. During the course of our travels through South Africa, Antarctica and Galapagos, there were several occasions where I could not hold back, seeing baby zebra, wildebeest, warthogs, impala, penguins and sea lions respectively. We watch the fur seals for a while. One comes through the crashing waves to shore. The climb up looks dangerous and difficult, but these animals are surprisingly nimble and have no trouble climbing the rocks. We are happy to have found this viewing area during one of the few dry moments of the day. Driving on southward, we greatly enjoy the scenery. First, we pass through lush, almost jungle-like forests. With the mass of ferns, we wouldn’t be surprised to have a Jurassic Park moment with a dinosaur appearing out of the mists. Then we reach the ocean again, and admire the big waves foaming and rolling towards the shore. Magnificent! After an hour of driving, we reach the viewing area for Pancakes Rock. We decide to have lunch first, and enter the café. Fittingly, they have a great selection of pancake dishes. We each order one. While we wait for our food to be ready, the floodgates really open up and the rain is so loud that we cannot hear our own voices inside the café. Checking the weather app, there is more of the same coming until tomorrow morning. Since we will be driving the same route again tomorrow on the way to Greymouth, we make an executive decision: after lunch, we will drive back to Carters Beach and look at the Pancake Rocks tomorrow, when it‘s hopefully drier. The pancakes are very good and filling. Outside, we see a weka bird exploring the café grounds, curiously peering inside. Holger takes some pancake crumbs outside while it is only drizzling a little, and soon has a new best friend. Other tourists stop and take pictures, too. Always glad to provide entertainment! Especially since we feel a little sorry for those in the tiny VW Bully campervans or even tents. They must be pretty miserable in this weather. Driving back to Carters Beach, we spot a sign to a historic gold mine close to Charleston. We will definitely make a stop here tomorrow, too. We learned the shake, dunk and swirl of gold panning in Alaska a couple of years ago. Maybe we can put that knowledge to good use, and refinance some of this trip. We briefly stop at the supermarket in Westport again, and then head back to our hotel. For the rest of the day, we look at the rain from the warmth of our room and read our books. Tomorrow is another day!

Day 66, Nelson to Carters Beach (March 8th) Instead of the forecasted sunshine, we wake up to a cloudy sky. Oh, nevermind. Today is „commute day“, we move over to the west coast. First, though, I‘m researching the details of our itinerary for week two on the South Island. My planning skills are at their best when my brain is well rested and I‘ve had coffee. This is looking great, fingers crossed everything works out! We leave our hotel in Nelson at 10am. The next half hour (at least that‘s what it feels like) is spent at a gas station to fill up the car. Self service is nice and dandy, but the machine is supremely uncooperative. We end up leaving with 35NZDs‘ worth of petrol. This will barely cover today‘s route. Hopefully we‘ll be more successful on the next try. Fortunately another driver is having the same issues, so at least it‘s nothing personal. We drive towards Richmond and then on Route 6 to Upper Buller Gorge. The first 50 kilometers are mainly agricultural plains and hills, after that the road gets more and more mountainous. And it starts raining. Hey, that‘s not what we ordered! The views are still very beautiful, forested hills and meadows, some rocky cliffs but nothing too harsh. It continues raining on and off as we follow the winding route through the mountains. In one area, someone is breeding deer. We see two big groups in enclosures. There is also quite a bit of small roadkill on the street. Difficult to identify, but we believe it‘s mainly possums and small rodents. We also see some pukeko birds recklessly crossing the road - fortunately still alive. They look funny with their big feet and plump black bodies. As we start coming down from the mountains, the rain gets more intense as the road becomes ever more narrow. Not great. Fortunately everyone driving today is very careful and looking out for each other. The rain only lets up when we get close to the coast. We reach Carters Beach at around 2pm, glad that our room is ready. There is not much here apart from the beach, and a few holiday parks, but that‘s fine by us. Next to our apartment hotel is a café and small restaurant, where we get some lunch. The plan to go to the supermarket, fill up the car and then explore the beach has to be postponed. It‘s raining cats and dogs. We take a break and wait for better weather. Shortly after 4pm the rain eases up, and we drive over to Westport for some shopping. As in the other supermarkets so far, there are no eggs to be had. Empty shelves. However, we are finally successful in filling up the car. Returning to Carters Beach, I can‘t resist the sound of the waves crashing on shore any longer, and take a walk down to the beach. Even a rainy day at the ocean is better than no ocean! Visibility is really poor due to clouds, but the empty beach has an almost mystical atmosphere, that I greatly enjoy. We have shopped some snacks for dinner tonight, and I have a few work meetings coming up. Stay safe, healthy and dry everyone!

