All as planned

Mar 13, 2015 | Photos, The Great Journey, Trips, Updates

In 33 days, I will open a door. A door that belongs to my home of the next months.

My plan to spend the 12 mandatory weeks in the apple orchard, in order to extend my visa, works out. Only I will go back to Hawke’s Bay after one week with my host family to use April’s last two weeks for work. Cause theoretically you have to work only one day per week, to make it count for the extension.

After all bureaucratic and also physically exhausting efforts I can settle in my (in the beginning planned as the only station) host family.

When I really think about it (Attention, try this for yourself. Sorry to all parents.), I am giving myself an outstanding package of New Zealand…

Firstly, one (out of max. 3) months a tourist, no work, just ‘being’ here. In that time, I looked for a host family. The advantage of having the applicant sitting in front of you is that huge, you can actually go for the perfect family. Also, that they most likely will accept. Skype is nothing compared to a talk facing each other over a table…

Then I applied for the working holiday visa. Disadvantage: For stays longer than a year you need a health certificate. They cost, but that’s just the way things work. For an extended stay I am more than happy to go through that.

Holding the working visa, you can dive into the life as work-and-traveler. You can spend long days picking apples in screaming heat and think about life, the meaning of education and a qualified job. You learn what saving money means. You learn that work clothes begin to smell quicker. Also, you learn that life is not all fun and games.

So, when you are either sick of it or you completed you 12 weeks for the extension, you can ignite the second stage. You go out to your host family and..well, I will report when time has come.

The calculation in months is easy. My case shows as follows:

1 month on the tourist visa

12 months on the working holiday visa

3 months in extension of the WHV

When I arrive in my family, I will have spent 5 months in New Zealand already. Effectively, 11 months remain. The last of them I would like to spend traveling the South Island, so that I have 9-10 months with the family.

 The other disadvantage is the rebooking of my flight ticket. On arrival as a tourist you must show a ticket homebound. It is no problem to extend a flight ticket (doesn’t cost the world). But flight tickets are only extendable over the span of one year. For my stay lasts longer than a year, I had to let the booked flight go and will have to look for a new one. Maybe this could’ve gone smoother, so make sure to speak early enough with your travel agent…

Anyhow, even this circumstance is fully worth the additional time I have here at the end of the world.

Amongst others because of this:

Most Au Pairs arrive at their host family directly and leave them directly for home. 1 year as an Au Pair, some traveling on the side, the end. In the beginning that was my plan, too. But it has changed dramatically.

When arriving at my family, I will be familiar with the Kiwi way of life. Then I have already seen streets, supermarkets, gas stations and mannerisms, food and the slang. Within my stay, being an Au Pair is on the one hand the biggest part, on the other hand not the only one.

And after traveling the South Island, I can have a little ‘reunion’ with the family before I return home. I travel, work, be an Au Pair, travel again and then I go home. After 16 months worth New Zealand…

On a road trip it went up as it often does and this time again, I was not disappointed. New Zealand is SO beautiful!

Remember: For trips with your camera, sunset hours are the best. 😉

In the end of my road trip, I found this place. A world record, only 100km from my current stay! 😀 (The name describes a hill and actually is a full sentence.)

Hot Air

Jan 16, 2015 | Photos, The Great Journey, Trips

Where was I?

Rotorua

In this wondrous town. I have spent some days there and first and foremost discovered to place. Rotorua is well known for its geothermal activity. You notice it at any corner. Anywhere you go there are these steaming puddles, bubbling water from inside the earth, holes in the ground, sulphur smell. I visited the Lake Rotorua, some parks and ‘Te Puia’, an attraction about Maori Culture and accumulation of geothermal wonders (and lots of sulphurous scent). From this almost unreal patch of earth I of course took many pictures…

What can I say? It simply boils out of the ground…

Lake Rotorua

Everything seems to shout Adventure.

Seagulls are dumb and mean, I had to learn. I hope this one will be furious about her ugly picture online one day! 😀

The somewhat unspectacular pond in central park.

There’s alway restricted areas where it is especially steamy, bubbly or smelly…

Whoever urgently looks for a hobby, here is inspiration. 😉

Every part of nature has its rules…

Where did I end up here??

Some lesson in chemics. Petrified wood?

This I call art!! (and it is not mine)

Te Puia

In Te Puia it is all about Maori Culture. Because the religion forbids depicting human traits, you only see those grimaces.

Did I use the word ‘bubbling’ yet?

Mudpools. They gurgle like mom’s tomato sauce just before it’s done…

Some more for our chemists… 🙂

In Rotorua City the probably most beautiful bicycle stand can be found…

By the way I did the (for a New Zealand Trip almost mandatory) skydive. A unique, unbelievable and utmost intense undertaking.

YEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!

