I have come a long way.
I sit inside the premium lounge on the newest Interislander ferry, eat the complementary breakfast, get free coffee from the Jura fully automated coffee machine, charge all my devices with my dearly held multisockets, around me only older, quieter people and I am all good with myself and the world.
In which way could the 8th and last crossing between the islands look better? Maybe if I could have shared the luxury with Elvis, but there was only one coupon to my Nautical-Miles-Card. That one I only own for saving one to two dollars at the ferry…
Well, even best friends need a break from each other from time to time. 🙂
I am convinced that no other backpacker takes the ferry a crazy eight times from one island to the other. But it had to go this way. One time for a almost magical weekend with the best au pairs in the world, one time for an unknown future, one time with my parents and one time with Elvis. That’s how I traveled the South Island. My readers are in the know. 😉 And I always came back content and happy. And I always look forward to see beloved Wellington again.There it all began and there it all will end…
The last days on the South Island were filled with pondering about this ‘last time’, as expected. And we made the most out of these last times!
A last and unique goodbye from Ric, my flatmate/ landlord for 2 weeks in Dunedin. A funny bloke, but not too little on the nice side. 😀
born ’94
After the farewell visit in Dunedin, we made our way up north to Queenstown. One adventure after the other was awaiting us!
The ‘Remarkables’, a spectacular mountain ridge!
Part of the adventure was the food! As you know, in Queenstown you find the Ferg chain and enjoys its legendary status. For one last time we ate the unbeatable burger, some incomparable ice-cream and one inimitable meat pie there!
Even the menu of the Ferg Burger is a work of art in itself! 🙂
Queenstown offers all kinds of sports and activities imaginable. But it didn’t lure us onto the water…
Instead we were being attracted towards a rugged canyon in the outer areas…
The same, with its depth of 134m, is home to the highest bungy in New Zealand.
The abyss opens up deep and vast.
Not from utter fear, but from pure anticipation my heart beat fast. The own decision when to jump, which I missed at the skydive, would be in my hands now.
Without any thought about going back I jump. Free for a few seconds, only the sensation of the fall and the increasing noise of wind in my ears, I rush towards the ground. The bungy cord gets me and lets me bounce up and down for a few times.
Awesome! And if it were not for the pretty high cost and the scheduled departure, I would have done it again right away!
So, we worked ourselves up to the north of the South Island. All the closer to the area that I saw first of this wondrous island…
The rocks on the shore of the Pelorus.
The fjord we spent a weekend with my dear friends back in the day at.
Thus, the chapter is concluded. The last path I take off the South Island is the same we took onto it back in the days…
And I sit here and think about the time. The time to come and the time that lies behind us all. And what effect it had on us.
And we can all be but happy about this grand opportunity. And the times to come shall be not less great as those we look back at in satisfaction!
A component of my sumptuous breakfast at the premium plus lounge. As I said, you might just deserve something nice as a smelly backpacker. 🙂
