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Eventyr i New Zealand
  • Gitte Jensen
  • Gitte Jensen

Eventyr i New Zealand

A 175-day adventure by Gitte Read more
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  • Gitte JensenEventyr i New ZealandTraveler

    Greenstone Hut - Boundary Hut

    Feb 10–11 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌧 14 °C

    I dag blev et forsøg på at gå fra regnen og vinden, som endte med at indhente mig, og jeg endte med at gå i en meget stor regnbyge, inden jeg ankom til Boundary Hut.

    Det blev en lidt blandet dag imellem træer, mudder, højt græs og endnu højere græs, der var højere end mig selv, hvilket gjorde det lidt svært at navigere. Men det var endnu en gang nogle flotte omgivelser, og endelig skulle det kun gå nogle hundrede højdemeter op og ned.

    Efter at være ankommet til hytten kunne jeg mærke, at den migræne, som har været lidt on/off de seneste par dage, var kommet for at blive. Efter næsten en uges pause uden lange vandredage skulle kroppen i gang igen, og det var den ikke helt tilfreds med. Jeg tog derfor nogle ørepropper og gav mig til at sove allerede kl. 18, hvilket jeg havde meget brug for!

    ————

    Today turned into an attempt to outrun the rain and wind, which eventually caught up with me, and I ended up walking through a very heavy downpour before arriving at Boundary Hut.

    It was a mixed day between trees, mud, tall grass, and even taller grass that was higher than myself, which made it a bit difficult to navigate. But once again, the surroundings were beautiful, and finally it was only a few hundred metres of ascent and descent.

    After arriving at the hut, I could feel that the migraine, which has been a bit on and off over the past few days, had come to stay. After nearly a week’s break without long hiking days, my body had to get going again, and it wasn’t entirely happy about that. So I put in my earplugs and went to sleep already at 6 p.m., which I very much needed.    Read more

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  • Gitte JensenEventyr i New ZealandTraveler
    111

    Boundary Hut - Mavora Lake

    Feb 11–12 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Jeg sov længe og var stadig ikke helt på toppen, men vidste, at de kommende 16 km gik langs en 4WD-sporet vej og mest af alt ligeud. Målet var derfor at komme til den næste hytte to timer længere fremme, og derfra ville jeg se, hvordan jeg havde det. Her holdt jeg pause, hvor jeg mødte en NOBO, en nordgående vandrer, som jeg faldt i snak med i en times tid, inden jeg bestemte mig for at gå videre mod Mavora Lake. Det gik bedre end forventet, men solen gav sig til kende uden meget skygge på vejen, og det lille spot, jeg fandt ved et koldt vandløb ved en større busk, blev til en tiltrængt pause i skyggen.

    Da jeg endelig ankom til Mavora Lake ved 17-tiden, fandt jeg hurtigt en plads og slog mit telt op og nød udsigten.

    Jeg havde på forhånd bestemt mig for at hitche de kommende 40 km grusvej og tage videre til Te Anau for at have nogle hviledage, og eftersom jeg var ankommet senere på dagen, var der ingen campere eller biler, som kørte væk fra søen denne dag, og det passede mig fint at vente til næste morgen.

    ————

    I slept in and still wasn’t quite feeling my best, but I knew that the next 16 km followed a 4WD track and were mostly flat and straight. The goal was therefore to reach the next hut two hours further ahead, and from there I would see how I felt. I took a break there and met a NOBO, a northbound hiker and we ended up chatting for about an hour before I decided to continue on towards Mavora Lake. It went better than expected, but the sun made itself known with very little shade along the way, and the small spot I found by a cold stream next to a larger bush turned into a much-needed break in the shade.

    When I finally arrived at Mavora Lake around 5 p.m., I quickly found a spot, pitched my tent, and enjoyed the view.

