Lica goes Kiwi!

Sydney! [April 3]

2008-06-22T10:38:00.019+02:00

Did you know that when you click one of the pictures, they enlarge to their original size?And did you know that if you click the link [Older Posts], at the bottom of this page, it will show you my older blogs? :)

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This is my last post in this blog. I am back home again.

Aotearoa will always have a place in my heart, positively influenced my body and has brought richness to my soul...

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I had a stopover in Sydney on my way home to the Netherlands. Originally I would have had 6 hours to spend there, but due to delays and lousy custom information I only was left with 2 hours to see as much as I could. I took the train to Circular Quay and saw the Opera House and Harbour bridge there.

Opera House.

Opera House.

Opera House.

Opera House.

Opera House.

Opera House.

Then I started walking to Darling Harbour, which was further away then I thought.

Darling Harbour.

So I took a water taxi back to Circular Quay.

Harbour Bridge and Opera House.

Skyline Circular Quay.

Enjoying the sunshine!

Lovely boat ride.

The fort in the middle of the harbour. It used to be a prison...

After Sydney I flew to Bangkok, where we had a stop-over of 2 hours. Then it was onwards to London, where I had to wait for 3 hours for my connecting flight. I was thrilled to be almost home.

Me in the plane from London to Amsterdam.

Goodbye New Zealand! [Wellington] [March 28 - April 2]

2008-06-10T21:25:00.007+02:00

The boat brought me to Wellington where I would stay my five final days in New Zealand. Though I was looking forward to go home, missing my fiancé massively, I was also regretting that my trip was almost over. I spend my last days at Paul and Wendy's house. They are the sweetest people in the world!

Wellington centre.

Abel Tasman National Park from the air.

Nelson Lakes Park from the air.

After a delay of 3 hours we finally left the airport. My first stop was Sydney and I planned to leave the airport for a quick city tour. More about that in the next blog!

Goodbye South Island! [Havelock & Picton][March 25 - 28]

2008-06-08T17:29:00.011+02:00

After I had sold my car in Nelson I had to take the bus to Havelock, the mussel capital of New Zealand. Obviously I ate mussels there, really big ones. Like the ones on the roof, in the picture below. Kiddin'. :P

In the evening I went for a walk with a guy who worked in Havelock, to see the glowworms. WOW! Such amazing sight. Better then I had seen in New Zealand, till then.

This is in Picton. The sounds.

On my way to the 'snout'.

Mesmerising Sounds....

Yup, that is sweat. It was a bloody hot day. Honestly.

This is where I stayed. Crappy pic, but you gotta love the door. Wonderful hostel.

Lmao.

Taken from the ferry through the sounds.

Last glimpse of the South Island. What a spellbinding experience I have had there...

More to come!

Motueka & Nelson [March 20 - 25]

2008-04-01T10:27:00.006+02:00

After Takaka, I left for Motueka, to stay there for one night. After driving there, I spend the afternoon on the beach. The next day I sold my car in Nelson and went for a horse back ride the next day. That was fantastic!

Kaiteriteri Beach, near to Motueka.

Cathedral in Nelson.

Me at the centre of New Zealand!

View during the horseback ride in the surroundings of Nelson.

Me on Ace.

This is my last upload here in New Zealand. I am leaving tomorrow. First stop is Sydney where I have to spend the day. I'll arrive home on April 3rd 10.50 am local time (CET).

I will finish this blog when back home.

Comments are love! ;-)

Abel Tasman, Farewell Spit, Te Waikoropupu Springs - Takaka [March 14 - 20]

2008-03-31T12:34:00.010+02:00

After Nelson I left for Takaka, or at least somewhere in that surrounding, because I hadn't made a reservation in a hostel. I stayed at Annie's Nirvana Lodge for a total of six (!) nights. The longest I have stayed in any hostel. It was the weather, the atmosphere, the surrounding....

I went kayaking in Abel Tasman, went to the Farewell Spit, where I was a lonely soul, cleansed my spirit at Te Waikoropupu Springs and saw Furry Seals hunting in the calm seas of the Abel Tasman National Park.

Takaka Hill.

Tata Beach.

Farewell Spit.

Te Waikoropupu Spring. World's clearest springs.

Shags in Abel Tasman National Park.

Furry Seal.

Abel Tasman National Park.

Abel Tasman National Park.

Westport, Sint Arnaud, Nelson [March 9 - 14]

2008-03-30T11:39:00.006+02:00

Arriving back from the Oparara Arches in Westport, Sarah and I quickly found a hostel to stay. Sarah was leaving the next morning with the bus to Christchurch to fly out to Fiji. I decided to stay two nights in Westport. I didn't take any pictures there, 'cause it's just another city.
On Teusday I left for Sint Arnaud, which lies next to the Nelson Lakes National Park. It was beautiful there.
After one night I left for Nelson, with the sole purposes to advertise my car, to sell it. I booked two night in the Green Monkey, a lovely Backpacker. :)

On my way from Westport to Sint Arnaud, a crossed the site with the longest swing bridge in New Zealand. Had to walk it of course. The picture above shows the gorge over which it was suspended.

Me on the swing bridge. I love walking on them!

Nelson Lakes National Park.

Next - Takaka, Farewell Spit, Pu Pu Springs, Abel Tasman, and more!

Cape Foulwind, The Old Slaughterhouse, Oparara Arch, Heapy Track [March 8 - 9]

2008-03-24T02:17:00.011+01:00

We had two very busy days on Saturday and Sunday. We drove from Punakaiki to Westport to do grocery shopping and on our way there we visited Cape Foulwind. We had made a booking at a hostel called The Old Slaughter House. We did wonder if we would live to see the day...

A seal mother and young at Cape Foulwind.

A Weka.

Sunset at the Old Slaughter House.

View from the Old Slaugher House (the next morning... lol).

Oparara Arch.

Me next to the river that runs through the Oparara Arch.

One of the stalactites in the Oparara Arch.

The color of the river was golden orange-brown. Now we know where beer comes from. Or Coca Cola. :P

The beach at the beginning of the Heapy Track.

The most Southern Palm Forrest in the world. Near the Heapy Track.

Next: Westport, Nelson Lakes National Park and Nelson.

Punakaiki [March 5 - 8]

2008-03-20T08:14:00.013+01:00

Punakaiki was absolutely blissful! Not only because of our hostel -a hostel in the middle of the jungle!-, the lovely weather -sunshine all the way-, but also because of the beautiful surrounding, great atmosphere and good company!

