Frodo in Rohan

Further south of Kaikoura we did two journeys the last two days starting in christchurch.

The first one led us to Mount Hutt, a ski field with a great view down on the canterbury plains, the flat area with lots of farmers. There was not much to do but it was fun to push our car to the limit climbing up the stony path up to the pit stop where two run-out-of-money-travellers put on snow chains on two-wheel-drive cars.

Back down on safer ground we were about to find Edoras - the place of Rohan, the mankind castle in the movie Lord of the Rings. In middle of the valley, 46km away from the Canterbury Plains, half of it again stony pathed, there is a small mountain called Mt Sunday. Most of the basically unhospitable looking wide valley is cattle's rangeland. And several arms of the freeeeezing cold river running through are dividing it.

Trying to get to Rohan, Herms and Leo gave up after crossing two more shallow arms without getting too much wet. Leo was just about to take a picture from me standing in the shallow part of the third one, when i decided to make the whole way through the ice-cold water. Arriving on the other side I had to warm up my toes running barefoot to and up on the mountain. Which brought me several thorns and splinters sticking under my skin without feeling it because of the coldness. Now I know how Frodo must have felt on his way to save the world.

Today we discovered the SH73, the road connecting Christchurch and the West Coast by making its way through the Alps of New Zealand. In Arthur's Pass Village we climbed up to a 131m high waterfall with a beautiful mountain scenery. After that a speed boat ride brought again more action in our lifes. Finally a sheep shearing demonstration and a dog demonstrating his work with the sheep gave us an impression of New Zealand's farmers' work.

Glowworms - keine Gluehwuermchen

On the way to Rotorua we stopped by the Waitomo (Wai=water, tomo=hole) Caves. Not the direct way, I know, but a good one. Equipped with the oldest wet suits i have ever seen we walked through the cold caves. They are not very exciting referring the stalactits and stalacmits. But as you go, crawl, swim, float and jump through the cave it becomes an adventure. Turning off the flash lights we found hundreds of glowworms sticking on the ceiling between their own strands they use for catching insects. this small whatevers are light and transparent worms with a luminescent top.
What you wouldn't believe is the beautiness of the nature around the entrance and the exit of the cave. You feel like in the middle of the "Lord of the Rings". And there are 365 of them in this area.

After discovering the darkness of the depth we were about to discover the smell of the depth. In

Rotorua, a small town, is the earth's crust very thin. Stinky steam comes out of several holes althrough the city. The Poliynesian Spa gave us a relaxing time and energy to our body.
Next day we should have much luck. First we visited Wai-Te-Po or the Lady Knox Geysyr. Colourful and steamy holes in a wonderful nature surrounding made us walking and talking through the park.
Half an hour before Te-Puia, the second geysyr, was closing we arrived there and asked for a short entrance. We were really lucky as the geysyr started to spit shortly before we had to leave the other park. And it was lasting more than 20 minutes which was very unusual... and an awesome experience!!!


After a stinky day in Rotorua we were driving the long way down to Wellington stopping by my former colleague Tony close to Porirua. The same night we took the ferry to Picton on the South Island and were lodging in a cuddly hostel feeling like in the middle of a family in a ski hut.

The next day, another beautiful day, whale watching in Kaikoura was already booked. The much bad luck I had with my backpack in Fiji, the much good luck we have with the weather at the right time and the number of whales we saw: about 30 sperm whales showed us their nose and back - and tail (it's a sperm whale, but i am talking about the backtail, guys) when diving into the depth of the sea.

NZ:Auckland

my first day in auckland was used to reequip myself after the "yasawa flyer" ferry between the yasawa islands has lost my big backpack on the ferry. now as i need my warm clothes most i have not much of them. today i bought new stuff like a new backpack, new underpants (yes, sometimes i change them), a new pullover, new shoes... and i really liked it, but it also really sucks. i want my stuff back... there seems to be fewer and fewer chance to get it back from day to day. all i hope now is to get enough support from my insurance.

anyway, this time there are other reasons the upload of pictures doesn't work, so there is still nothing to show you. yes, i know, it's not that exciting just to read from me. (i wass, a "botzn story", die kan interessiert; der ausdruck is unser klana running gag).

tomorrow we leave auckland to rotorua, where the sulfur geysirs are. there haven't died anybody stink like rodden eggs, but many because of freezing. that's why i got new clothes.

keep on trying watching pictures here, i keep on trying to find a computer that let me do that!

BULA - beware of falling coconuts

imagine a couple of islands in the middle of nowhere. there is no streets, no buildings but those "bures" where fijians are living in, only a satellite phone, dark blue to light turquoise ocean, palm trees and some fijians working 15 minutes a day - it's "fiji-time (maybe late, maybe early, but when it happens, we are ready)". staying in a deluxe bure on nanuya lai lai island we were relaxing under the pacific sun. those who know the movie "the blue lagoon" (die blaue lagune; faye dunaway or brooke shields), know what i am talking about.

the only way to get there is by boat, so called the yasawa flyer, cruising the yasawa islands of fiji.

now we are back again on the main island to discover the capital "city" of fiji, nadi. the 5 hours trip on the boat caused a lot of very seasick people since it was very windy and the sea was kind of strong moving. i can still feel the waves, although i am on the island again since 12 hours.

unfortunately i lost my bag on the yasawa flyer on the way back and hope that i get my clothes, my rain-jacket and my camera-cable before i leave to new zealand.

this is the moment i want to greet all my friends from raleigh and from europe! thank you for the mails i get. it is always nice to read how you are, since i am on the other end of the world. vinandu riki!

you will read new posts soon, the opportunities to use internet can only get better!

bula

take off

the 3 crazy guys - leo, hermann and me - decided to go on a statravel-world tour in march.
starting in vienna and actually me in raleigh, we met in nyc to start our great journey. after 11 days discovering nyc, los angeles, the coast of big sur (california), san francisco and las vegas we depart in a couple of hours to fiji.
as soon the opportunities to access the internet in a better way and as soon i have more time to inform you about our trip, i will post some pics for you.

see u soon to "bula"(welcome) u to fiji,
hermann, leo, tom