The Answer

Jan 4, 2016 | The Great Journey, Updates

Here it is, the answer to the question I get asked the most:

On the 10th of May 2016 I will return home!

That is the date one part of my adventure will end and the next, exciting part begins. As the return home is a grand experience. I will see my nephew for the first time, will likely not recognise many poeple and will have to get used to many things…

But first and foremost I will have to complete some ways, as the reason for the fixed date are the flights booked.
I will leave my best friend in Australia after a few weeks there and fly over to Singapore on my own, from there travel through the country to Bangkok and finally turn towards Germany…
Traveling tips for those areas are always welcome. 😉

Besides, I am left with only one month until my parents will land in New Zealand. Time flies so fast… I am looking forward to that time so incomprehensibly much! 🙂

 

Now for this project:

I thought I would give some of my most important belongings on my journey the chance to speak their minds.

Here’s number 1:
[Disclaimer: What you are about to hear is German.]

 

 

Happy New Year!

Jan 1, 2016 | Photos, The Great Journey, Trips

 

 

Last year I was sitting in heavy thought over Wellington and entered the new year in a calm way. This year, which was the most exciting and great in my whole life by far! Back then I could only have guessed and it went all different anyway. But it was all very good this way! I think I have found some answers to the question: What makes oneself ‘grown up’?

So I had 2 trips left on my bus pass that had to go. Thus, I decided for a little trip to Christchurch and was on my way on the 31st. We took a longer break in Oamaru, which I used for photos…

 

 

Christmasy, aye?

Having arrived in Christchurch in the evening I first went to the hotel, only to wander off to the botanic gardens with my new pal, the tripod. I still don’t crave the company of partying younger folks and that made me end up in a quiet corner in the gardens. Though music still came through, I was not being disturbed.
Alongside some sweets from home, some cups of tea and my camera gear (camera + tripod, try not to gasp) I started experimenting. The tripod has a much steadier hand than I when it comes to longer exposures. 🙂

 

 

Unfortunately the stars, or more like the earth, don’t stay still…

 

 

 

 

Wheee, the earth is moving! 😀

 

 

At the hour of midnight I walked to the place where the fireworks were supposed to go up.

And I found it! When last time I wasn’t in the midst of many people, this time I was part of a crowd. I let tell me where the fireworks were supposed to go up, set up my camera and waited.

 

 

 

 

3, 2, 1..HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

 

 

 

 

I was satisfied. Great shots, some balance between tranquility and crowd for the night and I finally saw Christchurch. 🙂 Besides, I slept alone in a room for 20 dollars. 🙂

A few words on Christchurch: The city was destroyed by a devastating earthquake in February 2011 in great parts and you can still see it to this day. It must have been a wonderful city, buzzing with history and culture! But today it only lies smashed in smithers. Building sites everywhere, collapsed houses, road blocks, site fences… Sad.
Maybe the city will bloom again in a few years. I hope it works out well for it.

In the morning of the new year I went towards my bus and with that I wasn’t for more than 12 hours in Christchurch.
I hope you are also happy with your start into the new year! 😉

Christmas in the Familiarity

Dec 27, 2015 | Photos, The Great Journey

It might possibly be pretty much one year ago that I reported back from Christmas celebrations.
And now I will do the same. But not as the stranger, more like ‘one of the crew’, to whom I looked up to back in the day.

Well, how did my second Christmas in New Zealand look?
I still don’t care much about parties, so the day was rather calm in its nature. Only this time I had all the advantages of an own flat, the vacant kitchen, the own car for the groceries and on top just a single fellow merrymaker.

We both are very much mature and mind style, which showed the most in the food we made.

We attempted the Kiwi classic, pavlova.
That is a giant wad of meringue that gets decorated with fruit, whipped cream and similar things. We went for self made chocolate whipped cream and a selection of fruit.
It came out well and was..sweet. Tasty and sweet. 🙂

When boys make whipped cream by themselves… 🙂 But is DID taste great! 😉

The meringue looks like this before the oven.

You pavlova could look like this. 🙂

 

 

The days before we tried to make some cold cake. Following the plan and gathering all our cooking skills we ended up with some less ideal looking, but a very nice tasting treat, as well.

 

 

For the main course, we had some colourful and, not worth mentioning, delicious pasta bake!

 

 

More impressive without all the cheese. 🙂

Only then!
Then, on that very Christmas Eve forenoon, the postman came around the corner and brought me the parcel from home!!
Speechless and overwhelmed I unpacked one proof of love after the other and already the day was that much Christmasy! 🙂

 

 

What could I possibly say??