    I had already decided in advance to hitch the upcoming 40 km of gravel road and continue on to Te Anau to take a few rest days. Since I had arrived later in the day, there were no campers or cars leaving the lake that day, which suited me perfectly, as I could simply wait until the next morning.    Read more

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  • Gitte JensenEventyr i New ZealandTraveler
    111

    Mavora Lake - Te Anau

    Feb 12–15 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Næste sektion gik langs en grusvej, som jeg på forhånd havde bestemt mig for at hitche, da jeg bare gerne ville til Te Anau og slappe ordentligt af og købe mad!

    Jeg startede med at gå få kilometer langs grusvejen, inden en bil stoppede og tog mig med hele vejen ud til en større trafikeret vej. Her mødte jeg en vandrer, som jeg havde mødt nogle dage forinden i Greenstone Hut. Vi valgte at hitche sammen ind til Te Anau. Det tog dog noget tid, inden en bil stoppede og tog os med. Vi smed vores tasker på ladet af bilen og fik klemt os ind på forsædet. Vi kørte med en landmand, der snakkede løs i 45 minutter om, hvordan de flytter dyrene rundt på de forskellige marker, og mange andre ting, som jeg ikke forstod så meget af, da hans accent var meget stærk og mumlende.

    Da alt var fuldt booket de kommende dage i Te Anau, bookede jeg en teltplads på en af campingpladserne for de kommende dage. Den første overnatning var den hidtil varmeste, jeg har haft på Sydøen, med 16 grader om natten, hvilket blev det stik modsatte to dage senere, hvor nattetemperaturen ramte to grader.

    Højdepunktet i Te Anau blev en spontan udflugt til Milford Sound sammen med to andre vandrere, som jeg havde mødt nogle dage forinden. Det var ret fantastisk pludselig at stige på en bus med guidet tur og derefter en bådtur bestående af utallige vandfald! Her fik vi både set delfiner, sæler og den store kea-fugl på tilbagevejen.

    ————

    The next section followed a gravel road, which I had already decided to hitch, as I just wanted to get to Te Anau to properly relax and buy food!

    I started by walking a few kilometres along the gravel road before a car stopped and took me all the way out to a larger main road. There, I met a hiker I had run into a few days earlier at Greenstone Hut. We decided to hitch together into Te Anau. However, it took a while before a car stopped and picked us up. We threw our backpacks onto the back of the vehicle and squeezed ourselves into the front seat. We were riding with a farmer who talked non-stop for 45 minutes about how they move the animals between different paddocks and many other things that I didn’t understand much of, as his accent was very strong and mumbled.

    Since everything was fully booked in Te Anau for the coming days, I booked a tent site at one of the campgrounds for the next few nights. The first night was the warmest I’ve had so far on the South Island, with 16 degrees at night, which turned into the complete opposite two days later, when the night temperature dropped to two degrees.

    The highlight of Te Anau was a spontaneous trip to Milford Sound together with two other hikers I had met a few days earlier. It was quite amazing to suddenly board a guided bus tour and then go on a boat trip surrounded by countless waterfalls! We even saw dolphins, seals, and the large kea bird on the way back.    Read more

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  • Gitte JensenEventyr i New ZealandTraveler
    111

    Te Anau - Tuatapere - Longwood wild Camp

    Feb 15–17 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Jeg tog videre mod Tuatapere, hvor jeg skulle mødes med Svea igen, inden vi påbegyndte Longwoods. Fra Te Anau fik jeg et lift med et newzealandsk par, som jeg havde snakket med dagen forinden. De kørte mig til den næste by, selvom de skulle den modsatte vej mod Queenstown, hvilket var utrolig sødt af dem. Herefter hitchhikede jeg videre mod Tuatapere med et par, som levede af at flyve turister rundt i området i helikopter. Tuatapere er i New Zealand kendt for deres pølser, hvilket ærligt talt var en lille smule skuffende, men et eller andet skal byen brande sig selv på.

    Dagen efter tog vi med en shuttle med en, der gik under navnet Sausage Queen, som kørte os til starten af Longwoods. Nu bliver der taget hul på de sidste 150 km til Bluff. En meget mærkelig fornemmelse, at det er ved at være slut! Det sidste rigtige trail går igennem den berømte Longwood Forest, som bl.a. består af 3 km mudderparadis, der er meget omdiskuteret.

