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Going Down Under
  • Michael Meyer

Going Down Under

A 52-day adventure by Michael Read more
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  • Trip start
    January 28, 2020
    Michael MeyerGoing Down UnderTraveler

    The adventure begins

    January 28, 2020 in Germany ⋅ 🌙 4 °C

    One our before start... Boarding should start in a moment. Nervosity is more and more changing to happiness. I am looking forward to my first A380-flight. Next stop will be Dubai.

  • Michael MeyerGoing Down UnderTraveler

    Unbelievable - Upgrade to Business

    January 29, 2020 in the United Arab Emirates ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    Flight from Frankfurt to Dubai was pretty smooth. The space in the A380 is impressive. I almost did not feel the take off in that big bird. Security check at Dubai Airport was super fast. Dubai airport is not very spectacular, the waiting areas outside the gates are nice though. Just got to the gate and then came the big surprise: I have been upgraded to Business Class. So now I am superexcited😁Read more

  • Michael MeyerGoing Down UnderTraveler

    WiFi in the sky

    January 29, 2020, Indian Ocean ⋅ 🌙 14 °C

    Flying Business Class with Emirates is really an experience. A really luxurious start into eight weeks of adventure - not necessary, but nice. I have so much space here, unlimited drinks and nice food. Sleeping is also great when being able to lay down completely.

    Right now I am making use of 2 hours of free WiFi (would also be possible in Economy.

    Another 4.5 hours to go. Then I will be in New Zealand :)    Read more

  • Michael MeyerGoing Down UnderTraveler

    First (little) volcano - Mount Eden

    January 30, 2020 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌙 22 °C

    Yeah, I am in New Zealand. Immigration was fairly easy. If I had realized on time, that, as a German, I could have used the automatic passport control, it would have been even faster. Baggage inspection was relatively quick and no control at all because of the corona virus. Showering at the hostel after such a long travel was a pleasure and helped to get a little over the tiredness. The weather is perfect, a bit cloudy though, but a very nice temperature between 25 and 30 degree centigrade. In the evening I went up Mount Eden, a dead volcano almost in the middle of Auckland. The view over the city is wonderful. Just came back into the hostel and am very tired now. Hopefully I can sleep well and adapt fast to the twelve hours of time difference🙃Read more

  • Michael MeyerGoing Down UnderTraveler
    Fernery
    FerneryAuckland DomainTree in Albert ParkRose gardenPond in between the Wintergarden greenhousesHobson Bay walkwayAlbert ParkHobson Bay walkwayAuckland Museum

    The green Auckland

    February 1, 2020 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    After a "not having to tell much about"-day yesterday - I basically was strolling around Auckland downtown until the early afternoon, did not like it very much because of loads of traffic and construction sites and spent the whole afternoon in the hostel then (tired, jetlag?) - today was a really nice day again. I have been walking more than 25 km and hit many green spots of the town. I really enjoyed Albert Park, was impressed by the parts of the university campus I was walking through, went through the "wild" parts of "Auckland Domain" (somehow the "English Garden" of Auckland), was pleased by the "Wintergarden" greenhouses and particularly by the fernery ("Farngarten") and walked along Hobson Bay on a partly adventurous walkway ending in an deadend. In between I spent some two hours in the "Auckland Museum" with e.g. historical Maori stuff, New Zealand's flora and fauna or New Zealand's war history on display.

    Tomorrow in the early morning I am going to head off Auckland some two hundred kilometer northwards to Prahia. I certainly have not made the optimum made of my stay in Auckland but, anyway, I will at least come back once before my flight back to Europe.    Read more

  • Michael MeyerGoing Down UnderTraveler
    The hole in the rock
    Cape Brett LighthouseBay of islandsYummy :)

    About sheep, dolphins and a hole

    February 2, 2020 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    This morning I had to get up very early (after a night of having slept very badly) to catch the bus up north (into the heat!) at 7:30 from Auckland downtown. The four hour drive was mainly through an area that could look alike in Central Europe. Where are all the New Zealand sheep? I saw many cows but only a few sheep. Probably, I even saw more horses than sheep. Today's destination was Paihia in the Bay of Islands at the Pacific shore. The area is beautiful, but also remembers me a bit at the area around Split in Croatia. I did not have a lot of time to relax because for the afternoon I had booked a boat trip in the bay going to the hole in the rock. The hole is nice but not unique. On our way back we saw dolphins. However, unfortunately, they were gone again very quickly and not so easy to see from the big vessel. After the trip I was really tired and only got up once again to have a nice dinner. I hope to be able to sleep better this night, what, however, is unlikely because it is tremendously hot in the hostel.Read more

