It's The Final Countdown

It's good to be back.

I'm in Paihia again, second time, and it's just as nostalgic as it is beautiful. Even in full-blown autumn weather.


























We took a ferry over to Romantic Russell, which was New Zealand's capital for exactly one year. We went on a little rainy hike, got a nice view of the area, and then decided to spend the rest of the day in the hostel Jacuzzi with a few drinks. It is my last week after all. ;)

Yay Russell!

 So far my last week has been just as chilled out as I wanted it to be!

My Final Week (and last waterfall... maybe)

After taking an inland flight from Christchurch to Auckland, I took the bus later that same day out of the city (there is no way I'm spending my last week in Auckie) headed northbound. With one German girl and French guy, we took off towards Whangarei, a place I had passed through but never explored.

It's a good thing I did, because we were in for two lovely days:

We took a bus to one of New Zealand's rather special waterfalls and as it turned out these particular falls were very impressive.

From above

From below

A loop track allowed us to see the Whangarei Falls from every possible angle. One may even climb behind the falls, but we forgot to do that. Whoops.

Part of the track was called a Canopy Walk, meaning you are actually walking off the ground, on a walkway in the treetops.

After that we visited a volunteer bird sanctuary and got to meet Sparky, the one-legged Kiwi.

Now usually you have to pay quite a bit of money to even go near a Kiwi bird, but since this was not a government-owned organisation but an independant one they were not required to meet certain safety regulations and standards... meaning we could do something not many people get to do:

Touch a Kiwi!

After Sparky we met this little guy, only six months old (and very soft.)

And we also met a New Zealand Hawk with the funniest expression I've ever seen on a bird.

Amy

My week here has been both challenging and relaxing, entertaining and informative.

On my second to last day on the Tricolore Goat Farm, something amazing happened.

Friends called to say they found a little goatling of two weeks age in a riverbed, abandoned, and if we could nurse it back to health until we find a potential owner.

Turns out, little Amy (we named her after Amy Winehouse, as she's very vocal), is the sweetest little thing and we had her suckle on one of the milking does first, then fed her with a bottle later.

We introduced her to the other animals, which made for some interesting interspecies pictures.

One thing I will never forget is little Amy falling asleep in my lap.

NZ Farmlife

My last week of WWOOFing before I take a flight back to Auckland (and a week after that my flight home!) is taking place on a beautiful dairy goat farm near Christchurch. The family owns a small herd of Nubian goats, a dozen chicken, four cows and your average crowd of farm dogs and kittens. As the hostess recently spent five days in the hospital nursing a hand infection, I'm quite needed and will be taking over all kinds of farm duties, from milking the goats all the way up to cleaning the chicken coop.

Living like a Queen ~

The yoghurt we made yesterday, with blackcurrants from the garden!

The hosts believe in organic and sustainable farming, are 90% self-sufficient and make their own cheese, soap, yoghurt, etc. Even the power and heating is done by solar and log-burner.

I will be learning how to make cheese and bread, have my own queen-sized bed and can take a shower without having to guess how to turn on the hot water.

And here we have homemade cheese, which tastes incredible.

 It's definitely very interesting and I have been learning a lot about organic remedies and sustainable living, as well as animal care and human nature.

Far Over the Misty Mountains Cold

The last few days have been non-stop stunning displays of nature.

After the second (and probably not last) Bungy the Stray bus took me to Mt Cook, the highest mountain in New Zealand with roughly 3.700 meters height.

The walk to the lake and Mt Cook was roughly three hours, with several cable-bridges that didn't look very comforting (with signs warning of the maximum load of 20 people.)









That special mixture of sun and icy wind and the sound of avalanches on the far mountains made the walk feel like half an hour. I couldn't stop staring.

And here, obscured by clouds, we have the highest Mountain of New Zealand.

 The next day we drove to Lake Tekapo which is such a ridiculously beautiful shade of blue it makes your eyes hurt. Every damn picture looks like a post card.

I can't find words to describe what I've seen, so pictures will have to do instead:

I feel so blessed having lived to see these amazing sceneries.

Highwire Bungy

It was one of those random decisions that set your teeth on edge and your hair on end...

So one of the WWOOFers in Lumsden wanted to do a Bungy, but wasn't sure if he wanted to do it alone, so he asked me to come with him. Me, having a big mouth, told him Bungys aren't as scary and I could easily do a second one.

The Bungy he wanted to do though happened to be the Highwire Bungy, the highest in the Australasian region.

134 meters, jumping out of a box strung up on a wire running from one side of the Nevis Gorge to the other. It is as crazy as it sounds.

And in case anyone was wondering, having done a Bungy Jump does not, in any way, make the second one less terrifying.

(Video music had to be changed due to copyright.)

Queenstown 2.0

Good-bye Lumsden, never thought I'd spend two weeks there, let alone be sad to go. After the goodbyes, one of the WWOOFers (Lucas) and I hitched a ride into Queenstown from a farmer, who also informed us on all things cattle.

The view isn't half bad, even the second time around.

For dinner we tried the most famous and popular burger in new Zealand, the Fergburger. Doesn't matter if it's breakfast or dinner or middle of the night, there is ALWAYS a queue.

And I have to admit, this was the goddamn best burger I have ever had in my life.

Bigger than your face, affordable, and so indescribably delicious..

Lumstopia

For almost a week now, I have been working, eating and sleeping in the tiniest of towns, Lumsden. Population: 400. Halfway between Invercargill (the southernmost city on the mainland) and Queenstown, Lumsden is surrounded by rolling green hills and pastures.

The couple I am WWOOFing for is renovating and landscaping an old farmhouse as well as a run-down pub down the road. Together with a few other WWOOFers we paint, build and redo the main house while Janel, the hostess, supplies us with plenty of meals.

At night and after work we hang out around the pub, which is also our accommodation. If you're not too squeamish about mice and the lack of heating (only if there is a lack of firewood) it's actually a pretty cool, retro place to stay.

The glorious Lumsden Hotel!

The past few days I have been mostly painting and once there was a little bit of muddy outside work. The work keeps us busy enough so that we don't have too much free time, which suits me just fine because other than the five minute walk around Lumsden there isn't a lot to do or see.

Until I've figured out my travel plans for the last month, I will continue working in 'Lumstopia' and get accustomed to New Zealand countrylife.



And in conclusion I present to you a picture of my newest Lumsden friends: