Nevis jump in Queenstown!!!

boy! I'm tellin' you: 134m Nevis Jump in Queenstown can be quite high if you're standing on a tiny platform...

great fun though...especially because I won this jump participating in a silly game down at the bar here ;-)))

On the 25th I'm heading back to Melborune/Australia and hopefully will have more time to call/write...my apologies to all the persons that I couldn't call!

NZ part 9 - back to the south island

14/2:
back to Wellington,
15/2:
getting up a 7 the next day, Soundsair flight at 9:15am in a 10 seat machine and a scenic flight for free,

waiting for the ferry which was 1h delayed,

drive to Abel Tasman National Park (link) in the Nelson region, to slep in Marahau where we spent the night at Old MacDonalds farm.

16/2:
we booked a 1 day sailing trip but unfortunately it's been cloudy until we got off the catamaran and enjoyed the beach.

17/2:
we finally got to NZ's south island westcoast which is one of the world's top 10 drives recommended in the lonely planet hosting Baller gorge, Punakaiki Pancake rocks,

blowholes (Paparoa National Park)

and the "famous" Barrytown consiting only of one house where we enjoyed the best NZ dinner so far and celebrated a "no cloth" party .

18/2:
We skipped the bone carving "event" in the morning so we didn't have to get up early.
We took off to Hokitika and had a look at the Greenstone (Jade / Pounamu - link) factory. It is considered a taonga (treasure). Tools, ornaments and weapons were made of it; in particular adzes, mere (short clubs) and hei-tiki (neck pendants). These were believed to have their own mana, were handed down as valued heirlooms and were often given as gifts to seal important agreements. Nowadays we were told that u mustn't buy a Greenstone for yourself but u can only receive it as a present so I bought Greenstones for Lena and my Mum as well as a couple of friends. I got a really beautiful Greenstone as a present from Lena which I'm still wearing until today...
we also visited the Bushman "centre"

and got to Franz Josef (link) at night.

19/2:
another experience I'd absolutely recommend: a full day walk on Franz Josef Glacier (link). Here some of the impressions:

we also found some nice friends in Efje and Hannah as well as Andrew and Doug and got a bit drunk this night ;-)

20/2:
the biggest thing that happened was probably that Thumper managed to get the bus stuck while trying a turnaround :-)

After getting pulled out we saw Lake Matheson (link) which allows nice postcard pictures reflecting Mount Tasman and Mount Cook in the water if there's no wind. Unfortunately the surface was wrinkled when we got there...nice anyway.


Tomorrow we will reach NZ's party and fun city Queenstown (link) where AJ Hackett invented "bungee juming back in the days.

NZ part 8 - Tongariro crossing

13/2:
Grown up in Bonn (link) right at the doorstep to the Eifel (link) I kind of had an idea of what a volcanic area looks like but this was different...cause still active! And we were lucky to get this chance because the track is closed quite often due to bad weather conditions (and our schedule's been so tight that we couldn't spent more time in Taupo)

Being well equiped with food and proper shoes (I simply love my Adidas Samba...

good for everything!) we started at 9:30am the next morning aside Mount Doom (Lord of the rings) aka Mt Ngauruhoe,

climbing the steap ascend (especially in the begining) until having lunch to get rewarded by awsome scenery



also during the descent



We crossed the finish line at 3:35pm as the first group and had some time to relax in the sun whilst waiting for the other.

Ben (British fella, living in Perth) made us laugh our but off when he puled out a bag of nachos AND matching dip, having a big smile on his face and explaing in best british accent: "You gotta rewooaaard yourself!"

After getting back to our ski resort like Park lodge we did some more relaxing taking a shower an hop into the jacuzzi and eat...hoping not to feel too sore the next day.

This an NZ experience I'd definitely advise to everyone...even for people like me who're not so much into hiking...some of our group struggled quite hard though due to very bad fitness.