  • Michael MeyerGoing Down UnderTraveler
    Ninety Mile Beach
    Puketi ForestPuketi ForestCoffee StopNinety Mile BeachNinety Mile BeachNinety Mile BeachSandboarding duneSandboarding

    Driving on 90 mile beach

    February 3, 2020 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    First of all: Today has been by far the best day of my trip so far😀Again I had to get up rather early because I was picked up by a tourbus at 7:20. Sunrise was just over and it looked like another beautiful summer day. We were a group of sixteen people heading up north to the Ninety Mile Beach and Cape Reinga, the most northern point of New Zealand where Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean come together. Our driver and guide was a funny guy and had prepared a nice playlist for the long drive. Our first stop was Puketi forest and I have to say I was completely flashed by this awesome beauty of nature with many ferns, so many different tones of green and the quietness - except from the birds - that originated from the forest. The actual highlights were the Kauri trees - the tallest trees in New Zealand -, but for me it was the forest in total. Unfortunately, we had only 10 minutes in the forest, I could have spent at least half a day there. I think, that was the first moment of my trip when I really felt why I wanted to come to New Zealand and to do this journey. The further drive went through landscape I would call a mixture between Central European and Mediteranean. When we arrived at Ninety Mile Beach, the driver had to check the entrance way first and then he drove with high speed through the deep sand close to the dunes to reach the flatter and harder part of the beach. Ninety Mile Beach is an official highway! Well apparently it was too fast because the fan belt tore and it took about two hours for a mechanic to come and fix it. So, we had a very long stop on the - particularly because of its dimensions - impressive beach. Although being a highway there was not much traffic. Two hours later we could finally drive on the beach. After driving on the beach we made our way further towards Cape Reinga, but one more highlight waited before: Sandboarding on a huge and beautiful dune. That was real fun, but also exhausting walking up the dune. Anyway, it was worth it. I was the only one doing it four times😄Read more

  • Michael MeyerGoing Down UnderTraveler
    Fish and ChipsFish and Chips Place in a bay

    Cape Reinga

    February 3, 2020 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    After the sandboarding we basically were sandy everywhere and brought a lot of sand into the coach. Cape Reinga was not far away - another impressive and awesome place. Though certainly being comparable to Cape of Good Hope, I very much enjoyed its beauty. The different colors of Tasman Sea and Pacific were well to be seen. Well, nevertheless, we had to start our way back to the Bay of Islands - being two hours behind schedule. Our driver had a surprise for us: to indemnify for the inconvenience we had because of the mechanical breakdown the tour company would pay the fish and chips for us. We would have stopped to have it anyway, but it would have been at our own expenses. That was nice and tasty. Back at the hostel I took a long shower to get rid of the sand. Now, I am really tired, but happy. It feels as if now my trip has actually started.

    By the way, today I saw way more sheep than yesterday, but also many cows again. Sheep have definitely overtaken horses now, however, about cows I am not really sure. I think cows are still in the lead...    Read more

  • Michael MeyerGoing Down UnderTraveler
    Waitangi Trail
    Waitangi TrailWaitangi TrailWaitangi TrailWaitangi TrailHauru FallsPaihiaPaihiaBus to Rotorua

    Power breakdown, Waitangi Trail and bus

    February 4, 2020 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    Today was a travel day, at least from 1:30 pm to 10:30 pm. After waking up and checking out from the hostel, I actually wanted to visit the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, where back on February 6th 1840 the Waitangi Treaty between several Maori tribes and the British Crown had been signed which in fact is New Zealand's founding document. February 6th today still is the National Public Holiday, Waitangi Day. Well, when I got there I was informed that one building could not be visited due to presence of the Prime Minister and all the other buildings because of a power breakdown (as I later got to know that the breakdown was in the whole village of Paihia or maybe even in the entire Northland region). I decided not go in: I considered 40 dollars for just seing the grounds without any buildings too much. An alternative was quickly found: I walked the Waitangi trail through a Mangrove forest up to the Hauru falls - a decent 5 km-trail in a once again breathtaking forest with only the sounds of birds and insects and - especially on the way forward - only facing very few people. The area is even kiwi habitat but, of course, I could not spot any of these nocturnal national birds of New Zealand. Anyway, I very much enjoyed the forest and wished not being in a little hurry because I had to catch my southbound bus. Afterall, I guess, I took more out of this nature experience than I could have out of the cultural one on the treaty grounds. Then, the long bus journey began: first four hours back to Auckland, then another three and a half to Rotorua. Let's see how the next days in this area of volcanism and Maori tradition will turn out...Read more

