Rainy day in Auckland

I spent a day in Auckland since i have a transition there between my flights from Queenstown and to Melbourne.

Sadly it was mostly a rainy day. But I still got to see some nice thingsย and I bought myself some noise-canceling headphones.ย Because of all the flights and well, because they’re awesome. ๐Ÿ˜€img_1628Fire was coming out of the top of the stone just one second before i took the photo i swear!img_1630img_1632ย 17.04.16

Flying to Auckland

Yesterday I flew from Queenstown to Auckland, here are some impressions of the trip ๐Ÿ™‚

Waiting with Shirley (and Chocolate)ย IMG_1605.JPGIMG_1606.JPGIMG_1607.JPGBetween the Clouds.IMG_1614.JPGThe northernmost point of the South IslandIMG_1617.JPGMt. Taranaki.IMG_1619.JPGLanded save in Auckland. ๐Ÿ™‚IMG_1623.JPGIMG_1624.JPG

And here is a Time lapse of the take-off and the landing ๐Ÿ™‚

16.04.16

Long Trip to Queenstown

Just a little Update on what I did that day, since a made a post for every day the recent week I thought this day also had the right to a post.

And although it was fun, the only two things I did that I want to share are that I was in the water with dolphins at, the realizingly cold, Curio Bay

ย  and that I jumped from the bridge that you see in the picture below. With it’s 15 meters it was an awesome feeling and im really happy I did it Altough I was very scared at first.IMG_1604.JPG

I had a very fun evening in Queenstown after that, celebrating the trip we had.

15.04.16

Catlins

We got up early in the morning to see the sunrise at Nugget Point, which was really amazing as you can see below. ๐Ÿ™‚

A blowhole, but sadly the wind wasn’t strong enough.

The best, and most beautiful Coffee I had in New Zealand at the Lost Gypsy a really fun store.

Some Waterfalls ๐Ÿ™‚

And the cathedral cave ๐Ÿ™‚  img_1591
Slope Point, the southernmost point of the South Island.


14.04.16

Dunedin

Dunedin is one of the rare city’s in New Zealand that has something you could call architecture. ๐Ÿ˜€ I really liked seeing something like old buildings again and the Scottish style this city has is nice. Dunedin also is a city with very big height differences so drinking in it is really confusing, but the upside to this is that I could visit the steepest street in the world, according to the Guinness Book of world Records that is.img_1394img_1407img_1404img_1402img_1414img_1415img_1422img_1428

   
  
11.04.16

Road to Dunedin

After Mt. Cook we made our way to Dunedin and visited the elephant Rocks and the Moeraki Boulders on the way ๐Ÿ™‚

The pelennor fields, were most of the Lord of the Rings fight scenes were shot, weren’t that impressive.



The Elephant Rocks:


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Oamaru:


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Moeraki Boulders:


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And here is proof that sheep are cute but dumb: ๐Ÿ˜€

Mount Cook

Mount Cook is a stunningly beautiful mountain and the highest in New Zealand. The Road to Mount Cook from Tekapo already offers amazing views but it get’s even better in the village and especially if you do one of the hikes to a view point. I was so unbelievably happy to see some snow again ๐Ÿ˜€ and the glaciers surrounding it were also very nice to look at, although glaciers are always a little bit sad to look at because you can see where they’re supposed to be and were they are because of the climate change.

Still it was an amazing day, I took some amazing pictures and I hope you can enjoy them. ๐Ÿ™‚

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09.04.16

Tekapo

After Edoras I visited Tekapo, famous for it’s beautiful night sky. ย IMG_1280.JPGIMG_1281.JPGIMG_1282.JPGIMG_1287.JPGIMG_1289.JPGIMG_1292.JPGIMG_1295.JPGIMG_1300.JPGIMG_1302.JPGIMG_1304.JPGIMG_1308.JPG

In the night I had one of the most magnificent night-skys I’ve ever seen. But sadly it was also the coldest night ever during which I slept in a tent. I was totally not equipped for frost. That was an experience I’m not planning to repeat. I never realized how much I love the comfort and luxury of my home before.

Luckily the morning after that was still nice.IMG_1311.JPGIMG_1314.JPGIMG_1315.JPG

08.04.16

Abel Tasman National Park

bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbOn Tuesday the 8th I made a wonderful trip to the Abel Tasman National Park, with a half day of Kayaking and a half day of walking back to the point I started.

I did this with a fun group of British people that singed up for the same tour as I did and at first I was a little bit scared of being in a 2-Seat Kayak if a Stranger that claimed he never kayaked before, but it turned out to be great. ๐Ÿ˜€

He really was good and did’t have any problems kayaking and in the group in total was great and we had some nice talks both in the Kayak and on the track back.