Me in the mine-workers museum, in Reefton.

On our way to Punakaiki.

Just after sunset, on the beach behind the hostel.

Pancake rocks.

One of the blow holes near the pancake rocks.

Me in front of the pancake rocks.

The Pancake Rocks that Punakaiki is famous for, are limestone formations that began forming 30 million years ago, when lime-rich fragments of dead marine creatures were deposited on the seabed, then overlaid by weaker layers of soft mud and clay.
The seabed was raised above sea level by earthquakes to form the coastal cliffs and coastline. The sea, wind and rain have since etched out the soft layers to form the unusual rock formations we see today.
When conditions are right, heavy ocean swells thunder into the caverns beneath the rocks and huge water spouts blast skywards through the blow holes in a truly spectacular sight.

The next day me, Michael, Sarah, Ollie and Mo went to a couple of caves. Heaps of fun guaranteed!

Me in one of the smaller caves.

Caves.

This river normally runs below the rocks. The guys couldn't stop climbing. lol.

The beach near the hostel.

And another sunset on the west coast...

To be continued!

Shantytown and Greymouth [March 1 - 5]

2008-03-20T07:26:00.008+01:00

On March 1st we left Hokitika to arrive in Greymouth. Because Sarah wanted to stay somewhere a bit longer and because I saw no reason not to, we stayed in Greymouth for four nights. Our days were mostly filled with reading, watching movies and wandering through town. We also went to Shantytown one day. Shantytown is a replica gold-mining town, an open-air museum. And we struck gold! lol

Me in front of the main street, Shantytown.

It was a tiny jail with two cells. One was still occupied...

I didn't feign that expression. The pin to lock you in was still there and you couldn't reach it yourself! lol.

The church of Shantytown.

Me and Sarah, panning for gold. And we were lucky (that we bought a guaranteed find, lol).

Sunset on Greymouth Beach.

Click on the pictures!

Next: Punakaiki!

From Franz Josef to Hokitika [February 29 - March 1]

2008-03-12T12:44:00.006+01:00

With the rain pissing down we traveled from Franz Josef to Hokitika, where we stayed just one night as we didn't like the town. It probably wasn't helping that the rain didn't stop at all. We did, however, made some stops along the way.

Okarito Beach. The town itself has 16 permanent residents and lies next to a lagoon. That lagoon is NZ's largest unmodified wetland.

Than we came to a little town called Harihari. A town that made headlines in 1931 when an Australian madman, named Guy Menzies, completed the first solo flight across the Tasman Sea from Sydney and landed upside down in Harihari.

Our destination for that day was Hokitika. Not even the beach could make us happy. See the rainclouds.

The next day we went to the Hokitika Gorge, where they had this swing bridge. Fun to walk on! The water should have been blue. It now was the same colour as the rain - grey...

T.B.C.!

Franz Josef Glacier + Glacier Walk [February 26 - 29]

2008-03-12T03:12:00.012+01:00

So we traveled onwards to Franz Josef, a town that solely exists because of the glacier. There are no normal houses, only tourist attractions, accomodation and restaurants/pubs. We found a nice hostel and I booked a half day hike on the glacier. It was absolutely magical!

The Franz Josef or Ka Roimata o Hinehukatere (in Maori) is a 12 km long glacier located in Westland National Park on the West Coast of the South Island. It is unique in the fact that it descends from the Southern Alps to just 240 metres above sea level amidst the greenery and lushness of a temperate rainforest. The area surrounding the two glaciers (Fox and Franz Josef) is designated a World Heritage Site. The river emerging from the glacier terminal of Franz Josef is known as the Waiho.

The glacier, viewed from the valley.

Me on the glacier. Gotta love the sunglasses, eh? ;-)

The valley the glacier carved out and the Waiho river. It was still sunny. Later on it started to cool down.

On the glacier.

Me on the glacier. It was coldbrrr!

The higher part of the glacier.

People are tiny on the grand glacier.

The ice cave from which the river flows.

Some of the waterfalls in the valley.

Next: Further up the West Coast!

Fox Glacier [February 26]

2008-03-12T00:31:00.006+01:00

On Teusday we traveled to the Fox Glacier. What a magnificient sight! We traveled to the town after that and decided that we would travel onwards to Franz Josef, because we didn't really like the Fox Glacier township.

Fox Glacier.

Me in front of the Glacier.

Near to the Glacier.

Next: Franz Josef Glacier!

Wanaka, Haast, Jackson's Bay [February 22 - 26]

2008-03-11T04:24:00.008+01:00

On Friday we (Sarah and me) left Queenstown and traveled north to Wanaka, where we stayed for 3 nights in a lovely hostel. We made some walks along the lake and had a look in relaxing Wanaka. After Wanaka we left for Jackson's Bay, but it was raining so hard that we decided to stop in Haast and go to Jackson's Bay the next day. That turned out to be a great decision! The sun was shining that next day, and despite the sand flies, Jackson's Bay was beautiful. After Jackson's Bay we traveled further up north to see the Fox and Franz Josef Glacier. Pictures of that in my next blog! :)

Lake Wanaka.

During our walk along the lake. ^.^

The great hostel - Wanaka Bakpaka!

On our way to Haast (we had sun in the morning).

The Haast Gorge River. Roaring!

Jackson's Bay.

On our way to the Fox Glacier on the West Coast. Mesmerising...

To be continued!

Queenstown, Glenorchy & Arrowtown [February 19 - 22]

2008-03-04T04:17:00.009+01:00

On Teusday I left Te Anau and went to Queenstown with Alex (from Chili) and Wendela (from the Netherlands) as lifters.

On our way to Queenstown.

Me and Wendela.

Near Glenorchy.

Glenorchy.

Sarah and me, resting during our climb up a hill. lol.

Queenstown from the gondola.

Queenstown harbour.

Next: Wanaka!

Milford Sound [February 18]

2008-02-28T23:50:00.009+01:00

With two German girls (Liv en Julia) I traveled to Milford Sound to share the fuel costs. We stopped a couple of times along the trip there and each did a cruise in Milford Sound itself. What a wonderful day it was!

Mirror Lakes.

A Kea on Mister Hankey!

One of the waterfalls along the way.

The first big waterfal in Milford Sound.

Milford Sound.

Seals sun bathing in Milford Sound.

