Milestones

Jun 20, 2015 | Photos, The Great Journey, Updates

At this point many thanks for all congratulations, my birthday far from home was a blast!

 

 

In other department I was blessed with success as well!
The Friday before last Friday I spent visiting the authorities focusing on applying for my visa extension, requesting the 18+ card and issuing my New Zealand driver’s licence.

A few words about the visa extension for anyone thinking about that option:
Main requirement is that you spend 3 months (12 weeks, one day per week will count) working in agriculture or horticulture (firm details on the official government website). So anything greenish up to processing food, monitoring canned goods won’t count anymore…
Your income has to be taxed and you have to collect your paychecks, as they are to be handed in alongside your application. I just got a scrap of paper from my employer with proof of all payment…

The ‘standard’ working holiday visa you apply for online and you have to carry a printed piece of paper next to your passport. The extension, however, is applied for on location only, so it is an offline process. Meaning, you go in there with all the paperwork, hand it over in person and in my case don’t wait longer than a week to get the confirmation email back. And you have to hand in your very passport. Thus, you are without one for a short time, which came out well in the end. In contrast to your printed out ‘E-Visa’ you receive an elegant sticker inside your passport and don’t have to carry a folded piece of paper anymore.

Bottom line: Who completes their 12 weeks by every trick in the book, can easily apply for the extension. 3 extra months are a hundred percent worth it! 😉 Oh, and the fee for the extension is a whopping 165 dollars, though it should feel fair for what you get…

 

 

 

 

As I stay for more than one year in New Zealand, I have to carry a New Zealand driver’s licence. That one you can apply for in one of the AA centre (New Zealand Automobile Association).
You fill out a charming questionaire, state some details from both your driver’s licences and the passport and pay a small fee. The passport photograph and some copies of your documents they take on site. I was issued a temporary driver’s licence and very soon I saved an envelope that was not entirely soft from the rain from the leaky postbox:

 

 

The integral parts are still legible. 😀

 

 

As on said Friday I had taken on both obstacles, I went for requesting the 18+ card as well.
This card is a simple proof of age, when you go buy some wine for your cooking. 😛 They are as strict as rigid in the shops here… So when you do not want to carry you bulky passport everywhere, this card is quite the replacement.
But I was taken aback, as I just left my passport, which is necessary to show in order to get your card done, at the immigration office only a few minutes ago and went out of the post office empty-handed.

But when I held the driver’s licence in my hands, I also held a very absolutely legitimate photo ID and that was all I needed. Besides, this is the more badass 18+ card, as you are able to drive on it in Germany too. Getting pulled over might even be fun then. 😀
Ultimately, the 18+ card would’ve cost me ana additional 35 dollars. Now I am not mad at all… 🙂

Yesterday I went for some entertainment which was brought to me by a young choir (regarding the average age and ensemble existence) from Wellington. Next to wonderful music the did something special in the end: They broke the classic formation for the last 3 songs and surrounded the listeners. The concert was about captivity,detemination and resistance and music predominantly coming from concentration camps. It was impressive!

My first singing lessons I also have completed and there shall be many to follow. I have learned many things about myself and among them that singing is one of my greatest passions…

June 15, 2015

Jun 15, 2015 | The Great Journey, Thoughts, Updates

Thus, the sun rises upon this day, the day my birthday is being celebrated.

Admittedly, out the kitchen window it looks different from at the sea, but the sun is the sun…
Nevertheless I received congratulations, more presents I have ever wished for and also a posh birthday hat. Not to forget mentioning the birthday serenade on the saxophone! 😀
The day is one without the load of laundry and dinner will be simple. At night the final episode of the current Game of Thrones season is going to be out and my all-new merino sweater keeps me snug and warm, combined with the new wool socks. That is important in winter. Rumors of a birthday cake began to rise in the whispers, as kids a no suitable secret keepers… 🙂

In the background I let my new CD play, the soundtrack of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’, which I bought at a laughable price in the city. That was after we had some incredibly delicious coffee at the ‘Flight Coffee Hangar’. All in all, a day lacking clouds and also wind is something hard to come by in Wellington at this time of the year. Good times!

