After my morning workout to the busstop, I expected a nice, relaxed ride to Wanaka. We had the same driver we came with here. At least, for the first part of the journey. Couldn’t have been more wrong! The trip was stunning! And kept us busy. We didn’t have many actual stops at to pick […]
To me, it just was a digital day. Rained all day, stayed in. Didn’t the hikes I had planed. Around Lake Matheson, I missed the most. Would have loved to go there. But all wet and slibbery? Don’t need that. Did quite a good deal of digital work, though. For dinner, I choose a place […]
What a wonderful day! Couldn’t have been any better. Half way to the bus station, I went into the Pathway of Pounamu, a local museum. Pounamu is the maori name for greenstone, jade. In New Zealand, it is only found in three places, one of them is the Westcoast of the southern island. The museum […]
Today, I took the train from Christchurch to the Westcoast, to Greymouth: the Trans Alpine Crossing. In the train, I shared a table with a couple from the Southlands and a guy from New York City. Next to us were Americans and a lady from the US who lives and teaches in Xian. We talked […]
After a few emails, I went to town. Along the park, the earthquake memorial. Again, I stayed there for a while. Went through to the Riverside Market, had a little lunch and looked for a stop of the historical tram. Other cities have hop-on/hop-off busses. Here, you have the old trams, you feel the historical […]
Leaving Kaikoura felt like approaching a threshold. Something changed. Couldn’t put a finger on it. Just felt the change. In the bus, I sat next to a German young woman, talked about our travels. Seemed, we made some similar choices, and some different once, of course. She told me about het experience confronted with lock […]
Downside of being at a touristic hot-hotspot: al the activities have to be pre-booked far in advance. Thus, whalewatching wasn’t possible anymore. Also the Maori-tour: not available. Wasn’t aware of that until I came here. Though, what is possible? Found a albatross-encounter tour! Loved to see these magnificant birds! And I saw, that along the […]
Happy to leave this backpacker place. My room was okay, had nice conversations. The whole setting was a bit … shabby, with a few very special guests. The bus to Blenheim left on time. All the bus drivers are chatty, also this lady, though. Welcomed us in te Reo Maori. Explaining the landscape en special […]
I wanted to go into the woods, the mountains. Doing the best possible. There is a bus from the city center up to the sanctuary. Sounded good. Until… the bus driver told me, that he only could go half way because of road works. His colleaque said, from that last possible busstop, it would be […]
Today, I’ll really reach the Abel Tasmen National Park. I’m só tempted to take a hike… and still it isn’t wise with my knee. Did I tell? Twisted it up north, in the National Park. It still works, kind of… but doesn’t except so much. Thus, I work around the contrains with alternatives. Today, it […]