Another waterfall.

The underwater conservatory.

Next - Queenstown!

Sky Dive DVD [November 2007]

2008-02-25T11:09:00.001+01:00

Finally got it uploaded! Have a look and make sure you got your volume up! :D

http://www.youtube.com/v/4eSb3OR0u5w

Doubtful Sound [February 17]

2008-02-21T05:20:00.013+01:00

"Jagged razor backed mountains rear their heads into the sky. More than 200 days of rain a year ensure not a tree branch is left bare and brown, moss and epiphytes drape every nook. The forest is intensely green. This is big country... one day peaceful, a study in green and blue, the next melancholy and misty, with low cloud veiling the tops... an awesome place, with its granite precipices, its hanging valleys, its earthquake faults and its thundering cascades." - Charles John Lyttelton about Doubtful Sound.

Enjoy the pictures. :-)

Doubtful Sound was named 'Doubtful Harbour' by Captain Cook, who did not enter the inlet as he was uncertain whether it was navigable under sail.

It was later renamed Doubtful Sound by whalers and sealers.

Doubtful Sound is three times longer and ten times greater than Milford Sound. Doubtful Sound is also less commercialised and is frequently referred to as the "Sounds Of Silence".

Doubtful Sound is unusual in that it contains two distinct layers of water that do not mix. The top few meters is fresh water, fed from the high inflows from the surrounding mountains. Below this is a layer of cold, heavy, sakt water from the sea. The difference between these two layers makes it difficult for light to penetrate. Thus, many deep-sea species will grow in the comparatively shallow depths of the Sound.

There are three distinct arms to the sound.

A Kea - also knows as the 'Clowns of the mountains'.

Next: Milford Sound...

Te Anau - On my way there [February 15 - 19]

2008-02-21T04:55:00.004+01:00

After getting back from Steward Island, I went to the beginning of the number 1 highway, so I can truly say I have done New Zealand from Cape Reinga to Bluff. ;-)

Sign at the end/beginning of Highway No. 1.

Riverton.

Signs in Manapouri.

Steward Island [February 13 - 15]

2008-02-21T04:32:00.011+01:00

After a day off in Mandeville, relaxing, doing my laundry and dyeing my hair again, I traveled to Invercargill to do some grocery shopping and then I continued to Bluff, the first New Zealand town and gateway to Steward Island. I stayed two nights on Steward Island. The ferry takes you there in about one hour and I was lucky that the crossing was not too rough.

On Steward Island I did some great walks, with lovely views.

One of the many bays.

One of the old phones, that could have up to 8 or 9 households on one number. It wasn't replaced untill the late '90's.

Lee Bay.

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Lee Bay.

Lee Bay. The chain represents the anchor that Steward Island is in the Maori legend.

Seaweed - during my 'Underwater Discover' trip. This was a partly submersive boat that allowed you to see underwater. Taking pictures is really hard.

Halfmoon Bay.

One of the orange sunsets on Steward Island...

Next >>> Te Anau & Doubtful Sound & Milford Sound!

Mandeville - Work as a relief milker! [January 30 - February 12]

2008-02-21T03:51:00.007+01:00

After visiting Jocelyn and Mike I went back to Gore and stayed in an old fire station that was transferred into a backpackers. I was told that it would be really easy to find a job as a relief milker, but it took me two days. Which is longer then I expected, meh. lol. Anyway - I ended up in Mandeville on Coldstream Dairies and I worked with Jade, Steven, Kelly, Dave and Jeffrey. Great guys, great time!

View from the house I stayed. Accomodation was free and I had the house to myself.

Steven and Jade. Putting on cups.

Cows are getting up...

... and around and around and someone else is taking off the cups at the end (most of the times that was me) and then the cow gets off (with a little help every now and then).

One of the bulls.

The house - on the hill. :)

Next - Steward Island!

Millersflat & Gore [January 26 -30]

2008-02-20T10:08:00.003+01:00

After contacting Mike and Jocelyn, I traveled to their ranch in Millersflat to see if I could find a job in that area. After two days I decided to try my luck in Gore as I really wanted to work as a relief milker and not as a fruit picker. I got indeed lucky in Gore.

Jocelyn and Mike on the beach near their holiday home (in the Catlins).

Gore.

Pictures of my job in Mandeville in the next blog. :)

Invercargill [January 25 - 26]

2008-02-19T06:21:00.006+01:00

I slept only one night in Invercargill and spent the afternoon wandering through this kinda sleepy town. They do have some beautiful buildings. I went to Millersflat to visit Mike and Josh the next day. I had been given their address by Gerard, Ilja's father.

Town hall in Invercargill.

Best 'hot' pizza's for sure, eh? ;)

Meaning? That it always rains? Well, not that day! :)

One of the lovely churches.

Catlins - Curio Bay [January 22 - 25]

2008-02-11T00:29:00.000+01:00

The Catlins - the name that conjures up images of a corner of New Zealand untainted by the modern world - a place where time has stood still and a visitor may enjoy forest, wildlife and the life-style of a bygone era.

A couple of kilometres south of Dunedin.

Kaka point.

Purakaunui Falls.

The Lost Gypsy Art Gallary Motorcycle -Papatowai.

Near to Curio Bay.

Slope Point.

The rough coastline of Slope Point.

Petrified forest - Curio Bay.

A Yellow Eyed Piguin - Curio Bay.

The Lost Gypsy Art Gallery -Papatowai.

Jack's Bay.

Jack's Blowhole.

Whitehead Cliffs.

Matai Falls.

Lake Wilkie.

McLean Falls.

Catlins River Bush Track.

Sheeps are everywhere, so also on the road on my way to ...

Invercargill.

Dunedin [January 20 - 22]

2008-02-09T08:57:00.000+01:00

After Hampden I traveled to Dunedin. What a beautiful ride that was!

On my way to Dunedin.

Me on Baldwin Street, the steepest street in the world, with a gradient of 33%!

This car did not make it. lol.

This is how steep the street is.

On one evening I went to the peninsula near Dunedin to see Blue Penguins. They were out late that night, but what a lovely sight. Because they were late, all my pictures failed, so you guys will have to do with a picture of me and Louise, an exchange student from Sweden.

Next the Catlins!

Rock paintings, elephant rocks, Moeraki boulders - Twizel, Hampden, Moeraki [January 18 - 20]

2008-02-07T01:19:00.000+01:00

On January 18th I left Twizel (stupid camping and really expensive -$15 per night-) and traveled back to the coast. I saw ancient Moari rock paintings, and a lot of eroded rocks.