  • Michael MeyerGoing Down UnderTraveler
    Pohutu Geyser
    Rotorua MuseumLake RotoruaGovernment GardensWeaving Workshop in Te PuiaAround the GeyserDinner PreparationWelcoming CeremonyAround the geyser at twilightGeyser at twilight

    Te Puia

    February 5, 2020 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌙 19 °C

    I started my first day in Rotorua with a great breakfast in the café next to my hostel while waiting for my laundry that I had put into the washing machine of the laundromat next door (doing laundry was necessary, I can tell you :)). I am going to have a longer stay here in Rotorua (until Sunday). I am going to do some organised tours from here. After having gotten the better part of it organised in the visitor centre, I went out to wander around a bit in the Government Gardens of Rotorua - a beautiful park, gifted by a Maori chief to the public in the second half of the 19th century, with the amazing building of the Rotorua Museum at one end of it. There was also free tour around the gardens provided by a volunteer of the museum (the museum itself is closed for making it earthquake-safe). The tour was pretty interesting giving a lot of information about the area and how the geothermal activity of the region was used for healing purposes. At 4:00 pm I was picked up to go to Te Puia ("The springs"). Te Puia belongs to a Maori tribe and is the heart of the geothermal activity of the region - Magma is only two kilometers below the surface😧. In Te Puia they also have a Maori village, a school and workshop for Maori handcraft and a Kiwi Conservation Centre. Yes, I saw my first kiwi, but only in the Conservation Centre🙃 There was a guided tour through the workshop a well as the Conservation Centre and the geothermal area. Unfortunately, we did not see the Pohutu geyser (the tallest in the southern hemisphere) erupting, but the landscape is gorgeous (of course reminding me of Iceland😄). After the tour we received a Maori welcoming and cultural ceremony - very interesting - and then a Maori dinner with parts of it cooked in a traditional way under the surface. Honestly, I was a bit disappointed of the dinner. It was more like a "mass feeding" in a modern buffet restaurant; with way more than a hundred participants it is probably not possible in a different way. It all tasted well, but the atmosphere was not really welcoming. What I enjoyed then very much again was another walk to the geyser during twilight. You cannot imagine the beauty and atmosphere! It would have been nice, though, to have more than 15 minutes to walk around.Read more

  • Michael MeyerGoing Down UnderTraveler
    Ziplining in the forest
    Waitangi Festival OhinemutuMeeting House OhinemutuIn the meeting houseBefore the zipliningZiplining in the forestZiplining in the forestZiplining in the forestRotorua Night MarketRotorua Night Market

    Waitangi Festival,Ziplining,Night Market

    February 6, 2020 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Another day with a mix of culture, action and beautiful nature😀 After a good breakfast again at the same place as yesterday, I made my way down to Lake Rotorua to the Maori village Ohinemutu. A little Waitangi Day Festival took place there with music, food and a market. Furthermore, guided tours in the village were offered. I visited the church and the cemetery and learned a little bit of Maori history in the village's meeting house which you are only allowed to enter without shoes. I spent some more time at the festival, which actually was not very different to a German "Dorffest". Then my next adventure was about to start. I got picked up to do ziplining in a forest close to Rotorua. After getting the safety equipment the group and our two very nice guides, Cheyenne and Mitch, headed out to the forest. Again, such a beautiful forest! After a short walk we stopped on a bridge and Cheyenne had some larves with her to treat a robin. The bird was a little shy and, though coming very close to her, did not pick up the larve from her hand. Second try: I took the larve on my hand and, yes, after a while the bird took it😀. Then we arrived to the first zipline. I was a little excited, but then it was so much fun😁 About 90 minutes of action and fun in the gorgeous forest, fand five more ziplines and a hanging bridge were to follow. One zipline was really long, another one really high and at the last one I even zipped upside down for a little while. I wished there would have been more ziplines to come. In between we also walked again through the forest and were provided with really interesting information about the conservation of the forest. They have many traps to kill possums and rats which are not native to New Zealand and are a massive danger to the native birdlife and flora because they eat eggs as well as leaves and other parts of the trees. The conservation program is mainly financed by the ziplining parcours. After I got back to town I treated myself on the Thursday Night Market - a streetfood market - with tasty Chinese dimsum, some lamb sticks as well as a banana caramel cake.Read more