Day 65, Abel Tasman National Park (March 7th) This morning, the river behind our hotel has a lot more water, so there seems to be a significant tidal movement. We enjoy the view with a cup of morning joe, courtesy of the little machine our room is equipped with. This is just the best, leisurely starting the day and looking forward to new adventures. First, though, we make use of our in-room laundry equipment. I had been prepared to hand wash a couple of necessities. But now we should be good until our flight home in two weeks‘ time. Today we want to explore Able Tasman National Park. To get there, we drive west from Nelson to Motueka. The area seems more industrial than we have so far seen on the South Island. Once we have passed Motueka, the road is narrow and winding again, and everything looks a lot more touristy. Including the busses and caravans that become more and more plentiful the closer we get to the park. At Kaiteriteri, we park our car. We have decided to conduct our further exploration by boat, hoping for a better outcome than during our recent whale watching adventure. The day is beautiful, and the beach at Kaiteriteri is full of people enjoying the sunshine. We check in with the boating company, and receive our tickets as well as our picnic lunches. There is still time until our tour, so we soak up the beach vibes with a scoop of gelato. Then our tour boat arrives. Again, a catamaran. The Captain puts the bows on the beach and drops down a plank so we can walk aboard. Our tour will go from Kaiteriteri up the coast to Totaranui, stopping at different beaches and viewpoints along the way. Some people will do the whole roundtrip, like us, while others will get on and off the boat at different stops. Some are even carrying luggage, for an overnight in the park. We admire the beautiful views, while the cat speeds smoothly along the coast. Today there is no significant chance of seasickness I would say. There is, however, a chance to lose my cap in the wind. Fortunately I carry a big shawl and wrap it around my head Grace Kelly style. Our first stop is Split Apple Rock. A big round block of granite split in the middle. The split occurred along natural fissure lines, but it looks as though a giant had cut the rock in the middle. Very unique. As we move up the coast, rough walls of granite interspersed with white sandy beaches are framed by forests cut by rivers flowing into the ocean. We see lots of people enjoying the beautiful nature, swimming, hiking and kayaking. Apart from all the tourists, this also seems to be a recreational spot for the locals. Autumn is not far away, and everyone is out and about making the most of this sunny day. We pass a colony of New Zealand fur seals, basking in the sun, like everyone else does, today. Very understandable. According to the map we have been given, there are still some privately-owned settlements in the park. All in the name of conservation, of course, and to offer tourists a sustainable place to stay. Any protection is better than none, I guess. And anybody who can track their ancestors back to the first settlers around here seems to see it as their birthright to make a living off these lands. The same is unfortunately not true for the Māori that used to live around here before the Europeans arrived. They have been driven away mostly, and only some local site names preserve their history. Alright, I digress. We greatly enjoyed our little cruise. After sitting outside on the upper deck for the first half of the trip, we go downstairs and inside for the return part. A huge group of passengers joins us on one of the beaches, and the boat really fills up. When we arrive back in Kaiteriteri, the tide has dropped so low that we need to disembark the boat at the opposite end of the beach, so as not to completely ground the catamaran. We walk the plank again, and climb back up the beach to the car park. The highlight of our drive back to Nelson is that we see a plantation of kiwifruit, hidden behind high hedges. Did you know that March 7th, 2023 is Census Day in New Zealand? Every person physically present in the country has to fill out a census form, in either English or Māori. We do ours online, and after stating about five times that we are German nationals with no permanent residence in NZ, can submit an abbreviated version. Statistics: check.