Rock painting.

Description of the paintings.

Eroded sandstone, near the rock paintings.

Elephant rocks. Wind and rain were the creators.

A view alongside the road to the coast again. Lavender.

Me leaning against a Moeraki boulder. Eroded stones, lying on the beach like big marbles.

Moeraki Boulders.

The view from the camping in Hampden, where I camped two days at the astonishing rate of $ 8 per night. Most of the campers where Kiwi's who came to that camping for years in a row already.

Next - Dunedin!

Mount Cook + on my way to Twizel [January 17]

2008-02-02T00:30:00.000+01:00

When I arrived at the Mount Cook park, rain was pissing down from the sky. So I settled myself in my car and started to read a book. Around 4 pm in the afternoon the sky started to break open and slowly the earth was warmth again by the sun. You can see this progress in the following pictures.

Mount Cook - still hiding.

Me in front of Mt. Cook. The summit hidden.

The summit visible at last!

Mister Hankey and Mt. Cook.

On my way to Twizel.

To be continued.

Lake Tekapo [January 15 - 17]

2008-02-02T00:04:00.000+01:00

On Tuesday I left Christchurch -I traveled back there from Akaroa, to have a shorter trip the next day- to travel to Lake Tekapo via the scenic highway. What a magnificient views! And the color of the water... Unreal.

I stayed in Lake Tekapo an extra day. Camping out for the first time on my trip.

To be continued!

Akaroa - Swimming with Hector Dolphins! [January 13 - 15]

2008-01-26T01:27:00.000+01:00

On Saturday I traveled to Akaroa, which is just beneath Christchurch. On Sunday I went swimming with Hector Dolphins, the rarest and smallest Dolphins in the world. It was mind blowing....

That is not me, but it gives you an idea how we swam.

Me, being really cold. That is hot tea I am drinking there. lol.

One of the many caves alongside the shores of the harbor.

Hector Dolphins. The grow up to 1.20 meter.

Akaroa Bay.

View from the hostel...

More later...

Christchurch [January 7 - 12]

2008-01-26T01:02:00.000+01:00

The plan was to buy a car in Christchurch. What a stress that resulted that in. But I succeeded and am now the proud owner of Mister Hankey! :D

Church of Christchurch.

Tram in Christchurch.

Mister Hankey!!! :]

To be continued!

Crossing the Cook Street to the South Island & Kaikoura [January 5 - 7]

2008-01-08T10:39:00.000+01:00

On January 5th I traveled from the North Island to the South Island by ferry, the Interislander.

First glimpses of the South Island.

The boat trip took 3 and a half hours. And I spend most of the time on deck, being mesmerised by the views...

One of the many bays of the Marlborough Sounds.

Then I took the train - the Tranzcoastal - to Kaikoura. A trip of just over 2 and a half hours. They had a carriage with no windows. Perfect to take snapshots of the coastline.

And the weather also looked really promising.

Me on the train. A lot of wind!

The beach near Kaikoura. Black volcanic sand, like most New Zealand beaches.

The girls at the hostel where I stayed in Kaikoura. Fun, fun, fun!

The next day I went whale watching. This is a 15 meter Sperm Whale - blowing out his air.

The Royal Albatross - the biggest albatross in New Zealand.

Dusky Dolphins. Trust me - once you see them, you keep taking pictures. They were so much fun to watch. They are called the acrobats of the sea.

Isn't (s)he adorable?

There were at least 150 dolphins nearby, stunting in the water.

A furry seal that is way off-shore.

The tale of a Sperm Whale. Quite impressive and almost magical...

One of the signs in Kaikoura and on the street there was an image of a whale...

... and this was its tale. lol.

I am in Christchurch now. More about that later on!

I would love to know who views my blog - so if you do, could you post a comment to let me know? I would really appreciate that, and would know if I actually have to continue with this photo blog. :)

New Years Eve and Wellington - Moving from Ilja to Coralie & Carl to Paul & Wendy [December 29 - January 5]

2008-01-08T02:46:00.000+01:00

On Saturday December 29 I left Renee's house and moved to Ilja, an on-line friend of Tijmen, who has been living in New Zealand for 20 years now, but is originally from the Netherlands. She was really sweet and I felt very welcome.

Porirua, the bay, next to where Ilja lives.

Ollo and Ilja.

Ilja and her two birds, Sam -on her head- and Kip. Such funny animals.

New Years Eve at Coralie's place, where her friend Pam had to drink Vodka out of a pan on the hill. After all, she did drew the last King. lol.

The next day, relaxing in the sun. Kitty -the cat-, and Coralie.

One of the bays in Wellington, during my round trip with Wendy.

One of the many Islands in the many bays of Wellington.

Me and a view over Wellington in the Botanical Gardens.

The Botanical Gardens.

Emily and Roseanne, the daughters (twins) of Paul and Wendy at a festival they went to.

Paul and Wendy at the forest park straight across their house in Wilton, one of the suburbs.

After that I went to the South Island. More about that later...

Wanganui and Christmas in Masterton [December 23 - 26]

2008-01-08T00:01:00.000+01:00

Did you know that when you click one of the pictures, they enlarge to their original size?
And did you know that if you click the link [Older Posts], at the bottom of this page, it will show you my older blogs?
If you did not know you do know now. LoL. :)

On Sunday December 23 I traveled from New Plymouth to Wanganui, which is written without a H, in contradiction to the Whanganui river and the Whanganui National Park. It has something to do with the accent some believe and others have other explanations.

The Whanganui River in Wanganui.

The Whanganui National Park near Wanganui.

Me on the tower I climbed overlooking the valley and river.

The steam boat that still crosses the river every day.

A church in Wanganui.

A statue in the central park in Palmerston North.

Me wearing Kevin's (Renee's father) Christmas present in Renee's room.

Christmas decorations in Masterton.

Hamilton, Raglan, New Plymouth [December 17 - 23]

2007-12-28T02:28:00.000+01:00

On December 16th I arrived back in Auckland from the Bay of Islands and arranged my trip to the west coast of the North Island. Hamilton (an afternoon), Raglan (3 nights) and New Plymouth (3 nights). And the weather changed for the better.

The Waikato River in Hamilton, New Zealand's largest inland city.

Waikato River.

