New Zealand in a Nutshell
Bungee jumping, fjords, sheep and Lord of the Rings
triology. A far away destination in a remote corner of
the world, New Zealand was a much anticipated, but little
known destination. Having spent 6 weeks in Australia, we
didn't think there was a more outdoorsy nation out there.
We were wrong. New Zealanders might not be as big on
doing Sunday Barbies as the Aussies, but they are hikers,
kayakers and campers Supreme.
New Zealand, as we bitterly discovered, is also,
despite of being one of the most Southernly countries in
the world, surprisingly cold in June. In hindsight, it
might not have been the best idea in the world to travel
in a campervan with no insulation or heating when it was
cold enough to cover the car from bumper to bumper in ice
overnight, including a thick layer - on the inside of the
car Brrrrr. The biting cold wasn't without its benefits
though - as a necessity, we hunted down some very cosy
hostels where Lars kept the woodfire stoves going just
about 24/7. Despite of the weather, we still ventured out
to sea to observe Sperm Whales and we were rewarded with
several sightings. It had been on my list for years and
it finally came to fruition. The fjords (or fiords as the
Kiwis call them) proved to be every bit as breathtaking
as they were rumored to be, though Lars maintained that
they were simply copy cats of the Norwegian fjords. Well,
copy cats or not, the NZ fjords did host several families
of Dolphins and secured the trip on the fjords a place on
the have-to-list. NZ also offered insight into the NZ
"equivalent" of the Australian Aborigines - the Maori -
once a fierce warrior society and still a proud people.
The Mitai tribe performing the Haka, a war dance, was
something both Lars and I could have watched again and
again. An intriguing contrast to the Aborigines indeed!
Despite of being surprisingly cold, we would like to do
New Zealand again - but this time in the summer ;- )