To farewell Rotorua I decided to hitchhike. My destination was Taupo and it worked well. After some wait a retired farmer picked me up towards Taupo. We talked about agriculture and he explained the change that the land goes through from forestry to dairy use. Now I know that New Zealand indeed has more sheep than men, even though the count of sheep has halved in the past years. Cows gain popularity and the dairy business grows.

Taupo

Super nice John dropped me at the town belt and I walked on in cheerful spirits. If I learned one thing in New Zealand, it is that you can always talk to anyone. Thus I tried my luck with the first person I found, a briskly pacing girl with earbuds-filled eavesdroppers. Those quickly disappeared and it came up that she works at Pak’n’Save (a rather cheapish and bigger supermarket) which is only 3 minutes from my hostel. Now Christin wasn’t only a fine accompaniment, but an excellent navigation system as well in this foreign town. It’s worth mentioning that we met on both times visiting the shop at the checkout. You always meet thrice, right? 😀

I spent just one night in Taupo, even though this beautiful patch of (Middle-) earth is worth more attention. Plus I have seen the area from 15.000ft above already. 😉
But my plan was just like this. I wanted to meet another blogger in Taupo, who is an Au Pair there. That was well special and the sunset looks awesome whilst you have your feet in the water…

My plan held some more hitchhiking adventure for the next day. After I gradually dragged my replacement bag, which still sticks to me waiting for the desired one, over grass and stones towards the Highway 5 to Napier my thumb was being answered and Andrew picked me up. We animatedly talked about all things New Zealand (Aotearoa, as the Maori called it) and looked at the nature around in awe. Only here you find this much variety. And this many beautiful things close to each other, too.

Napier

Andrew dropped me off right in Napier and I checked in at the hostel. I was keen to get to know new people. In Rotorua I had a single room (that lets you value privacy anew) and in Taupo I only spent one night. But in this four-bed-room I am actually the only guest. 😀 Well, I won’t complain about two nights alone.
Napier (often called gorgeous) is gorgeous! The city is dominated by its Art Deco (have I ever mentioned me being a great Bioshock fan?), the water is blue, it is hot summer here as well.
I got together with Klaus and Jennifer again, who drove me to the hostel in the beginning. I wasn’t only served with delicious food, but with the offer of assisting with the job hunt, too.

Thank you dad for the Repair Job. May they prolong in service on my side, or rather on my feet…

In Napier I stood in front of the wide ocean and I stood there for some time.

My plans foresaw the South Island as Work- and Travel Destination, but in the 3 months I want to spend working towards the visa extension there might be little time left for travels. Plus I will step into my role as an Au Pair in Wellington in 3 months…
Maybe I’ll work in Hawke’s Bay and turn south later. Those are the current thoughts. But first I need to return to Wellington in order to open my bank account (this time by bus, so don’t you worry 🙂 )…

Up the Hill we go!

Dec 16, 2014 | Photos, The Great Journey, Trips, Updates

The university is just a few hundred meters away from here. So half an hour should suffice.
What I didn’t take into my calculation, that it is a few hundred meters beeline and without the elevation…

Soon I quickly climbed upwards stairs and paths and the sweat started going the opposite direction. After repeatedly asking for the way and some more meters on the university grounds I finally arrived at the music school. The concert had just begun, but I wasn’t the only one who didn’t make it. After waiting for the first intermission we slipped into the concert room and found ourselves amongst an audience just about twice as many as the cellists in front of us.

It was wonderful. The cello is quite a fine instrument… After some classical pieces anyone bringing a cello had the chance to join and play Christmas songs together. Anyone would sing along, but I haven’t had as many english Christmases yet as to know the words …
It was a small fraction of home again. A little journey to all Christmas parties of the past. Music is more than just noise.

This time I took my camera as I knew there would be much to see. In fact, I wished for less than I actually got to see. I went to the (inner-)town belt in order to climb up Mount Victoria.

Yeah, it was even steeper as it looks. 🙂

Some times I went on about how quickly you can get ‘into the mountains’ in the areas of the Black Forest. But back then I haven’t been in Wellington. As Wellington doesn’t only offer hills closeby, it even offers great views after just some little steps.

First I went off the beach promenade direction upwards. The small wormed alleyway was leading its way along some houses. Haven’t I told somebody sometime that I love those overgrown, quirky houses? There are many of them. No ancient buildings as you see in Germany, but never seeming less comfortable.

It smelled wonderfully of some kind of blossoms…

Then this phenomenon appeared for the first time. Up the stairs, up the stairs, but then you see nothing. A few steps later the picture gets complete: It is going downhill after. It’s a nice effect to end a stairclimb like that with the sun shining right at you.

A few meters further I left the street and went into the bush.