Silver Ferns. The symbol of New Zealand. Legend tells that Maori people used to turn the leaves around so that the moon would reflect in them (the bottom of the leaves is silver) so they could find their way home.

Me, chilling at the Waikato River.

Kurt (from the USA) and Rich (from Canada) - two fellow backpackers.

The beach where I surfed (!) for the first time in my life! It was ace!

New Plymouth beach.

Twilight hours...

Along the coast of New Plymouth they have a coastal walkway where you can ride a bike as well.

Mount Taranaki. This volcano is so evenly shaped that it resembles mount Fuji and was used in the filming of the movie The Last Samurai.

About 30 km along the Forgotten World Highway lies the little village (population: 40) of Whangamomona. They declared themselves independent and became a republic. We did indeed buy a passport. Heaps of fun!

'
The hotel where you could buy your passport.

:)

The Dawson Falls near Mount Taranaki.

A church in New Plymouth.

Mount Taranaki seen from the Pukekura Park.
In this park there was a festival of lights as shown in the pictures below.

And that was New Plymouth. The next day I traveled onwards to Wanganui. More about that in my next blog.

Northland and the Bay of Islands [December 8 - 17]

2007-12-27T23:36:00.001+01:00

On December 8th I left Auckland early in the morning to visit the Northern part of the North Island and the Bay of Islands, with Magic Tours. As soon as we left Auckland the weather deteriorated and it stayed bad (cold and rain) my entire time on the Northland. I got a flu and a cold and the cold stayed with me until a couple of days ago. My first stop was Whangarei and because of the rain, the already industrialized town didn't have too much to offer. After that I traveled upwards to Paihia and my only regret is that I didn't dive at the Poor Knights Islands (near Whangarei).

Part of the Treaty of Waitangi, signed on Feb. 6th 1840, between mainly local Maori chiefs and representatives of Queen Victoria's government.

The Maori Whare Runanga (Meeting House). It was built for the various tribes of the Northland, where normally the meeting houses are built for one specific tribe.

And ancestor.

Carvings on the outside of the meeting house.

The Maori War Canoe - Ngatokimatawhaorua. Try to say that without tripping over your tongue. lol

See inscription.

The beach near the Waitangi Treaty Grounds.

A church in Paihia.

A kauri forest on our way to Cape Reinga.

This is Cape Reinga.
It was foggy, very foggy. You can see the lighthouse in the distance.

Me in front of the lighthouse, which is operated on solar energy. Well... I guess it won't be working tonight then...

See, it is really me. :P

Tasman sea.

And the Soutgh Pacific Ocean.
Normally you can see the two collide...

Climbing up the hill to slide down from it on a sand board. Heaps of fun, but the changes are that you will loose the skin on your toes. ^.^

The 90 mile beach. Which is in fact more like 90 kilometers. It's classified as a highway. 100 kilometers an hour is the maximum speed limit.

Cape Reinga is known in Maori legend as Te Rerenga-Wairua, where the spirits of the dead depart the earth. Before they reach Cape Reinga they fly to the hole in the island on the picture above to be cleansed.

Me on the Ninety Mile Beach. So basically barefooted on a highway. lol.

Relaxing on the beach.

The beach.

The next day I met up with Noa and Noa (two girls from Israel) and we went to Russel. Russel was the first capital of New Zealand before they moved it to Auckland and then to Wellington. Russel was known as 'the hell hole of the Pacific' because of it's lawless nature. You can hardly picture that if you walk through the quiet streets of this picturesque, little village (population 1140).

The oldest church in New Zealand in Russel.

Russel Beach.

Playing pool in the first licensed pub in all of New Zealand - the Duke of Marlborough.

One last glance on Russel from sea.

One of the many island, where the Bay of Islands gets its name from.

On our way to Opononi - my next stop.

View from the 'House of Harmony' hostel in Opononi.

The Hokianga Harbour.

The skin of a Kauri tree.

The Father of the Forest - Te Matua Ngahere. The tree is approx 4000 years old. Very impressive.

Night life - a native owl.

Our guide during the Foot Prints walk through the Waipoua Forest.

The Lord of the Forest - Tane Mahuta. This three is 2000 years old, but is taller then the Father of the Forest. Therefor he is called the Lord of the Forest.

Artwork near my hostel.

Below some flowers to end this blog. More pictures in my next. :)

Auckland plus My Chemical Romance concert [December 5 - 8]

2007-12-27T04:41:00.000+01:00

On December 4th I traveled to Auckland. I would meet up with my friend Renee to go to the My Chemical Romance gig on December 6th. She would arrive in Auckland on December 5th.

Big Santa on Queen Street, the main shopping street.

The Sky Tower. The tallest building in the southern hemisphere.

Auckland by night.

View on the Rangitoto volcano, the youngest volcano in Auckland.
Auckland is built on 48 volcanoes.

Park view from the Sky Tower.

The Harbour Bridge and the harbour itself.

Mount Eden on the right.

Someone about to jump of the Sky Tower. Attached of course... :P

Me on the Sky Tower.

Inconvenience? Nah, not at all. lol

After the interview with Frank Iero we were ready for the concert. This is how it was:

Just like the rain poured down on us, My Chem poured their songs out on the over-enthusiastic crowd of mainly teens in the Vector Arena in Auckland. After having had 3 days off the band gave us a devoted and wholehearted show.

Being able to stay in the venue after the interview, gave us an edge and we were able to line up right behind night crawlers, who had been sleeping at the venue overnight, to be in the first row. We were second. The pushing never seized, but we were able to stay were we are. Some girls were less fortunate and were pulled out of the audience after they (nearly) fainted. It was indeed bloody hot in the arena, despise the so-called good air conditioning. Thanks to the security we had enough liquid to keep our throats moist, so we could join the almost 8000 present in chanting along with each song.

The first opening band Street Wise Scarlet was lame and not good at all. Their live performance needs a lot of work. Sorry guys, you were friendly backstage.

The second band Circa Survive was to say at best; weird. But in a strangely good way. The front man looked like he was on LSD and the two bearded guitarists were in their own little world. I bet they claim that the Doors is one of their biggest inspirations.

After a fairly short wait (I've been to concerts were I had to wait way longer) it was time for My Chem to enter the stage. And the crowd went mad!