    Vi startede med at følge en flok får fem km langs en grusvej. Herefter begyndte det første stykke mudder, men vejret og humøret var stadig relativt okay. Vi gik imellem eukalyptustræer, som duftede i regnen. Herefter begyndte det at blæse og regne, temperaturen faldt langsomt, og samtidig faldt humøret! Da vi efter nogle km havde nået toppen, gik det ned ad en simpel grusvej, hvor vi længere nede slog vores telte op og fik startet et bål, som reddede dagen! Senere på aftenen kom en nordgående vandrer, som var godt gennemblødt og mudret, og som var ret så taknemmelig for, at vi havde lavet bål. Han havde fødselsdag, så vi sang fødselsdagssang for ham og lavede varm chokolade.

    ————

    I continued on towards Tuatapere, where I was going to meet Svea again before we began the Longwoods section. From Te Anau, I got a lift with a New Zealand couple I had spoken with the day before. They drove me to the next town, even though they were actually heading in the opposite direction towards Queenstown, which was incredibly kind of them. From there, I hitchhiked further towards Tuatapere with a couple who make a living flying tourists around the area in a helicopter. Tuatapere is known in New Zealand for its sausages, which, to be honest, was a little disappointing, but every town needs something to brand itself with.

    The next day, we took a shuttle with someone who went by the name “Sausage Queen,” who drove us to the start of the Longwoods. Now the final 150 km to Bluff begins. It’s a very strange feeling that it’s almost over! The last real trail goes through the famous Longwood Forest, which, among other things, includes 3 km of mud paradise that is much debated.

    We started by following a flock of sheep for five kilometres along a gravel road. After that, the first stretch of mud began, but the weather and our mood were still relatively okay. We walked among eucalyptus trees that released their scent in the rain. Then the wind picked up, the rain intensified, the temperature slowly dropped and so did our mood! After a few kilometres, when we reached the top, the trail descended along a simple gravel road, where we pitched our tents further down and managed to start a fire that saved the day! Later that evening, a northbound hiker arrived, completely soaked and covered in mud, and he was very grateful that we had made a fire. It was his birthday, so we sang happy birthday to him and made hot chocolate.    Read more

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  • Gitte JensenEventyr i New ZealandTraveler
    11

    Longwood - Martins hut

    Feb 17–18 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Efter en kold nat skulle teltet pakkes sammen i regnvejr og tåge, og vi vidste allerede på det tidspunkt, at det ville blive en meget lang dag, men vi vidste ikke, hvor slemt mudderet ville blive.

    Kort tid efter vi var startet, begyndte Longwood at vise sig fra sin mere mudrede side. Samtidig begyndte det at regne mere, og så snart vi gik i et åbent stykke, blev vi gennemblæst af vinden. Det var mentalt og fysisk den hårdeste dag, jeg har haft på turen indtil videre. Undervejs fandt vi heldigvis nogle øjeblikke, hvor vi kunne grine af hinanden, da det hele var håbløst, og vi begge frøs utrolig meget, hvilket de 7 grader ikke hjalp meget på. Vi var ikke i tvivl om, hvornår vi havde passeret de tre kilometer mudder, som skulle være de værste, da det blev mindre dybt.

    Svea gik den sidste kilometer i forvejen, da jeg var helt tom for energi. Pludselig kunne jeg lugte røg og vidste, at hytten nærmede sig, og at Svea havde fået gang i et bål, hvilket var yderst tiltrængt. Efter to timer ankom nogle andre vandrere, som havde kunnet lugte røgen fra bålet på afstand, og som var meget taknemlige for det! Vi endte med at sove syv personer i en lille firemandshytte, hvor dem på gulvet holdt gang i bålet i løbet af natten.

    ————

    After a cold night, we had to pack up the tent in rain and fog, and we already knew at that point that it would be a very long day, but we had no idea how bad the mud would get.