It was a totally fun day with some cool people ๐Ÿ™‚IMG_0278.JPGIMG_0279.JPGIMG_0281.JPGIMG_0282.JPGIMG_0283.JPGIMG_0284.JPGIMG_0285.JPGIMG_0286.JPGIMG_0292.JPGIMG_0294.JPGIMG_0296.JPGIMG_0298.JPGIMG_0299.JPGIMG_0301.JPGIMG_0306.JPGIMG_0310.JPGIMG_0312.JPGIMG_0316.JPGIMG_0318.JPGIMG_0321.JPGIMG_0320.JPGZoom in to see some Seals ๐Ÿ™‚

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Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed the Pictures.

March

After I left Punakaki I had long Bus and Ferry Rides as I made my way from Punakaki to Nelson on the 23th, from there to Wellington on the 24th and back to Nelson on the 26th.

I went to Wellington because I could help out at the Goethe Institute on a Workshop for some German Teachers in New Zealand.

Back in Nelson I searched for I job and although that search was not a success I still had a great time there, especially in the Abel Tasman National Park, but I will write an extra article for that day, ย and I manged to work for food and accommodation here and there, but after some time I had enough of Nelson and traveled on to Picton, where I stayed for a week planning my trip and booking the flights back after that a had a beautiful week in the Marlborough Sounds helping out a very nice family there. Back in Picton I still wasn’t sure how I would continue my travels, but luckily a friend i med here texted me and asked if I would like to join him on a road trip around in the southern Parts of the south Island. I thought that this is a great idea so I started my way south to Christchurch, where our trip will start tomorrow.

Here are some impressions from the (too long) time since my last blog. Enjoy

(also my first video Yaaaaaaaay :D)

 

West Coast

When i finally got out of Queenstown I continued my journey to the West Coast. There I visited Wanaka, Fox and Franz Josef Glacier and Punakaki.

Wanaka really is a nice town and in some way the nicer and friendlier version of Queenstown, but sadly its also alway booked out so i could only spend one day there.

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As the West Coast is a low temperature rain Forrest, it rained. A lot.ย IMG_0835.JPGIMG_0837.JPGIMG_0845.JPGIMG_0847.JPGIMG_0850.JPGIMG_0857.JPGIMG_0859.JPGIMG_0862.JPGIMG_0865.JPGIMG_0869.JPGAnd in the village Fox Glacier ๐Ÿ™‚

IMG_0879.JPGIMG_0880.JPGIMG_0882.JPGIn the evening I went on a glowworm track which really was amazing, I saw a lot of them, but taking pictures did’t work as I have no camera that is capable of that.

The next day thisย this bridge sadly was closed as I tried to make my way to the Glacier without getting totally wet (Spoiler: I got totally wed…)

IMG_0885.JPGAnd sadly from the Car Park the way was closed because it was overflowed ;(

IMG_0886.JPGBack there you see a little bit of a Glacier.

IMG_0887.JPGIMG_0888.JPGIMG_0890.JPGIMG_0891.JPGSinceย I spend a nice evening in a bar with someone I med there it was a good and fun day after all (we also tried to get to the glacier together).ย IMG_0900.JPGThe next day I decided not to go to the glacier and go to the circus instead, it was a really funny and young cast and going to a circus after many years and then to New Zealand it was really a funny experience.

After that my journey continued to Franz Josef.IMG_0903.JPGAnd this time there was no rain and I started my way to the Glacier.

IMG_0904.JPGIMG_0905.JPGIMG_0909.JPGIMG_0915.JPGIMG_0916.JPGIMG_0918.JPGIMG_0920.JPGThis time it actually was possible to see the glacier.

IMG_0925.JPGAnd the Landscape along the way was beautiful too.

IMG_0927.JPGIMG_0929.JPGIMG_0933.JPGAnd at the Glacier.

IMG_0937.JPGIMG_0261.JPGIMG_0269.JPGThe view to the other side ๐Ÿ˜€

IMG_0266.JPGAnd Shirley went there with me ๐Ÿ™‚

IMG_0945.JPGThe views on the way back also were fantastic ๐Ÿ™‚

IMG_0949.JPGIMG_0952.JPGTook an extra way to a view point.

IMG_0955.JPGIMG_0956.JPGIMG_0957.JPGIMG_0958.JPGThe next day I left in the direction of Punakaki, there i stayed in one of the best Hostels I’ve ever been to, had a beautiful view of the sunset and a nice hike the next day before I left, naturally I visited the Pancake Rocks :).

IMG_0991.JPGIMG_0992.JPGIMG_0994.JPGIMG_0995.JPGIMG_0996.JPGIMG_0997.JPGIMG_1001.JPGIMG_1004.JPGIMG_1007.JPGIMG_1009.JPGIMG_1011.JPGIMG_1018.JPGIMG_1025.JPGIMG_1026.JPGIMG_1028.JPGIMG_1029.JPGIMG_1032.JPGIMG_1034.JPGAnd the Pancake Rocks ๐Ÿ™‚

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And that was my trip around the West Coast.