Frank seemed to have a few problems with his guitar during the first two songs, and it must have been kinda weird for Matt (Cortez) to be just helping out again, instead of joining the band to entertain the audience right on stage. After the initial problems were solved, Frank was on the loose. He jumped, sprinted, crawled and made head spins, and eww Frank, spitting in your mic and then sucking it off again is gross. As always, Frank is in his own little world when performing, giving it all, but he hardly looks into the audience, so I'll be on Ray's side next time.

Ray was bloody amazing, as always. And thank you My Chem for finally turning into a rock band and giving your lead guitarist what he deserves: a solo. It was brilliant and the audience loved it. It might be me, but I even thing I spotted a bit of jealousy in Gerard as he was watching Ray getting all the attention for a change. Spot on Ray!

Mikey loosing his glasses was the best thing that ever happened. Somehow the nasty heavy glasses must have caused pressure on his nose and forced his head down, because ever since he's got his eyes operated he is up close and personal and his head is high up in the air. You can tell he is enjoying playing the bass and he only made room when his brother insisted on standing on his bright spot. Keep it coming, Mikey!

Tucker Rule, the replacement drummer, did a good job. He was not very visible, but that was actually a good thing, he didn't miss a beat.

And Gerard. Well, is still don't like his little speeches, but that might be me. They always sound a bit hypocrite to me. But he was performing a bloody good show and complements on his voice. It must have been one off the best shows I have seen him give. He theatrics were fun to watch and he often visited our side of the stage. Some memorable quotes:
"This is the best audience so far!"
"You guys are motor scooters!"
“No one on this stage is cool, and that’s exactly the way we like it."
"Ray is a little shy."
And some more. The man talks a lot. As long as that talking doesn't hurt his singing voice, I'd say, keep it coming.

They did not play Venom nor any songs from Bullets.

All and all: a great show, one of the best of the bigger shows I have seen of them so far. Two thumbs up!

Some (illegal :P) pictures from the show:

And the Vector Arena where it had all happened. :)

To be continued...

Waitomo Caves [December 4]

2007-12-27T04:07:00.000+01:00

On December 4th I traveled from Rotorua to Auckland and on my way stopped at the Waitomo Caves, where you have the biggest change of seeing glowworms in abundance. Unfortunately we weren't allowed to take pictures - at all. So the next three pictures are taken in secret, but you can't see glowworms, because I was sitting to close to the guide and did not want to be caught. lol.

Just outside the caves.

To be continued...

Hobbiton [November 29]

2007-12-27T03:45:00.000+01:00

On Thursday I went to Hobbiton, the name they have given the movie set that was used for the Shire filming for the Lord of the Rings trilogy. On the first picture you can see the reason why this location was picked: a (party) tree, standing at the edge of a lake. Looks familiar? It did to me. :)

Me in front of the party tree, where Bilbo Baggins held his birthday speech.

Bag End during the filming. All the flowers, glass, stairs etc. are real.

Bag End now.

Me in front of Bag End.

The party field plus tree during the filming.

The same field now.

The lake and Sam's house during the filming months.

Present day.

---

This LOTR film location is one of the few where you can still see some of the materials used. Most materials used were meant to hold for no longer then a couple of months. Bad weather prevented further work on bringing the landscape back to the original form. Therefor we can still see the hobbit holes. If you stand on the party field, you grasp why Peter Jackson loved this place: you can not see a human structure (roads, houses, cables, etc) at all for as far as the eye can see...

To be continued...

Matamata - WWOOF job - Ross & Pip [November 26 - December 4]

2007-12-27T03:17:00.000+01:00

On Sunday I traveled to Matamata to be picked up by Ross and Pip, the people owning the dairy farm I was going to work on for the next week. It is a wwoof job - willing workers on organic farms. Pip and Ross are great people, who made me feel more welcome then a cat sleeping on a warm, soft bed.

My actual job was chipping weed. But in the afternoon I helped with milking the cows as well. Fun job!

The cows, lined up to be milked.

The cows entering the cow shed.

Ross milking.

Ella and Floyd.

Young calves.

The tram Ross and Pip bought in Coromandel.

View from the tram onto the Coromandel shores.

A tram that is ready to use as a holiday home. Nice colour, eh? ;)

The pub where we went out for dinner and to play pool and darts.

My room. :)

The awesome music and movie installation. Me wants. <3

Dining room and living room, taken from the kitchen.

Surroundings of the house.

The house (left) and garage.

Surroundings.

Ross, neighbor, Pip, neighbor - on their newly bought chairs. :)

To be continued...

Rotorua (yes, again) [November 23-25]

2007-12-05T01:31:00.001+01:00

On Friday we traveled back to Rotorua.
In the evening we went to the Lava Bar for a drink and to meet up one last time with Leo and Jason.

Stephanie and me on our last night together.

Me, Dany, Simon and his-name-is-too-difficult. :P
Four Swiss guys who gave me a lift the next day.
This is in Fat Dog, the restaurant to be in Rotorua.

A Christmas tree, and the sun was shining. Weird.

Moari art.

Maori art on the town square.

To be continued...

Gisborne [November 21 - 23]

2007-12-05T01:07:00.000+01:00

After Lake Waikaremoana, Stephanie and me had another 2 days in Gisborne.
We went shopping on Thursday. I bought a new hoodie, ballerina's and a singlet.
All with skulls on them. lol.
Philipp traveled onwards to Napier on Wednesday.
On Friday we (Jason, Stephanie and me) went to the beach.
Yup, I am getting suntanned. ;)

Sign at the information centre. And a clear blue sky. ;)

The beach... -sigh-

Packing our stuff to go back to Rotorua.

On our way to Rotorua; the gorge. Stunning...

To be continued...

Lake Waikaremoana (November 20 - 21)

2007-12-05T00:50:00.000+01:00

On Tuesday November 20, we traveled to Lake Waikaremoana.
A non-touristic, rough, untouched piece of nature, not far from Gisborne.
We traveled there with Philipp. He owned a car.
We took three short hikes. The first one to a view point.
The second one to a little beach, with yellow stones.
And in the second day (November 21st) we did a cave hike.

Lake Waikaremoana.

Walking up to the view point. The track.

Lake Waikaremoana from our view point.

The three us. Philipp, Stephanie and me.

The water was really clear. And the tree trunk invited to something artistic. ;)

Sunbathing at the lake in front of our cabin.

The view from our window.

Our cabin. It was called Fuzzy Wuzzy. LoL.

A view during the cave track. Amazing!

To be continued...