In the past 24h I had 6 Skype dates, which calls for a new record. And I am not even sure that’s all… I am always happy to see the lovely, loving faces! 😉

Contemplation about profit and loss 2

Jun 9, 2015 | The Great Journey, Thoughts

I am an uncle! My brother is a dad! My parents are grandparents!

Well, I’ve seen it coming. Still, it was hard to believe. Everyone said it would be sad to be far from home when you nephew is born. And it is.

Usually you are happy with the others receiving a child and share in the joy and neverending attention towards newborns. But now your only brother is becoming a dad, your own parents become grandparents for the first time and you sit at the other side of the globe and cannot be part of the first days, weeks, months…
Luckily there is Skype, to get a small glimpseof the new situation. And what my brother proudly carries in his arms with his wife, is Vincent.
A newcomer to the most important people in my life. An untouched canvas of the finest matter. An unshapely gold nugget in the hands of two goldsmiths. The surest insurance for my return…
With this little human I will have much contact with one day, will watch him grow, will conduct some mischief and just play the uncle card all the way. 🙂 But the first contact will have to wait some more months.

An awesome fact: While he was born in May, I became an uncle in June. 😀 Well, June is the best month anyway, as everyone knows… 🙂

So my life changes in places where I am not present. Very interesting. Here I am in the process of grasping where I actually am and on top the perceived constant of home is changing a lot… On the one hand exciting, on the other hand a little worrying.
It dawns on me that my return home will be the core of my great journey. Well, I just leave this here and we’ll see in time…

South Island, Take One

Jun 4, 2015 | Photos, The Great Journey, Trips

Despite my plans to travel the South Island later, I have spent last weekend there. And it was fantastic!

The framework:

  • 5 people, all of them au pairs, 2 of them boys
  • a rental station wagon, no USB or AUX connection
  • a holiday home (called ‘bach’ in New Zealand) right at the Mahakipawa Arm of the Mahau Sound
  • friday night to monday night as the Queen’s birthday is a holiday here

The ferry is a popular connection between both islands. A little swaying, but we were blessed with calm waters…

There are many of these ‘batches’ in New Zealand. Out little cottage was utterly cosy and well equipped.

The view upon the Mahau Sound. The entire northern side of the South Island is riddled with those.

On Sunday we went on an adventurous road trip west coast bound, in order to see the famous Pancake Rocks. Adventurous because of 5 grown up people inside one car.

Sailboat near Nelson

Some rest stops have nicer views, some less nice ones…

The tranquil appearance of the west coast turn sour with all the sandflies (fruit fly like mosquitos, varying in size). But some prices you are willing to pay…

After a long time with many guessing games and black stories (a card game, originally), we finally arrived at the destination: Punakaiki.

The Pancake Rocks are a stunning sight you might not want to miss.

One fateful morning I, as with many things for the first time, tried to make some scrambled eggs. 4 eggs by 5 persons is not quite much, should anyone look for this answer.

The water behind the cottage did look a lot more interesting up close. Also, it is another feeling, afloat like that.

On our last day we visited the Pelorus River. Once again awesome to behold, once again natural wilderness.
I would like to point out that some scenes for the Hobbit movies were filmed at this very location. (Just imagine 13 dwarves in the river inside barrels…)

This fantail was pretty photogenic, but as all the birds of that feather as quick as can be. Please marvel at only a few of many hundred pictures.

I’d make a movie right here, too. 🙂

The grand prize question: What is this?

The even grander prize question: WHAT IS THIS??

The travel fellowship. (Thank you for the pic, Henry.)

Looking back at the South Island, I can confirm it differs quite much from the North Island. While green round hills dominate the landscape of the North Island, the South Island features bigger, browner and more ‘edgy’ rises.
It all has a wilder and more forceful impression and I was surprised to see sub-tropical flora give in to coniferous forest after a short car drive. Settlements and gas stations also tend to be a lot further away from each other…

The weekend was a superb taste for my next journey there. And I hope to get such nice people again, whom you could sing some rounds with on long car rides… 😉