    Shortly after we started, Longwood began to show its muddier side. At the same time, the rain intensified, and whenever we crossed an open section, we were blasted by the wind. It was mentally and physically the hardest day I’ve had on the trail so far. Along the way, we fortunately found moments where we could laugh at each other, because the whole situation felt hopeless, and we were both freezing - something the 7 degrees certainly didn’t help with. We had no doubt when we had passed the three kilometres of mud that were supposed to be the worst, as it finally became less deep.

    Svea walked the last kilometre ahead of me, as I was completely out of energy. Suddenly, I could smell smoke and knew that the hut was close and that Svea had managed to get a fire going, which was incredibly needed. Two hours later, some other hikers arrived, who had been able to smell the smoke from the fire from a distance and were very grateful for it! In the end, seven of us slept in a small four-person hut, with those on the floor keeping the fire going throughout the night.    Read more

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  • Gitte JensenEventyr i New ZealandTraveler
    1Finally some sun11Goodbye worst forrest everHi to the ocean4

    Martins Hut - Riverton

    Feb 18–19 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Vi forlod den sidste hytte, som vi har overnattet i på Te Araroa Trail, hvilket var en meget speciel følelse! Herefter gik det igennem det sidste mudrede stykke af Longwoods. På vejen så vi den sidste hytte, som vi vurderede til at være den anden værste hytte på hele turen, men som var yderst rustikal! Hytten var beskrevet som en historisk hytte, hvilket den levede op til.

    På vejen ud af Longwoods dukkede solen endelig op, hvilket var tiltrængt. Da vi endelig kom ud af Longwoods, ventede der et par kilometer grusvej, inden vi ankom til Riverton. Vi burde have kunnet se havet de seneste tre dage samt endestationen Bluff, men grundet dårligt vejr blev det først muligt i dag.

    Eftersom det havde taget tre timer længere at komme ud af skoven, end vi havde regnet med, var vi godt sultne, da vi kom til Riverton, da lysten til chokolade, müslibarer og kartoffelmos på det seneste er forsvundet. Vi fandt derfor byens bedste burger, hvilket var en af de bedre.

    ————

    We left the last hut we would stay in on the Te Araroa Trail, which was a very special feeling! After that, we made our way through the final muddy stretch of the Longwoods. Along the way, we passed the last hut, which we judged to be the second worst hut of the entire trip, though certainly very rustic! The hut was described as a historic hut, which it definitely lived up to.

    On our way out of the Longwoods, the sun finally appeared, which was much needed. When we finally emerged from the forest, a few kilometres of gravel road awaited before we arrived in Riverton. We should have been able to see the ocean over the past three days, as well as the final destination, Bluff, but due to bad weather, it only became possible today.

    Since it had taken three hours longer than expected to get out of the forest, we were quite hungry when we reached Riverton, as our appetite for chocolate, muesli bars, and mashed potatoes had recently disappeared. So we found the best burger in town, which turned out to be a pretty good one.    Read more

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  • Gitte JensenEventyr i New ZealandTraveler
    213,000 km. done, only 58 km. left11Bluff I'm coming!!1

    Riverton - Invercargill

    Feb 19–20 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌬 18 °C

    Anden sidste dag på Te Araroa og 30 km langs stranden mod Invercargill. Vejret var perfekt med medvind hele vejen og solskin.

    I dag blev 3.000 km-mærket krydset, hvilket blev fejret med gulerodskage og cola! Derefter er der kun 58 km til skiltet i Bluff. Midt på stranden kom der en gruppe andre vandrere, som havde overnattet det samme sted som os. Vi har set dem on/off de seneste dage og slutter også med dem i Bluff.

    Det var ret specielt at gå langs stranden som en af de sidste dage, når de første dage af turen startede på 90 Mile Beach. Det vækkede derfor også mange minder frem fra de seneste måneder og alt, hvad jeg har oplevet.

    Efter stranden kørte vi med en ældre dame, der havde været nede på stranden for at lufte sin hund, mod Invercargill, hvor vi havde booket et hostel. Her mødte vi flere andre vandrere, som havde afsluttet deres eventyr dagen før, eller som også skulle til at afslutte deres i løbet af de kommende dage.

