Happy Easter! This is just a short summary on my Kiwi adventures. Planned to stay here only a couple of weeks but it looks like I won't return before my visa runs out in May. Didn't look like that when I arrived on this remote and isolated spot. You would expect an exotic place after the long flight but, at a first glance, it is not very different from arriving in Europe. |
Kiwi'sNow after 2 months of travelling around I am enjoying the space, the nature,the freedom and most of all the Kiwi's. Actually there are 3 kind of Kiwi's: the human Kiwi (or flying Kiwi), the non-flying kiwi and the non-moving kiwi. |
The non-flying kiwi is a bird (??) that cannot reach the non-moving kiwi-fruit on the trees. Best of all are the Kiwi's, the inhabitants of New Zealand. In contrast with their name-givers, Kiwi's fly a lot to see the rest of the world. They are very helpful and friendly people, and if you want to have a good start with them mention the America Cup 2000 (won by NZ) and have a few yokes on Australians ready. Quickly found out that public transport didn't really fit my needs and bought my own Bluebird. Now I am independently flying around and though it hates to go uphill the car hasn't failed so far. Also bought a small tent and cooking gear to make it all self supporting. |
Queen BeatrixMy main activity here is tramping. I started with the famous Abel Tasman track in the area where this Dutchman discovered Kiwi-land and named it New Zealand. As there were no mammals in New Zealand, the Maori's were happy to see Dutch beef on their menu after endless periods of fish. |
After having lost 4 of his crewmembers like this, Abel didn't explore the island any further and left. That is why the queen of New Zealand is now Queen Elizabeth and not Queen Beatrix. After the AT T (Abel Tasman Track) I picked up some hitchers (Tijn en Cathelijn, both Dutch) and with them I travelled down the Westcoast of the South Island. We had a good time in Punakaiki, the Kepler Track and the Inland Pack track. |
Franz-Josef GlacierWe also did a guided tour on the Franz-Josef Glacier, the fastest flowing glacier and we kayaked on the famous Milford Sound (it is a Fiord and not a Sound, but they didn't know the word Fiord when they discovered it).
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These guided tours also introduce you to the typical Kiwi humor: "If there is anyone pregnant don't worry as we have about 40 ice-axes with us to deliver the baby on the glacier"
"Please count the fish if you happen to roll over with your kayak" |
Steward Island TrackCurrently (April 19th, 2000) I am in Dunedin, a very pleasant city on the East coast of the south island, recovering from a 10 day track on Steward Island. One of the hardest tramps I have ever done. You have to carry all the food as well as a stove and sleeping gear.
There are 275 days of rain per year on Steward Island and on the track a lot of times I was walking in knee-deep mud pools and gliding down steep hills. But the reward was there as the huts were situated on fantastic spots. Half of the time I was alone in these huts sitting in front of a self made fire and looking over the endless ocean. Actually there was not much else I could do as my torch broke down and I forgot to bring candles. A complete cut-off from the world. In some of the huts I met hunters who shared their meals of fresh Blue Cod (a fish) with me and the ultimate reward was the Great Spotted Kiwi (one of the 4 existing kiwi birds) I saw. |
What's next?After Dunedin and some penguin, albatros, seal and dolfin spotting I'll go to Mountain Cook and from there further upwards back to Auckland. After selling the car (anyone going to New Zealand and interested in this bargain?) I'll fly to Kuala Lumpur for a little bit more chaos. Yeah the travelling life is still great and is only getting better all the time. Actually it is, to use a Kiwi expression, "sweet as"...
Cheers, |
