Last week in Aotearoa (New Zealand)

Nine wonderful weeks in New Zealand are coming to an end. Coming back up to the north island has been less stunning nature wise. Socially it has been the best.  On a three day tour to East Cape, we were a small group with just Chelle, Paul, me and our guide Leigh (plus an older, rather posh English woman not worth mentioning). One evening we had BBQ, played guitar and piano and the next morning we got up early to greet the sunrise as the first in the world.

The East part of the North Island has the largest population of Mauri, the first people to inhabit New Zealand some 800 years ago. They make beautiful wood carvings as seen here on the portal to a church. Churches often make great pictures on a sunny day so here's another one from Coromandel Town. 

Mauri wood carving

Cathedral Cove in Hahei on the coast of Coromandel Peninsula is an attraction that is beautiful in itself but hard to take a picture of without loads of tourists on it. At the moment however the track down to the beach is closed due to rock fall after heavy rains so only a couple of brave people were spotted in the cove. I went there on a boat on rather rough seas so the pics are all slanted, not worth posting. The scenery was used in the movie 'Chronicles Of Narnia' so if you've seen that you've seen Cathedral Cove.

After the tour out to East Cape I spent a night in the former gold mining and Kauri tree logging town of Thames. Nowadays they advertise the town by ‘having had 100 bars and hotels’ during those golden times but now there are only a few. The sunset was probably as beautiful as in ‘them good ol' times’.

Here at the end of my visit to New Zealand I don’t know what exactly to write about, after all the pace of my adventures have slowed down quite a bit. It just happened naturally and it is a good preparation for the coming month in Bali where I want to stay in one place the entire time. A small bungalow to myself, no squeaking bunk beds or slamming doors. Yeah, kind of like in ‘Eat, Pray, Love’. I am looking forward to new adventures and the smells and sounds of exotic Asia!

Fairy-tale landscape in Tatapouri, East Cape

Mt Cook and Kaikoura, New Zealand

The forecast was good for the day that Silke and I had planned to hike up to Mueller Hut. Mueller Hut is a refuge build for hikers in 1800 meter’s altitude. The track goes up a steep and rugged mountain and is quite strenuous.  The top of the mountain was still covered in clouds when we set out from the hostel way down in the valley. It didn't rain a lot, just enough to make us worry if we would be able to make such a long trip.

I considered turning around several times but lots of people had highly recommended this particular track so how hard could it be? I am in pretty good shape by now but four hours straight up into thin air is tough. Eventually we got to the top of the mountain after a difficult part with loose pebbles and rock. We then traversed along the ridge on huge boulders another half hour before Mueller Hut appeared in the dispersing clouds.

The moment we reached the hut the sun broke through and we were rewarded with a stunning view of glaciers, the snow capped mountains Mount Cook and Mount Sefton, rock as far as you could see. A rumbling sound from a lavine. Otherwise stillness!

Mount Cook, 3754 meters

Kea. Native mountain parrot

Going down seemed easier than we had expected in spite of it being strenuous. The views of Mount Cook and Hooker Valley were beautiful, the weather perfect. Unfortunately, half way down, I suddenly twisted my ankle on a narrow rocky passage. We still had to hike for two hours before reaching the valley. Strangely enough I could walk, though carefully. So I ‘sucked it up and kept walking’, lots cheaper than a helicopter rescue and it still makes a good story.

Enjoying good food and fine wines at the Hermitage after the hike.

After Mount Cook I spent a few more days with Silke in Lake Tekapo and Christchurch before I headed up to Kaikoura which is a small town on the East Coast of the South Island, famous for whales, dolphins, seals and albatross. One huge sperm whale had been spotted that day off the coast of Kaikoura. The whales dive for 45-60 minutes, breathe for 10 minutes spewing water before it dives down again, exposing its tail for a few seconds.

Yes, I took that picture!

On the way back from whale watching we saw hundreds of playing dusky dolphins, an albatross and a couple of fur seals. I guess I took hundreds of pictures to be sure to catch a few dolphins in the air.