    ————

    Second-to-last day on Te Araroa and 30 km along the beach towards Invercargill. The weather was perfect, with tailwind the entire way and sunshine.

    Today, we crossed the 3,000 km mark, which was celebrated with carrot cake and Coke! After that, there are only 58 km left to the sign in Bluff. In the middle of the beach, a group of other hikers appeared who had stayed at the same place as us the night before. We’ve seen them on and off over the past few days and will also finish with them in Bluff.

    It felt quite special to walk along the beach on one of the final days, considering that the first days of the journey had started on Ninety Mile Beach. It brought back many memories from the past months and everything I’ve experienced.

    After the beach, we got a ride with an elderly lady who had been down at the beach walking her dog, heading towards Invercargill, where we had booked a hostel. There, we met several other hikers who had finished their adventure the day before or were about to finish theirs in the coming days.    Read more

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  • Gitte JensenEventyr i New ZealandTraveler
    1

    Invercargill - Bluff Freedom Camp

    Feb 20–21 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌬 13 °C

    Vi håbede, at vi i dag skulle slutte af for enden af Sydøen i Bluff efter at have været undervejs i fem måneder. Vejret ville dog desværre noget andet, hvilket har været meget karakteriserende for hele turen, da New Zealand har oplevet en af deres værste somre i mange år, som har bestået af store mængder regn og mange storme.

    Vi startede derfor med at tage afsted til formiddag, da vi først ventede på, at det stoppede med at hagle. Men da vi var kommet afsted, begyndte det at regne, og vi fandt en god café og håbede, at det snart stoppede. Da vi gik videre ud af byen, kom solen, hvorefter det igen begyndte at regne, og vi søgte ly det næste sted. Sådan fortsatte det de første tre timer, hvor vi fik bevæget os små fem km ud af byen. Da vinden tiltog, og det begyndte at tordne, havde vi fået nok og bestilte en Uber mod Bluff Freedom Camp, hvilket var målet for dagen efter at have set vejrudsigten. Vi indså derfor også, at vi ikke ville nå frem til enden af New Zealand i dag, men at det måtte vente til dagen efter.

    Vi blev derfor kørt 15 km ud af byen mod Bluff, hvor vejret ikke ligefrem blev meget bedre. Vi blev sat af 5 km før Bluff Freedom Camp, hvor vi gik langs en cykelsti lige ved siden af motorvejen. Det var ikke specielt spændende, specielt ikke når store lastbiler susede forbi i regnen, og man blev blæst et stykke væk fra stien.

    Da vi endelig ankom til campstedet, og de andre syv fra dagen før dukkede op, og ingen af os var interesserede i at slå vores telte op i det meget dårlige vejr, som også var prognosticeret for natten, blev det lidt af et Tetris-spil at få plads til os alle indenfor i de små hytter, der var, samt i en campingvogn, men det lykkedes!

    ————

    We had hoped that today we would finish at the very end of the South Island in Bluff after having been on the road for five months. Unfortunately, the weather had other plans, which has been very characteristic of the entire trip, as New Zealand has experienced one of its worst summers in many years, consisting of heavy rainfall and numerous storms.

    We therefore set off late in the morning, as we first had to wait for the hail to stop. But once we got going, it started raining, and we found a nice café and hoped it would stop soon. When we continued out of town, the sun came out, only for it to start raining again, and we sought shelter at the next possible place. This continued for the first three hours, during which we managed to move only about five kilometres out of town. When the wind picked up and it started thundering, we had had enough and ordered an Uber towards Bluff Freedom Camp, which had become the goal for the day after checking the forecast. We realised that we wouldn’t reach the very end of New Zealand that day and that it would have to wait until the following day.

    We were driven 15 kilometres out of town towards Bluff, where the weather didn’t improve much. We were dropped off 5 kilometres before Bluff Freedom Camp and walked along a cycle path right next to the highway. It wasn’t particularly exciting, especially not when large trucks rushed past in the rain and the wind nearly blew you off the path.