Then again, this phenomenon. This time I didn’t get a street to see, but a meadow with some posh people enjoying the late afternoon. From here you could see a dazzling panorama of Wellington already.

I wanted to go even further up. After listening to a bird that first uttered hollow noises, then whistled and screeched (interesting combination) my way led through strangely familiar scenery.

Without thinking long I remembered the fact that the first scenes of The Lord of the Rings were shot here. And it looked exactly like it. Fascinating. It would have been too much to look out for Hobbits though…

Another clearance, another meadow, again a stunning panorama.

Then, after a few more stony steeps this phenomenon appeared once more. Only this time it wasn’t the next summit I saw, but a car. It was the parking lot of the Mount Victoria Lookout.

And there I stood. On top.

A panorama with extra sun and a glimpse of Wellington.

My camera is so able!

Right now I am sitting in Miramar (it is basically next to the Wellington Airport) and just process a special experience.
I got in contact with a family from one of the Wellington Suburbs that is looking for an Au Pair. The mom works only 200m from my hostel, so we met there and had an interview. This one was quite different from the one back then on Skype, and that was just like I hoped it would be.

Now hopes are high for me taking care of a household and 3 kids from April next year…
But we will see what the current Au Pair has to say. Yet it all sounds very nice.

In Miramar they have a neat cinema which holds a restaurant as neat. My stomach holds the breakfast special, there is music fitting the style of the cinema, the cute baby smiles at me over its mom’s shoulders and the room vibrates slightly due to the bass of the movie above.

Outside there is gistening sunshine and it is a good day!

Visit at the Zoo

Aug 4, 2014 | Before The Great Journey, Photos, Trips

I know I’ve been quiet for some time now… Sometimes there’s just not enough big things going on that are worth writing about. The search for a family is progressing slowly, you have to have much patience for Kiwis are somewhat spontaneous.

But lately I’ve been to the zoo once again.
The origin of this traditional venture lies when Granny’s and Granddad’s grandchildren #1 and #2 (I am No. 2 btw 😀 ) were about 5-7 years old and needn’t nappies anymore…
Every other year this is a great day. How should it be different, at the zoo? 🙂
With years passing, more and more grandchildren joined and eventually their parents as well. And that’s quite necessary to keep that crowd contained. A family trip is a solid concept for visiting the zoo…

This time I took my camera and would like to share some impressions with you:

The saying ‘eyes bigger than stomach’ not only fits us humans. 🙂

Donkeys might just be the saddest animals in any zoo…

Attention ladies: Only giraffes have eyelashes more beautiful! ;D

Some people are justifiably called bears. (In a positive sense of course. 🙂 )

The Flamingoes are the first animals you see at the entrance. Have always been for 15 years. You don’t expect anything else. But when you think closely about those animals: When sleeping one of the everlasting stilts disappears somewhere inside their bodies; they have considerably huge beaks; they are pinkish to red in color; they have loong, extremely flexible, cuddly-fluffy necks…
But that’s all perfectly normal, they’re just flamingoes…

Driver Safety Training Review

May 8, 2014 | Before The Great Journey, Trips

So on Tuesday I had my second driver safety training.

It was the intensity training of the ADAC. First I had to drive all the way to Hannover, where the training took place. After we all got to know each other, we already went to the training grounds.
We were really lucky that day! We had some perfect weather (cloudy without rain), an awesome instructor, as well as a wonderful group (only 8 out of 12 possible participants, 4 women/ 4 men, aged 19-75, 6 cars with ABS and 2 without) plus the advantages of the intensity training.

My good old Audi 90 was one of those tech-free cars, that’s how the instructor called it…
Communication was via walkie-talkies. I connected mine with an AUX cable to my car’s radio and had the best sound quality all the time. :))
We drove from module to module and there are lots of them (like circle tracks, smooth surfaces, offroad terrain, a hydraulic plate, etc.) which all could be used side by side. Because of the small group there always was enough time to have a talk and for the ‘theory segments’.
Lunch was designed as a buffet and it was delicious! 🙂

The grey area is the above named hydraulic plate that accurately pulls the back of the car to the side. I had lots of fun… 🙂

My Audi well had to suffer… Hard breaking non-stop, sliding and slithering all over the place and some 360 degree turns.
The tech-free cars had a special position throughout the training as we had a much longer stopping way, had no support systems and all such things. Most people don’t know that. I didn’t know that either, until I had my first training back then. My next car will have much more ‘tech’ onboard for sure… 😀

The tenor of all the exercises was to get to know your car’s limits and so to recognize hazards and to prevent/ handle them. We practiced on smooth surfaces especially, because there lies the most danger. Over and over you learn how much mere 5 kph can do…

I totally recommend to everybody to take that kind of training. Especially for beginners. It is so well worth the money!