East Cape, Tokomaru Bay, Tolaga Bay, Gisborne [November 18 - 19]

2007-11-30T05:12:00.002+01:00

On Sunday November 18 we traveled from Maraehako Bay to Tokomaru Bay.
The next day we went on to Gisborne.

Pohutukawa tree. They blossom red in the summer, which means around Christmas.
They are also called Christmas Trees.

East Cape light house.

View to the East.

View to the West.

View on Tokomaru Bay.

Brian and Jason at the hostel; Brian's Place.

Me, (Jason and Stephanie) on the Tolaga Bay Pier; stretching 666 meters into the sea.

The Champagne pools near Rere.

The Rere Waterfalls. And me. ;-)

And again.

From left to right: Me, Stephanie, Jason and Philipp.

To be continued...

Maraehako Bay [November 14 - 18]

2007-11-26T08:39:00.000+01:00

The first four nights during our trip round the East Cape we stayed at a
little piece of paradise: Maraehako Bay (north of Whanarua Bay).

Our transport.

The bay...

The fire to keep us warm during the night.

Fireworks during the second night.

Hamai (the owner of the hostel) is cleaning up the caught seafood.

View at the hostel from the sea.

Emptying the crayfish traps.

Hmm...

Twilight...

Mesmerizing...

On our way to the waterfall.

Not too big, but beautiful.

:)

Eating together with the family.

Maraehako Bay; a piece of paradise.

To be continued...

Rotorua - Zorb & Luge [November 12]

2007-11-25T11:49:00.000+01:00

On Monday we (Dave, Andy and me) went Zorbing and Luging.
Fun, fun, fun!

Me in the Zorb!

Yup, it was awesome. I was giggling all the way down!

Being reborn. LoL.

Dave and Andy.

Me in the lift back up to the starting point of the Luge.

The cars they call Luges.

A beautiful black swan on Lake Rotorua.

To be continued...

Taupo's hotsprings [November 10]

2007-11-25T07:13:00.000+01:00

Me in the hotsprings. Lovely day and the water was 38+ degrees! :)

To be continued...

Tangariro Crossing [November 9]

2007-11-13T11:24:00.000+01:00

Getting up at 6 am and then driving for one and a half hour to get to the crossing was not the hardest part, I can tell you.
I fell ill half way through, but I would still do the Tangariro crossing again.
I would highly recommend it.
It was a 17 kilometers and 7 and a half hour walk.
Photo's don't do the scenery any justice, so I picked some randomly.
Enjoy... :D

Cold wind!

What a view...

This was the last part.
A forest with a cute creek running through it...

To be continued...

Sky Dive in Taupo! [November 8]

2007-11-13T10:59:00.000+01:00

On Thursday me and Wesley did a Sky Dive at Taupo Airport.
12000 feet, which means a 45 second freefall and yup, we went up in a pink airplane.

Me and Wes before the jump. Damn, we were so nervous.

Me and my instructor, a Polish dude. He was funny.
This is before the jump.

Me coming down.

Almost there!

It was the most awesome thing I had ever done in my entire life!

Me and my instructor posing after the jump; both feet on the ground.

Me and Wes all hyped up! -grins-

To be continued...

Waikato River & Huka Falls [November 7]

2007-11-13T10:45:00.000+01:00

Taupo is a really lovely place and on the first full day there I walked to the Huka Falls along the shores of the Waikato River; the longest river in New Zealand.

The Waikato River and the Taupo bungee jump (43 meters).

Me in front of the Waikato River.

The beginnings of the Huka Falls.

The Huka Falls, a 15 meter drop.

Me in front of the last 5 meter drop.

To be continued...

Trip to Taupo

2007-11-13T05:13:00.001+01:00

On Tuesday -November 6- I traveled to Taupo, through Palmerston North and Bulls.
We followed the Dessert Road.

Me on the bus.

One of the volcano's. Better known as Mount Doom. ;)

To be continued...

Castle Point

2007-11-13T05:09:00.001+01:00

Mount Bruce

2007-11-05T09:11:00.001+01:00

On Sunday October 28 we went to Mount Bruce, a wildlife park.
I drove us there. On the wrong side of the road.
At least, that's how it felt for me. ;)

Me behind the wheel.

A kiwi; look hard! ;)

The Kaka's are being fed.

And they loved it!

Eels...

A view during our bush walk.

A Rumu Tree. Biiiig!

And a Tui. Not shy at all...

To be continued...

Wellington, October 27, 2007

2007-11-04T06:34:00.000+01:00

On Saturday October 27nd we went to Wellington.

The Beehive - Parlement building.

Parlement.

Church.

A kiwi. Not long before I saw a living one...

Warainui a.k.a. A Maori Meetinghouse.

The two of us. :)

Me and Mister Plimmer. lol

To be continued...

Renee's home

2007-11-04T04:17:00.000+01:00

I am staying at Renee's house and this is how it looks like:

This is Joss. The sweetest dog in the world.

The garden. See how sunny it is?

The swimming pool. Still too cold though.

Front of the house.

Back of the house with the porch. I've spent many days here.

Living room.

Kitchen.

My room.

With a Frankie poster and a Wednesday 13 poster. Oh yeah, and MCR. :P

Me and my shadow!

Sam, the cat.

To be continued...

Pictures Journey Amsterdam - Masterton

2007-11-02T09:35:00.000+01:00

Pictures of my flight from Amsterdam [the Netherlands] to Wellington [New Zealand].

Duration: 36 hours
Stops: 3
Via: Amsterdam - London - Bangkok - Sydney - Wellington

Me and Tijmen on our way to Schiphol Airport - Amsterdam.
[October 22, 2007]

Checking in through the computer.
Obviously it didn't work.
[October 22, 2007]

And then my visa wasn't in the computer.
I had to wait while the lady went to check.
Luckily everything turned out okay.
[October 22, 2007]

Waiting on Schiphol Airport - Amsterdam.
[October 22, 2007]

Finally on my way. First to London Heathrow.
[October 22, 2007]

We made a stop in Bangkok, during the flight from London to Sydney.
[October 23, 2007]

Bangkok.
[October 23, 2007]

I am really tired here. Can you tell?
[October 23, 2007]

Sydney! On a beautiful day.
[October 24, 2007]

I loved my window seats. Sydney, again.
[October 24, 2007]

My very first glimpse at New Zealand. Southern Alps.
[October 24, 2007]

The landing in Wellington was very rough due the fierce wind.
[October 24, 2007]

Wellington, on our way to Masterton.
[October 24, 2007]

I am drained. Almost fell asleep on the train.
Thanks Renee, for the charming picture! ;-)
[October 24, 2007]

Near to Masterton. I am in awe...
[October 24, 2007]

To be continued...