 

 

The actual Christmas Eve I got to witness at 2am that night. Via Skype I took part in the curiously strange feeling handing out of presents at home. Christmas story, Christmas songs, Christmas dinner. Many familiar things, but quite some that I had forgotten over the better year…
One year more and I will make good for 2 missed Christmases at home!

Wonderful Workplace

Dec 19, 2015 | Photos, The Great Journey, Thoughts

These lines are dedicated to my wonderful coworkers. 😉

At work Daddy has asked me to hold a speech for my last day there. As it didn’t particularly come to that, here some speech-like words:

I have never thought that I could love ‘Labouring Work’. Though I have learned before that you could love your coworkers. But to love both, that is something new for me.
When I started working with you I didn’t think that I would be so sad to leave one day. I didn’t think that me being there would become a routine. I didn’t think that the time with you guys would become a major part of my journey.
I have learned much amongst you. Much about Kiwi Culture, much about modern cars, cleaning cars and about not to let the tyres squeal in the washbay when the bosses are around, much about how people treat rental cars, much about myself, and not to forget much about different kinds of lovable people…
I must admit that one of the reasons I loved work is that I could listen to my own music. Cleaning cars itself isn’t all that dull and I found it a rewarding and enjoyable thing to do. But to flee the sound of the local radio station and to have some solitude while removing any trace of use from pieces of technology, that really hit my spot! 😀
You know that as a traveller I have barely any people around me to give love to. But I am so happy that I found such people in you… And I am convinced you appreciated that.
You have seen me expressing that happiness in singing, dance-like movement and lots of smiles. That was all real, because that was the way I want to spend my live! 🙂

You made it happen for me and all I can say is: Thank you for the wonderful time!

Here are some impressions of the workplace I already miss:

 

 

At the end my boss even gave me a goodbye present. An elegant drink bottle! How did she know I just needed one?

 

 

This drink bottle will always remind me of you guys in a pleasant way!
Thank you again! 🙂

Gas buys Pics

Dec 11, 2015 | Photos, The Great Journey, Trips

The headline ‘Road trip to Lawrence’ I found too boring. Therefore, some New Zealand travelers’ wisdom as substitute. 🙂

It pretty much is like that; you learn that any undertaking costs money. But not without a reason you are a traveler and so you sometimes spend a fortune on experiences.
And one of these experiences this road trip was. With Andrej, my Slovak flatmate, with me, I went on the road to Lawrence one Sunday.

There the first saleable gold of New Zealand was discovered, so you can see quite a deal of that past there…

The weather presented us with an engaging mix of rain and sunshine, but we adapted to that quickly.

This eventful day sprouted some pictures I want to show you now. And yes, they are many. 😉

 

 

We walked the paths of the old gold miners…

 

 

Maybe one day a Gold-Uncle has enjoyed this view after a successful day? 🙂

 

 

We took a little walk and were not disappointed by New Zealand for another time! Even in seemingly insignificant corners, idyll awaits.

 

 

 

 

Those who come visit me, will have the exclusive chance to have a picnic with me at this table. 🙂 Wouldn’t that be something?

Returned to the ‘city’ Lawrence, we looked at some of its buildings.

 

 

Luckily there is no standard for street name signs, so these ones show some (gold miners’) style!

 

 

Some feast for the eyes to all the electricians out there.

 

 

 

 

Someone else’s gardens. 🙂

 

 

After lunch and a cup of coffee (a year ago I couldn’t value the treat of a cup of coffee after a meal yet) we left Lawrence and went to Lake Mahinerangi, taking a bunch of photo stops. A nice name, I think I will miss that a lot in Germany… 🙂

 

 

A striking illustration of the weather.

 

 

Sheep are dumb. By nature, so this is no insult. You don’t mean any harm and they just run away right away! You wait for 5 minutes to snap some shots of these stupid things and the field is empty! And all that when I don’t even have a loud DSLR! I was a little fed up with sheep that day and that’s why there is only one picture of them doing what they love the most: Running away!
(rant’s end) 😀 I actually like sheep… When they are there. 🙂

 

 

 

 

The lake with its iconic bridge from above.

 

 

Our last major stop were the Waipori Falls. In the other pictures you have seen the scenery. A few kilometres further we found the waterfalls inside a deep gorge. After a great walk through the bush you can hop over the stones in the water up close to the falls…

 

 

A cute sticker, as I found. 😀

 

 

 

 

Here is another first-class example for a screen wallpaper. 😀

 

 

 

 

Road trips have curious chemistry. I can’t really describe it and sometimes ask myself, whether you can do this in Germany also. And if so, why I never just did it…
You don’t ALWAYS have to drive around with a destination ahead… 🙂

 

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