Day 64, Blenheim to Nelson (March 6th) No 6am wake-up call, and no rain. What a great morning! Okay, some invoices that need to be paid have reached us from Germany, but with online banking this is swiftly dealt with. We leave our hotel shortly after 9am, and make a quick stop at a local supermarket to refill on water, soft drinks and car snacks. Then we follow the road towards Picton, through lovely and lush green countryside, scrubbed squeaky clean by the rain of the last days. Here and there, cows and sheep are grazing. Everything looks peaceful and quiet. The movie set for Hobbiton and The Shire is on the North Island, but it still looks as if Bilbo Baggins and the dwarfs are right around the corner, starting off on a great adventure. Reaching Picton, we immediately spot the sign for Queen Charlotte Drive, the scenic route along the coast. We had scouted this byway on the map, and are happy to have found it so easily. We stop at the first lookout point, that gives us a fantastic view across the sound towards Picton and the ferry dock. Two ferry companies service the route between the North and South Islands, but both seem to have technical issues with their ships at the moment. We have been warned not to rely on this service. Currently there is one ferry in Picton, but we cannot spot whether it‘s operational or not. Driving onwards on the winding road we could easily stop every couple of hundred metres, with one viewing area following the next. In many parking spaces there are caravans, sometimes parked all across the marked spaces. We assume this could get really annoying during high season, when you cannot find space for your car for a quick stop or picnic. Today it is not so bad, we can always find a spot whenever we want to stop. After about 35 kilometers along Queen Charlotte Drive we reach Havelock. The Green Mussels Capital of the World, in case you didn’t know! We stop for lunch at The Captain‘s Daughter. Who promptly tells us they are all out of mussels today. Fortunately, the rest of their menu is available. I have delicious hake & chips, which achieves the perfect balance between crispy and moist. And Holger has a huge bowl of the seafood chowder. We are very happy, sitting out on the terrace overlooking the bay, basking in the autumnal sunshine and filling our tummy with yummy food. After this wonderful lunch break, we continue on to Nelson. I had to smile when I booked our hotel - could there be a more fitting address than „Trafalgar Street, Nelson“? It‘s those small things that constantly make me smile when traveling. People must think I‘m a bit daft when they see me grinning stupidly. But I‘m just happy to be able to enjoy my life and this wonderful journey, and to take all you lovely readers along for the ride. The road to Nelson is winding and going up and down mountainsides. Again, very scenic. Close to Nelson we come down to a huge bay. The tide is out, and we watch a gang of oystercatchers busily picking in the mud. Our hotel is close to the city center. Again, we are positively surprised. The decor is somewhat loud (someone fancies jungle decoration), but our room is equipped with a full-size kitchen, work desk and - best of all - a washer-dryer combo. After a brief rest, we take a walk along the river down to the seashore. The tide is still out, we will have to check back when there‘s more water. Looking at the town center, the local landmark seems to be a clocktower, attached to what I presume is City Hall. The overall impression is that of a cross between a medieval guild hall and an atomic bunker. Weird, but very recognizable. We have dinner in the hotel restaurant. Very good, but the group of German tourists at the next table makes us cringe. Does that happen to everybody who runs into their fellow countrypeople abroad?

Day 63, Kaikoura to Blenheim (March 5th) Another 6am wake-up call. And we could hear the rain outside. Ugh. But no rest for the wicked, we have an appointment to see sperm whales! So have around 90 other people, queuing at the whale watching station. The tour is sold out. And, as the display above the ticket counter announces, there is „a high chance of seasickness and low visibility due to fog“. Great. But the tour is running today, so we are happy. Busses bring everyone to the whale watching catamaran on the other side of the peninsula, in South Bay. We find a place in the last row of seats by the window. After a short safety briefing, the cat is cast off and we are underway. The Captain really opens up the throttle, and we race and bounce across the ocean. Until we suddenly stop. There! A pod of Dusky Dolphins! They swim by close to the ship, but only stay for a short hello. A gas station of petrels is following the ship, and so is a wandering albatross. Beautiful! The Captain puts the hydrophone into the water, to hear the typical clicking sounds of the sperm whales. Those whales stay in the vicinity of Kaikoura year-round, as there is a steep underwater cliff drop-off where they hunt large fish and giant squid, who live here. They are also known to eat sharks, and are the largest mammalian predator. But right here, right now, no clicking sounds are heard. The hydrophone can receive sounds in a radius of up to five miles. So we have to move on. The first people are starting