Masterton, New Zealand!

2007-10-25T00:47:00.001+02:00

So I have arrived: New Zealand!

To be precise: Masterton, New Zealand, which is on the Northerisland, about one and a half hour from Wellington.

We arrived yesterday evening at 7 pm (local time) and was I glad that I was finally at the end of my journey. I was about able to fall asleep while standing up.

A little more about my journey here:

I had to be at the Amsterdam airport at 4 pm (local time). Tijmen (my fiancè) and me arrived at 3.30 pm, so I wasn't stressed at all at that point. At 4 pm I checked in though that could have gone better as my Visa was not in their system. Luckily the lady sorted it out and I had my luggage (only 12.5 kilo's!) checked in. I had to be at the gate at 6.30 pm, so we had some time to drink something and say our goodbye. The stress came as soon as it was about 5 pm and I only managed to keep it to a minimum for 15 minutes. At a quarter past 5 we went to the gate and I said my goodbyes. After hugging Tijmen for the last time I waited in line for the passport check and after just 15 minutes I entered the tax free shopping area.

Because they sell nothing to my interest there and I still had to wait for over an hour before I could enter the gate I sat down in a restaurant and started to write in my diary which I will be sending to Tijmen as soon as I have enought pages, and I can tell you: the pages filled up fast during my trip here.

At 6.30 pm I went through the body check and unfortunately the plane was late. Not much though and at 7.15 pm we were up in the air and flying to London. I had to wait for three hours on Heathrow and what a terrible airport that is. It's old, smelly and incredibly boring. They only announce the gates one hour in advance it as the airport is stretched I sat myself down in the middle, with a cup of tea that I bought at Starbucks. It was a big cup, which was good, though I didn't need the heat as it was bloody hot already there.

At 10.15 pm (local time) the plane finally left London and got to meet my neighbours: Wendy and Paul. What a lovely couple. They have been so sweet to me during the entire flight to Sydney. They were member of the Qantas Frequent Customers Club which gives you access to the airline lounches located on various airports and they invited me with them. I have never travelled in such luxury. The lounges offer free drinks, food, internet and have comfy seats and a think lush carpets. I loved it. I went with them in Bangkok (where the plane was refueled and the crew is switched) and Sydney.

Though Wendy slept most of the flight from London to Bangkok (they went to the rugby games in France and were on their way home to Wellington) they were able to give me lots of tips on what to see and where to go and even invited me over to stay at their house in Wellington Centre. I think I might visit them some days indeed.

The landing Wellington was rough but beautiful at the same time as it was daytime, providing a spectacular view on the shores of Wellington and it amazing mountain range and azure-blue waters. After a slow passport check and getting my visa stamp in my passport it was time to collect my luggage and luckily for me Wendy had already spotted my bag, which is pretty amazing as it is dull black. After a firm hug I said goodbye to them and met Renee outside the gates.

I was really happy to meet her once again and we got a taxi to the train station. We had to wait some and then took the train to Masterton, a one and a half hour trip. I was almost falling asleep during the ride there, but the landscapes amazed me. I don't want to compare them to anything in Europe, because that would do them no justice, but it reminded me a little bit of Norway thought the plants are far more tropical-like.

When we arrived in Masterton, Renee's mom, Diana was already waiting for us and she took us home. What a lovely home they have! I felt very welcome and had a great meal before I went into bath. But first things first and I called home before dinner. The bath was so relaxing for my sore muscles that I had no problem falling asleep after it. I slept for a solid eight hours and woke up ridiculously early at 6.30 am. But that is okay as I want to get used to my new bio rhythm as soon as possible.

Today I have been cuddling Joss, their dog and the cat and I have been emailing my friends and family back home. The weather is great; sunny and warm with a clear blue sky and I have been enjoying the garden and reading some book. I'm already in love with New Zealand.

Well, till next time.

Ad astra per aspera!

Saying Goodbye

2007-10-21T02:17:00.001+02:00

... is the hardest thing to do.
As the days past by, it get harder and harder.
And doesn't time fly? Geez.
Only two nights left in the Netherlands and then I am off.
Tonight a few of my friends came to toast on my journey.
It was a lovely evening and I was really happy with those who came.

Ad astra per aspera.

So much to do, so little time!

2007-10-20T01:41:00.000+02:00

I am still packing. Err, correction: I still haven't started packing. Heh.
But that is okay. I am gathering things. And I work best under stress.
I am stressed because there are things that need to be done. List:
International Drivers licence;
Picking up photo camera.
I need to buy a maillot.
And mini-dvd's for my camcorder.
I actually want a new phone.
And a digital travel clock.
Then I need to print picture of my love-ones to take with me.
And I need to make copies of my cards.
Yeah.
And I will leave on Monday. This Monday. LoL.
But all will be fine, because if I don't manage, there is nothing to it.
Because what really counts is my passport, visa and money and I got that sorted out.
I am exited, anxious and a bit weary. But most of all, I am really looking forward to it.

Ad astra per aspera

9 days left till departure

2007-10-13T19:28:00.000+02:00

I got my bag.
And a MP3 Player. Yay!

The first item I got as a present from Tijmen, my fiancé.
It's next to handy and comfortable also beautiful.

The MP3 player I bought has a hard disk with 30 GB of space.
So I can bring along whatever music I prefer.
Which is great, because I can't live without music. Nor write. ;)

Time goes by so fast. It's amazing. Only 9 days left till I'll leave for New Zealand.
I can't wait!

Ad astra per aspera!

Only two weeks left to prepare...

2007-10-08T16:11:00.000+02:00

Prepare for what, you might ask.
All there is to it, is to pack your bag and get on the plane.
Well, there we have my first problem: a bag.
I am still doubting on how big it has to be.
Should 60 litres be enough? I would think so.
On the other hand: it can be quite cold in New Zealand.
Or so I heard. So I have to pack warm clothes as well.
I still need to buy my bag. Suggestions?
I also have to buy mini-DVDs, a notepad, travel towels and a mp3 player.
So much to do, so little time.
But; I work best under stress.

Ad astra per aspera!