    When we finally arrived at the campsite and the other seven from the previous day showed up, none of us were interested in pitching our tents in the terrible weather, which was also forecast for the night. It turned into a bit of a Tetris game to fit all of us inside the small cabins available, as well as a caravan, but we made it work!    Read more

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  • Gitte JensenEventyr i New ZealandTraveler
    2
    Last 1 km. of Te Araroa11

    Bluff Freedom Camp - Bluff (3,058 km.)

    Feb 21–22 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    ENDELIG! MERE END 3.058 KM SENERE

    Vi tog afsted mod Te Araroas sidste 10 km mod skiltet i Bluff, heldigvis med væsentligt bedre vejr end dagen forinden! Det var med en meget underlig følelse, at slutningen nærmede sig.

    Vi gik langs kysten, hvilket var en bedre afslutning end at skulle have gået langs vejen. Desto nærmere vi kom mod enden, desto mere emotionelt blev det. Specielt den sidste km blev øjnene en smule våde, og da jeg stod foran skiltet, var det med lettelse, men også med en tom fornemmelse af, at Te Araroa-trailen var overstået, og at de orange markeringer nu ikke længere skulle følges.

    Det har været en vanvittig oplevelse med mange op- og nedture, men en uforglemmelig en af slagsen. Jeg har oplevet fantastisk natur og mødt en masse forskellige mennesker, som jeg i den grad ikke havde forestillet mig inden.

    I morgen går turen videre mod Stewart Island (New Zealands tredje største ø, lidt syd for Sydøen), hvor jeg de kommende seks dage vandrer en smule rundt og oplever dyreriget, hvor der skulle være en meget god chance for at se mindst én kiwi løbe rundt.

    ————

    FINALLY! MORE THAN 3,058 KM LATER

    We set off for the final 10 km of Te Araroa towards the sign in Bluff, fortunately with significantly better weather than the day before! It was a very strange feeling knowing the end was approaching.

    We walked along the coast, which was a much better way to finish than having to walk along the road. The closer we got to the end, the more emotional it became. Especially during the last kilometre, my eyes became slightly teary, and when I stood in front of the sign, it was with relief, but also with an empty feeling that the Te Araroa Trail was over and that the orange markers no longer needed to be followed.

    It has been a crazy experience with many ups and downs, but an unforgettable one. I’ve experienced incredible nature and met so many different people - far more than I could ever have imagined beforehand.

    Tomorrow, the journey continues to Stewart Island (New Zealand’s third-largest island, just south of the South Island), where I’ll spend the next six days hiking around a bit and exploring the wildlife. There’s said to be a very good chance of seeing at least one kiwi running around.    Read more

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  • Gitte JensenEventyr i New ZealandTraveler
    1

    Stewart Island

    Feb 22–27 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌬 14 °C

    Afsted det gik fra Bluff med færgen til Stewart Island, som var en af de mere hoppende/gyngende færger, jeg har været med i i meget lang tid. Det var heldigvis overstået efter en times tid. Jeg var ret så glad for, at jeg allerede havde booket flyveren til turen hjemad.

    Den første aften tog jeg på pingvintur langs kysten, hvor jeg håbede at spotte nogle. Jeg så noget svømme rundt i vandet, så jeg fik overbevist mig selv om, at det må have været to pingviner.

    Dagen efter startede jeg på en såkaldt Great Walk, hvilket betyder, at de er tilgængelige for alle, og at der er bygget broer selv over de mindste vandløb. Om aftenen var min plan at lytte/kigge efter kiwifugle, men jeg kom ikke ud af teltet, da det regnede og blæste en del.

    Om morgenen vågnede jeg op til en flot solopgang og nød min langsomme morgen med varm kakao. Derefter gik jeg videre til det næste campsted, hvor der desværre ikke var nogen udsigt, da det var midt i skoven.