to look a little green at the gills from the motion of the ocean. They had been warned, and maybe should have stayed behind. After a couple of miles, another stop. Engines off, hydrophone in the water. We are all asked to come outside and enjoy the views. Of the rain, and seasick people… Still no clicking. So onward to the next stop. We do this start-stop routine about five times altogether, but today the sperm whales seem to have better things to do. The sound of retching grows stronger. I am starting to feel slightly sorry for humanity, thinking that most of us are apparently not meant to be out on the ocean. I have never been seasick a moment in my life, so easy for me to say probably. After five unsuccessful soundings, we give up and return to port. Whale Watch Kaikoura claims a 95% success rate - so we‘re part of the exclusive 5%, apparently. We will get an 80% refund on our ticket price. This is processed immediately, two hours later my credit card company sends me an updated receipt. Kaikoura is a beautiful place, we hope to come back in the sunshine, and maybe have more luck with the whales. It is raining the whole way to Blenheim. Some stretches of the road run very close to the ocean, and we admire the waves crashing to the shore. I love driving along the ocean, even in the rain. At some point the road points further inland, and climbs through some hills and smaller mountains. Driving through a pass, we are stopped by an „accident ahead“ sign. Slowly we are passing. I am shocked to see an overturned car ten meters deeper on the side of the mountain. It has crashed through the road barrier and landed on its roof. The fire brigade and an ambulance are there. I sincerely hope no one in that car got seriously injured. Very sobering. We reach Blenheim. Now, being told about this heart of the New Zealand wine region, I had visions of Stellenbosch in South Africa, or maybe some of the villages along the Loire. Not so much. Blenheim is a very functional place. We take quite a long time searching for somewhere to have lunch, that is not an American franchise. Finally, we stumble across a café that looks okay. It is very busy with the locals having Sunday brunch, but we get a small table. After waiting for quite a long time, the food is okay-ish. Today is just one of those days, apparently. Since my stomach has given me some grief lately with too much acidity, I pass on the wine tasting opportunities, and decide to have a nap. Our hotel is very nice, and the positive surprise of the day. It is still raining outside, but the forecast for the next couple of days is a lot better. We have dinner in the hotel restaurant, which is very good, and also very busy with a big group of people. We are seated in a side room with the sliding door closed, to manage the noise. The food is lovely, and a great ending to this mixed bag of a day.

Day 62, Auckland to Christchurch to Kaikoura (March 4th) 6am alarm clock, on a Saturday, no less - ewww. However, the South Island is waiting for us, wakey wakey! We jumped under the shower and packed our stuff. The Uber I had ordered was right on time, and traffic was light. We were quickly at the domestic terminal of Auckland airport and dropped off our big yellow suitcases. The Air New Zealand domestic lounge was right behind security. Coffee!!! Boosted by caffeine, I felt energized and ready for the next part of our trip. Our plane was on time, and before we knew it we were touching down in Christchurch and collecting our luggage. The shuttle for the rental car pick-up was already waiting, smooth as can be. We hit a slight snag when the rental car company did not accept Holger‘s EU driver’s license. Because it had to be in English. Conveniently, they connected us with an online translation service for a „small fee“. *****? This sounded like a class A scam to us, but there was nothing we could do about it. We have rented cars in a lot of countries and never had issues like that. And then we waited. And waited. We started chatting with Clara from France. She had run into the same predicament, and was as frustrated as we were. Turned out she had just returned from a research trip to Antarctica. She had spent time in Scott Base, NZ‘s station, and McMurdo, the huge US station. She also sailed for several weeks with a commercial fishing vessel along the Ross Ice Shelf, to study how sustainable the fishing process is. Talking to her was very fascinating, and helped pass the almost three hours we had to wait. Finally, success. Both Clara and we got our cars, and were off. Fortunately we only had a two-hour drive to Kaikoura planned for today. We made a brief pit stop at a supermarket, and then found and followed the North Road. It was very scenic, with green hills, pastures dotted with sheep and Holstein cows, vineyards and the occasional river to cross. We could have made any number of stops to enjoy the scenery. However, at that point it started raining. First a slow drizzle, then big fat drops. We finally came to the ocean, but visibility was very poor due to the rain, so we didn’t take any pretty pictures today. We had a quick dinner at the hotel. Holger finally got his fish&chips, and I had the clam linguini. Both very good. And then we retired for the night, as we have a very early tour tomorrow.