Queenstown

Queenstown is a nice City but it is one of the most touristy places in New Zealand and also one of the more expensive ones. Because our car broke we stayed there until the 17th February, or rather we decided to split up, all in a good way, because I had other things I wanted to see then the rest of the group.

Here are some expressions of my time there, a very nice place, but staying there for one and a half weeks is a bit long. And because we had to hitchhike from the free campsite to town everyday it got a little bit annoying and you could not spend the nights there because hitchhiking in the dark is not fun at all. And because Queenstown is always booked out for the next week getting a hostel sadly was not possible.

IMG_0781.JPGIMG_0780.JPGIMG_0784.JPGIMG_0788.JPGIMG_0793 (Bearbeitet).JPGIMG_0801.JPGIMG_0809.JPGIMG_0820.JPGReally not that many photos because of the rather unpleasant conditions there, but i med a lot of people i have seen before or friends from back home on Germany so overall it was a good time, but also a stressful one.

Roadtrip around the South

The first few days of February I spend with other people I med in Picton and some more friends of them in a car traveling around the South.

We started together in Christchurch and continued to Travel South to Dunedin and from there over to Milford Sound, I already wrote an Blog for that:ย https://paulwbal.wordpress.com/2016/02/13/milford-sound/ and then on to Queenstown and so on, I will write extra Blog entries for that, but for now enjoy the Pictures of my Trip until then ๐Ÿ™‚

This was the first evening together with the others in Christchurch, we had a bountiful sunset and a nice evening with people we med there.IMG_0343.JPGIMG_0346.JPG

This is taken from the Akaroa Peninsula next to Christchurch, I went swimming with Dolphins there which was a wonderful experience I sadly have no pictures of…ย IMG_0355.JPG

The first Campsite really outside of Christchurch with this nice view and a amazing night Sky where you could see lots of stars.IMG_0359.JPG

A nice hiking trip to some waterfalls ๐Ÿ™‚IMG_0365.JPG

And again a beautiful sunset at a nice campsite.IMG_0407.JPGIMG_0408.JPG

The next few pictures a from Oamaru, the self proclaimed “coolest city of New Zealand”, it has an European atmosphere because of the ambitions building projects of the settlers. ย IMG_0414.JPGIMG_0420.JPGIMG_0423.JPGIMG_0431.JPGIMG_0435.JPGIMG_0439.JPGIMG_0442.JPGIMG_0455.JPG

The boulder Rocks.IMG_0459.JPGIMG_0463.JPG

Dunedin a nice very Scottish student city.IMG_0469.JPG

Driving in the Evening with this beautiful sunset, but sadly we only had to drive further because our campsite guide did not tell us that you can only sleep in cars there and that tents are not permitted. So we continued to drive in the direction of Milford Sound where a campsite was supposed to be on the way, however we were very lucky that someone noticed us as we took a break and offered us to camp in his garden, skeptical at first we accepted the offer and it turned out to be great, it was a very nice family that took us in and even allowed us to use their shower, which is a great thing after you only had the shitty ones of free campsites, if they even happen to have one.ย IMG_0480.JPGIMG_0484.JPG

The next thing already was Milford Sound which i already wrote a Blog about (you find the Link above). I did’t include pictures of the others because I forget to ask them if it’s okay and now it would be kinda weird so yeah. I hope I could give you some impressions of that time and that I will get the other Blogs about my February up soon ๐Ÿ™‚

 

Milford Sound

bMilford Sound is a beautiful Fjord (Yes sadly someone was to dump to Name it (Fjord emerge from glaciers and Sounds from Rivers)) in the Fjordland of New Zealand. It’s the most easiest Fjord to access, because it’s the only one that has a road leading to it, which makes it way through a stunningly beautiful landscape. I was there two days, one day for booking it (sadly we were to late for the Kayak tour on that day, but the weather was amazing and i could take some amazing photos) and another day were we did the Kayak Tour and had a nice boat trip to the starting and ending point of the tour, the Milford Sound Discovery Center. Kayaking was a lot of fun but sadly the tour was a little bit short, the views however made up for that, even more amazing was jumping into the unusual warm water (it still were only 16 degrees but everything is better than 11 :D)

Enjoy the pictures.

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And after the Tunnel

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In Milford Sound (the village)

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The start of the Boat Trip ๐Ÿ™‚

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And the Discovery Center with an underwater Part which is amazing, it also was the starting point of the Kayak Trip.

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And that was it Thank you for reading.

I visited Milford on the 08/09.02.16 ๐Ÿ™‚

(And please tell me if you think the new design is okay :D)