    Næste morgen vågnede jeg med ondt i halsen og meget lidt energi, og det viste sig senere på dagen, at jeg havde fået mig en rigtig træls forkølelse. De resterende planer, som jeg havde for de kommende dage på Stewart Island, blev derfor desværre ikke til noget, og siden alt på øen var fuldt optaget, blev jeg de resterende dage i mit telt i Oban (øens eneste by), indtil jeg kunne flyve tilbage mod Invercargill.

    ———

    Off I went from Bluff by ferry to Stewart Island, which was one of the more bumpy and rocking ferry rides I’ve experienced in a very long time. Fortunately, it was over after about an hour. I was quite happy that I had already booked a flight for the journey back.

    On the first evening, I went on a penguin tour along the coast, hoping to spot some. I saw something swimming around in the water, so I convinced myself that it must have been two penguins.

    The next day, I started one of the so-called Great Walks, which means they are accessible to everyone and that bridges have been built even over the smallest streams. In the evening, my plan was to listen and look for kiwi birds, but I didn’t get out of my tent because it was raining and quite windy.

    In the morning, I woke up to a beautiful sunrise and enjoyed a slow morning with hot cocoa. Afterwards, I continued to the next campsite, where unfortunately there was no view, as it was in the middle of the forest.

    The following morning, I woke up with a sore throat and very little energy, and later that day it became clear that I had caught a really annoying cold. The remaining plans I had for the coming days on Stewart Island unfortunately had to be cancelled, and since everything on the island was fully booked, I spent the remaining days in my tent in Oban (the island’s only town) until I could fly back to Invercargill.    Read more

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  • Gitte JensenEventyr i New ZealandTraveler
    Flight to Invercargill
    1Sun in AucklandSold out...Full Moon Walk1

    Auckland

    Feb 27–Mar 8 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    En update fra de seneste lidt kaotiske dage i New Zealand.

    I Invercargill besøgte jeg et par, jeg havde mødt på nordøen og fulgtes lidt med der, og det var ret hyggeligt at mødes med dem igen. Dagen efter skulle de køre mig til lufthavnen, hvorfra jeg skulle flyve til Auckland og derfra videre til München med mellemlanding i Melbourne samt Dubai. Jeg gik dog i seng med en breaking nyhed om urolighederne i Mellemøsten og havde på fornemmelsen, at min flyafgang ville blive påvirket. Jeg vågnede næste morgen med aflyst fly - jeg var dog glad for, at jeg ikke var kommet afsted med en afgang tidligere, da de efter otte timer blev nødt til at vende om og landede tilbage i Auckland efter 16 timer.

    Jeg fik derfor travlt med at ordne praktiske ting, da jeg ikke var forberedt på at blive længere i New Zealand. Jeg skulle derfor have genaktiveret mit newzealandske simkort, så jeg kunne ringe diverse steder og have mobildata igen. Samtidig skulle jeg have fat i en ny forsikring, da jeg ikke længere var dækket på min rejse, hvilket har været ret svært, da mange ikke vil dække én, når man allerede er ude at rejse eller de er først gældende efter et par dage. Jeg skulle finde et sted at være i Auckland på en dag-til-dag-situation, og lige pludselig hobede der sig mange ting op. Tidsforskellen har dog gjort, at det hele har været lidt mere besværligt i forhold til at få en forsikring igennem hurtigst muligt.

    Jeg fik ombooket mit fly fra Invercargill til dagen efter, da jeg simpelthen ikke kunne overskue det hele, og da jeg på daværende tidspunkt kun havde to timer til, at jeg skulle flyve - fik jeg det ombooket. Derefter fik jeg aktiveret mit simkort, og jeg kunne begynde at ringe til Emirates, hvilket var en større tålmodighedsopgave. Derfra er jeg blevet ombooket til en ny afgang, som er blevet aflyst gang på gang.

    Hver gang har jeg skullet ringe til Emirates for at blive booket på næste fly – nogle dage har jeg ringet omkring 20 gange for at komme igennem til køen, hvor man efter en times tid kunne snakke med en. Der har dog ikke været meget information omkring aflysningerne, men heldigvis har Auckland Airports hjemmeside opdateret deres flyafgange, og der kunne jeg se, at de var aflyste.