Day 61, West Auckland / Oratia (March 3rd) This morning we had to reshuffle our luggage. We will leave a few pieces with Allison and Paul when we fly down to Christchurch, so had to organize our suitcases. Took longer than we thought it would. Things have started to accumulate. We didn’t buy that many souvenirs, it‘s also some of the free stuff we have been given. Waterbottle and parka from Silversea. A tote bag and jar of sea salt from Hapag Lloyd. And a few other bits and pieces. Now we are trimmed down and ready for the South Island. Allison picked us up around 11am, and then we drove out to West Auckland, where she and a large part of her family live. We had a brunch-lunch at the Bodega Eatery. Holger had a huge breakfast plate with poached eggs, potatoes, bacon, chorizo, mushrooms etc. I had a cheese plate, and Allison had a steak. All very good and filling. Then we wanted to go up into the hills to see some of the native forests with Kauri trees. The area - or at least the roads leading there - were still closed after the flooding, unfortunately. So instead, she took us to the piece of land she acquired together with some of her children. What a beautiful area, lush grass, bamboo and a little orchard, with a stream running through it. In one corner, there was an enclosure for two Kunekune pigs. This local New Zealand race has been bred mostly by Māori farmers, and almost become extinct until a breeding programme started in the 80ies. Anyway, they came happily grunting to the fence and were asking for scratches, and I gladly complied. Allison and Holger went off to explore the lands, while I decided to spend more time with the pigs. Then, as I was just minding my own business, I saw that the piggies had escaped their enclosure, and were grunting their way to the neighbours‘ gardens. Oh no! I tried to herd them back, and at least managed to keep them on their own land. Far in the distance I could see Allison and Holger, but they didn‘t hear my shouting. Fortunately, five minutes later, Ingrid showed up. She is Allison‘s daughter in law and the rightful pig owner. When she got a bunch of carrots and called the piggies, they followed her back to their pen, happily grunting and squealing. Phew! We then went to visit with Paul and get rid of our excess luggage, before Allison took us back to our hotel. What a delightful day just doing nothing much, really. Those are sometimes the best. Thank you so so much to Paul and especially Allison for being such delightful hosts and travel advisors! We hope to catch up with them over dinner one more time when we return from the South Island. For our dinner tonight, we found a neighborhood shed-turned-food truck. They were out of fish & chips, but the burrito bowl and cheeseburger were very good. I will have a couple of work meetings later tonight, and then will probably dream about my little piggy adventure.

Day 60, Auckland Zoo (March 2nd) After a busy morning making plans and bookings for the South Island, we decided to visit the zoo. Traveling the world, zoos and aquariums are among our favourite sights to see. Of course, seeing wildlife in its natural habitat is even better. But zoos are the next best thing, in our minds. And Auckland Zoo holds a special place in our hearts. Visiting Aotearoa in February of 2020, it was one of the last places we saw before the first lockdown. We have fond memories, which we wanted to refresh today. We ordered an Uber, which came within a couple of minutes. The driver was brilliant, keeping up a friendly conversation and giving us driving tips for the South Island. He dropped us directly at the zoo entrance. There was no queue, and we got the recommendation to visit the keeper talk for the Kiwis at 1:15. Will do! The zoo hosts six distinctive habitats, connected with walking trails. All the enclosures are beautiful, with some being brand new. Those were under construction when we last visited, and we were very impressed with the development. We started our loop on the African Safari Track. Having just been to South Africa last November, this was a great reminder of our time there. Giraffes, zebras, ostriches and antelopes were in the first enclosure. The giraffes had a baby, which stayed close to its mother. Very cute! We then saw meerkats, leopard tortoises and lovebirds. In their nesting boxes, they build a fake (and empty) upper nest to confuse predators, with a secret tunnel to the lower nest, where the eggs are. The lions were not visible. One of the volunteers told us they had a big feed yesterday, and were now sleeping off their full stomachs. Can‘t blame them, it was warm and sunny, ideal for a good snooze! We took a break near the Asian elephants to get a coffee and ice cream. I tried the famous Hokey Pokey, a creamy vanilla with pieces of honeycomb in it. Yummy! It was great fun to watch the seagulls around the café. One was really stressing, running around and keeping the others at a distance. In between, there were some chicken walking around. Next, we saw the baboons. Those little vandals had wrecked the veranda of our cabin and partied on our roof during our last night in Africa. They didn’t look half as intimidating today as they sounded back then. Next up was the local habitat for New Zealand, with mainly birds and lizards. We were hoping to see the Takahe again - last time Mr. Duck had a very memorable encounter with one. But he must have taken the day off. The keas, on the other hand, were very interested in meeting Mr. Duck. He had to beat a