Travelling rugged South-Islandistan

Sep 18, 2015 | Photos, The Great Journey, Trips

In 2 days, we travelled from lake Tekapo to Queenstown.
That plan turned out great, as the leftover time made for a relaxed and pressure free trip.

In the morning we took a closer look at Lake Tekapo.

Pictures from the outside of the ‘Church of the Good Shepherd’ are well known. Less so are shots from the outside showing the inside looking out on the outside. 😀

Our way led us through wide fields to one mountain chain after the other. I noticed that this pretty much makes the South Island…

 

 

In the old days I doubted that blue is the right colour for water. Well, that doubt has been buried for good. 🙂

The view of a cloudy Mount Cook, New Zealand’s tallest mountain.

The view of the vast valley of the Mount Cook National Park, Lake Tasman and glacier behind you.

At the i-Site in Twizel we asked for attractions in the area and afterwards went to two of those.

Lake Ohau, on of New Zealand’s most beautiful lakes. That evening we only saw the bottom part, but you can always return for more. 😉

The Clay Cliffs, massive formations of sand and rubble.

I gave in to the adventure and climbed the cliffs until I coudn’t go higher up any more…

After we spent a night at a small hostel on the countryside and learned much about New Zealand economics from the owner, an old farmer, we moved on towards Queenstown, stopping in Wanaka.

Postcard material at Lake Wanaka.

Now I am in Queenstown. This city is not big, but very pretty. I haven’t taken pictures yet, but I think I will stay a certain while.
Today I had my job interview at a temp agency and got something great out if it.
Next week already I will start working at a recycling plant for a few days. I have always asked myself how things go in recycling here. For you have to painstakingly wash and seperate everything. Soon I will know more! 🙂
Further, there is a chance I get a position as an electronics technician with a company making camera systems. That would be THE dream come true, but it is not set yet.

I miss my dear friends, whom I factually don’t have around anymore and same applies for the well known streets of Wellington. No there are no familiar places around me and I have to start over on many levels…
But slowly I start to become used to that. 🙂

On a Grand Tour

Sep 15, 2015 | Photos, The Great Journey, Trips

I want to write down in my diary that we went home. But we just went back to Wellington.
Elena, the last of the ‘Famous Five’ who hasn’t left Wellington, and I were in Hastings, visiting my old flat. And just then, no 12 hours after holding the loved ones over there tight, I find myself on the water between the North and the South Island.

The sea of lights, bidding Wellington one last farewell.

Now there is no house in New Zealand I can call home.

I am on my way by car. My plan: Travel to Queenstown and find a job offer for a skilled electronics technician.
Queenstown is said to be stunning. Who knows, maybe soon enough I will call that beautiful spot a home…

The visit in Hastings was outright wonderful! Being a guest where you formerly worked and lived for real, seeing the flatmates, being happy about the reunion, petting all the animals around the house, seeing the apple trees all naked and leafless. There was the feeling I only knew from my childhood, memories of a summer night with the family; where the greatest sorrow is the parents who will call for departure. Feeling carefree, feeling secure…

Not many New Zealand travellers will know how it feels to truly come back to a place. For that you have to have lived there for a while and return after some time. During a journey, this is priceless.

Even more tasty it gets when you can share the experience.
Just like a roadtrip with friends on a weekend or with a good friend or now, heading out of Christchurch alongside a French and a German girl, to get to Queenstown in three days’ time.

Marvel yourself at the splendorous South Island:

Mountains and streets.

Mountains and meadows.

Mountains and lake (Lake Tekapo).

Unbelievably beautiful, humongous, snowcapped mountains.

But the greatest moment was, when the cyclist I passed turned out to be Lea. She was one of the ‘Famous Five’ and travels the South Island by bike now. Without arranging anything, having only thoughts of solitude on my mind and out of the blue you get on of the most special kinds of encounters:

 

 

There is always some loss

Sep 7, 2015 | The Great Journey, Thoughts

All of them are gone.
There were so many goodbyes to say the last days. So many lovely people, whom you spent ‘the time of your life’ with, have moved on.
It is funny, but sometimes in life all happens at once. Same applied to the farewell to many very good friends. Some are going to Asia, some to the South Island, some go home, some are following a work opportunity.

Now only a few are left from out fantastic group. And now, I am to follow the trend and leave Wellington.

I would like to leave the au pair experience as is for now and turn to other fields. After all, I am a professional and I could use my ability.

Also, springs invites for some travelling. As I haven’t discovered all of the South Island, I am drawn there.
I will have to market myself and my abilities well and I am curious, how this new adventure turns out.

I will get to know new streets and new people. An without a doubt a new face of New Zealand, too…

Wellington City, where it all began…

The New Liberty

Aug 31, 2015 | Photos, The Great Journey, Thoughts, Updates

My legacy to the family: The base frame of a watchtower in the garden.

Now I am free!

It was in that moment, when I was but 200 metres from that house, when it came to me: I will never have to come back, this chapter is closed for good and I am stripped of all duty once again!
I was overwhelmed.

The weekend then was well filled with things we did with the other au pairs, but the void starts to show and wants to be filled.

I am sitting inside the hostel room on my first big day of liberty and ponder about the day.
I have looked around Wellington for the job offer boards of hostels and applied online for a few. Breakfast and dinner is free at this hostel (though ‘somewhat’ limited) and that makes for an easy budget handling each day…

Sure, life changes in many departments when you leave your host family: You have to go outside to use the free public Wi-Fi of the city, you buy your ow food, you have the day at your disposal and decide for yourself, how much social mingling you are in for, you live in a hostel room (which luckily inhabits only me at this point) and you can leave and return at will.

Maybe my journey will lead me away from my beloved Wellington, who knows…
Anything is possible, after all…

Just as none of these pegs knows which piece of clothing it will clamp next, I don’t know as well which position I will hold soon…

The last days with the family

Aug 27, 2015 | The Great Journey, Thoughts

Slowly spring comes around, the days get longer and it smells nice outside in nature.
I cook the last meals for the family, settle the last disputes of the children, remind to be tidy for the last time, return the borrowed books for the last time, drink my last pot of tea, fold the last pieces of clothing, pick up the kids from school for the last time, take bread out of the freezer for the last time, bake cookies for the last time, vacuum and mop the floorrs for the last time, open the windows of my room for the last time, turn of the electric blanket for the last time, pet the cats for the last time, look out of the window on the surrounding hills with longing for the last time.

Only a few weeks back I thought I would stay in this place until next year. But that changed and I am happy with it.

Even though I don’t know how things will go from here and where I will sleep in the next 2 weeks, I am looking forward to the time to come. For my possibilities are unlimited, I could just look for another family, go for a well-paid job in electronics or just travel and on a budget work for accomodation and board discover the country.

The kids accept the decision and fortunately our relation doesn’t suffer on the last distance. Of course this isn’t what was planned. But the plan included everyone’s happiness…
One thing is for sure: I got to know the life as an au pair and it has been an unparalleled experience!
I cannot complain either, as my life here was not a bad one. The opposite. Only we had to agree that our two worlds wouldn’t harmonise on the long run. Thus, either one goes their own way and will be happy in their own way.

Until now my life in New Zealand also went pretty much went on railtracks, also: Some settling-in time travelling, 12 weeks on the apple orchard, 4 months on calm waters as an au pair.
Now the actual adventure may begin, let’s see what is in store for me! 🙂

 

 

Big words at the school of the girls (taken with the mobile)