    De seneste dage har jeg forsøgt at finde en anden vej hjem og fulgt nøje med i udviklingen af prisen på flybilletterne, som er steget ret meget. Efter fem dage havde jeg fået nok og så en relativ billig flybillet hjem. Jeg havde dog i det øjeblik ikke mit pas på mig og skyndte mig hjem, og omkring en time senere var billetten blevet tre gange så dyr. Jeg købte den i ren panik!

    Så nu flyver jeg hjem den 8. marts over Australien samt Canada, hvilket bliver omkring en 40 timers tur. Jeg havde søgt mange andre muligheder, men havde ikke lyst til at have mellemlandinger i USA, Indien, Pakistan eller Tyrkiet, så jeg tager den anden vej rundt. De mere direkte ruter over Asien bliver meget hurtigt udsolgt!

    I mellemtiden er jeg hos en sød ældre dame i udkanten af Auckland, kun 15 minutter fra stranden, hvor solen skinner. Den første aften tog hun mig med ned ad vejen, hvor et hus om aftenen skulle køres til en anden by med lastbil, hvilket var ret fascinerende at se!

    Min krop er ret træt efter hele vandreeventyret, men lige så træt er jeg mentalt lige nu efter de seneste dage. Jeg er mere end klar til at komme hjem nu!

    ————

    An update from the last few slightly chaotic days in New Zealand.

    In Invercargill I visited a couple I had met on the North Island and had hiked with for a bit there, and it was really nice to see them again. The next day they were supposed to drive me to the airport, from where I would fly to Auckland and then continue to Munich with stopovers in Melbourne and Dubai.

    However, I went to bed after hearing breaking news about the unrest in the Middle East, and I had a feeling that my flight might be affected. The next morning I woke up to a cancelled flight. I was actually relieved that I hadn’t left on an earlier departure, as that flight had to turn around after eight hours and landed back in Auckland after 16 hours.

    I suddenly had a lot of practical things to sort out, as I hadn’t planned to stay longer in New Zealand. I had to reactivate my New Zealand SIM card so I could make calls and have mobile data again. At the same time, I needed to find new travel insurance because I was no longer covered on my trip, which turned out to be quite difficult since many companies won’t insure you once you are already travelling.

    I also had to find a place to stay in Auckland on a day-to-day basis, and suddenly many things piled up at once. The time difference made everything a bit more complicated when trying to get insurance sorted as quickly as possible.

    I rebooked my flight from Invercargill to the following day because I simply couldn’t deal with everything at once, especially since I only had two hours left before my original departure. After that I reactivated my SIM card and started calling Emirates, which required quite a bit of patience. I kept getting rebooked on new flights that were then cancelled again and again.

    Every time I had to call Emirates to be rebooked onto the next flight. Some days I had to call around 20 times just to get through to the queue, and after about an hour of waiting I could finally speak with someone. There was very little information about the cancellations, but fortunately the website of Auckland Airport kept updating their departures, so I could at least see when the flights had been cancelled.

    Over the past few days I’ve been trying to find another way home and closely watching the prices of flights, which have increased quite a lot. After five days I had had enough and saw a relatively cheap ticket home. At that moment I didn’t have my passport with me, so I rushed home, and about an hour later the ticket had become three times as expensive. I bought it in pure panic.

    So now I’m flying home on March 8 via Australia and Canada, which will be around a 40-hour journey. I looked at many other options, but I didn’t want stopovers in the US, India, Pakistan, or Turkey, so I’m basically going the other way around the world.

    In the meantime I’m staying with a sweet elderly lady on the outskirts of Auckland, only 15 minutes from the beach, where the sun is shining. On the first evening she took me down the road where a house was being transported to another town during the night – it was quite fascinating to watch.

    My body is very tired after the whole hiking adventure, but mentally I’m just as exhausted after the past few days. I’m more than ready to come home now.    Read more

    See translation
    Trip end
    March 10, 2026
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