hasty retreat when one of the sharp beaks got very close to him. Now we were right on time for the keeper talk at the kiwi and ruru enclosure. Last time we only briefly saw one kiwi. Today, we saw all four of them, two breeding couples. Plus the ruru, a small local owl. The enclosure is kept very dark for these nocturnal animals, but once your eyes adjust you can actually see quite a bit. The kiwis got very excited at feeding time. We never knew they could run so fast! We also saw some lizards, a fur seal and some little blue fairy penguins. Seals and penguins are rescue animals that wouldn’t survive in the wild any longer. One was missing an eye, and one had only one flipper left. Mostly they get caught in fishing nets. Any animals that are able to survive in the wild will be brought back to health and then let go. After a quick lunch break, we walked through the South East Asia Jungle Track, containing a huge enclosure for Siamangs. They were high up in the canopy, very impressive! Next up was the Australian Bush Track and finally the South America Rainforest Track, which had a lot of different monkeys. We spend some time at every enclosure, and after a while could almost always see the animals. Holger took tons of pictures. What a great day! It it got even better! We met Paul for dinner downtown and went to a place called Depot. They had tapas and shareable dishes, often with a Mediterranean twist. Very delicious. After that we took a little walk through downtown, and just chatted away. The best ship is friendship! ❤️

Day 59, Devonport and North Shore (March 1st) Today we did a bit more sightseeing, and visited some very scenic areas of Auckland. Allison picked us up at around 10am. She had left home in West Auckland at 8:30am to battle the rush hour traffic. As in many cities, it is a pain having to drive downtown in the busy hours of the day. We crossed Auckland Harbour Bridge, one of the iconic landmarks of the city. Very cleverly, some lanes can be automatically reassigned depending on the general direction of traffic. Great for loadbalancing if it works! We then drove into Devonport. This neighbourhood is upscale, with lots of very beautiful old wooden villas. There are no highrises, and the streets have a cosy, charming feel to them. Devonport can also be accessed by ferry from downtown Auckland, if one doesn’t want to drive. We found a parking space on the main road, and went in search of some breakfast. The Manuka Café had a lovely table outside available. We ordered our coffees and each got a blueberry or raspberry muffin to go with it. Most excellent! And I can only repeat myself, Aotearoa has a great coffee culture. Allison had kindly prepared a map of the South Island with her recommendation for an itinerary, so we had lots to talk about over breakfast. Moving on, we drove to North Head Maunganuika, one of the volcanic cones around Auckland. A grassy walk around the hill offers wonderful views of the city and the bay. On top of the hill, there are some historic cannons. Underneath them are tunnels, some of them apparently stretching under half of the city. The weather was absolutely wonderful, sunny, some clouds, warm but not too warm. Lovely! We greatly enjoyed our little walk and the beautiful scenery. All too soon it was time to move on, though. Isn’t it strange how time can drag on, and then absolutely flies when you are having a great time? Anyway, we had a lunch date with Paul in Ponsonby, where he works. Driving back over the Harbour Bridge, we could see an absolutely huge marina close to the city centre. We found a parking spot on Ponsonby Road. What a delightful part of the city! Lots of little shops, cafés and eateries invite you to spend some time and soak up the atmosphere. We had lunch at The Hidden Village, a Filipino / Asian fusion restaurant. We sampled a few of their dishes and were more than happy, even taking a doggy bag home. I could have spend a lot of time here, browsing the shops. We briefly went into a little grocery, carrying a lot of local goodies, and got a few things. Then it was already time to head back, as Allison had another appointment to make. She‘s a busy lady! Today we finally got organized for the South Island. At least a little bit. Large parts of the North Island are currently still inaccessible due to the flooding, and cyclone Gabrielle. Specifically, Napier, the Art Deco City, is not open for tourism. Also, the ferry service between the North and South Island seems to be limited and unreliable at the moment. Allison and Paul strongly recommended we fly to Christchurch and back, and drive a loop around the South Island. I have booked our flights to and from Christchurch today. I also rebooked our final flight home, to go a week earlier than originally planned. We have discussed it quite thoroughly, and both feel that another three weeks in Aotearoa will be fantastic, but it will also be great to have a full week back home to readjust. Our trip so far has been a dream come true, and we are enjoying every minute. However, we also miss home, and especially our cats. So brace yourselves, we are getting into the final stretch of our journey! For dinner, we went to Elliott Stables. This is an old Edwardian warehouse, transformed into a food court with a great variety of options. We choose Italian, and we’re quite happy with our Spaghetti Frutti Di Mare and seafood risotto. Walking back to our hotel, I found a sticker of my local football club (from back home) at a lamppost. That must be a sign!