  • Michael MeyerGoing Down UnderTraveler

    Hobbiton

    February 7, 2020 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Would you have thought that me - "the biggest Lord of the Rings and Hobbit fan ever" (having seen only one out of six films, not having red more than 80 pages of the Lord of the Rings, however the hobbit in the age of 11 or so) - would visit the filmset of Hobbiton? Well, I did it, and guess what, I enjoyed it so much😊First of all, it is located in a gorgeous landscape of the Alexander farm and, furthermore, Hobbiton itself is really pretty. Unbelievable how detailed everything is designed. Additionally, we got many interesting information about the making of the films. After the three films of Lord of the Rings, Hobbiton was removed completely and then rebuilt again for the three Hobbit films. An area, where they turnt a bunch of apple trees into plum trees by cutting of all leaves and fruit and replacing it by artificial ones was only to be seen for a total of seven seconds in all six films. In the whole filmset is only one tree completely artificial. This is due to the reason that this tree has to look sixty years younger in the Hobbit-films in comparison to Lord of the Rings. Peter Jackson considered it the only way to realise that. All 200,000 artificial leaves had to be repainted manually within a week after the filmtaking had to be postponed because Jackson had fallen sick and the original ones had bleached out. I spent very nice two hours in Hobbiton. In the end I enjoyed a free stout in "The Green Dragon Inn". After my visit to Hobbiton, I'd actually be up for watching the films, at least the Hobbit ones. Let's see whether I keep this feeling until my return to Germany😄Read more

  • Michael MeyerGoing Down UnderTraveler
    Exit of Waitomo Glowworm Cave
    Exit of Waitomo Glowworm CaveExit of Waitomo Glowworm CaveRuakuri BushwalkRuakuri BushwalkRuakuri BushwalkRuakuri Bushwalk

    Waitomo Glowworm Cave, Ruakuri Bushwalk

    February 7, 2020 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    After Hobbiton the tour continued to the Waitomo Glowworm Cave, a cave where thousands of glowworms live. The entry of the cave was not that spectacular - a "standard" limestone cave with some stalagmites and stalaktites. Could be similar in Europe... But then, we entered a boat and were taken through the part of the cave where the glowworms hang at the ceiling. That was beautiful and also fascinating in a way (there are many of them), however had expected that there would be even more. Anyway, it was really decent to see them! Unfortunately, it was forbidden to take pictures in the cave. Before heading home our guide took us on a short walk on the Ruakuri Bushwalk - once again, I am repeating myself, in a nice environment. Then he drove us back to Rotorua. In total, we were driving almost five hoursall over the day, I'd say, but it was worth it! The day ended with some beers with three of my roommates in the bar next door.Read more

  • Michael MeyerGoing Down UnderTraveler
    Hamurana
    HamuranaHamuranaHamuranaHamuranaHamuranaHamuranaHamuranaOkere FallsGreen Lake

    Hamurana, Okere Falls and more

    February 8, 2020 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Gorgeous nature anywhere - that would be kind of a good description for the day. I've spent the whole morning and afternoon with Stephen, who operates "Real Rotorua Tours" and takes travellers to non-crowded nature spots. In the morning, when a french girl was also joining, the focus was on forests, rivers and lakes, in the afternoon, when I was the only customer, the focus was on geothermal spots. The absolute highlight of the day already was the first: Harumana, an amazing forest with native New Zealand- as well as Redwood trees, a beautiful river and at the end of the trail the Harumana springs that make up the river. The three of us were the only people over there and could enjoy the colors, the birds singing as well as the silence. For the first time in my life, I saw black swans, but there were many other birds as well. We spent more than an hour over there, I could have stayed way longer! The next stop was Okere Falls, the highest waterfalls in New Zealand that are commercially rafted. We followed a nice trail in that valley. After some hot chocolate and biscuits that Stephen provided, we drove to a viewpoint between the Blue and the Green Lake. The light was not optimal though, the differences of colors were not to be seen clearly. We stopped by two more lakes and then made our way back to Rotorua. Séverine, the French, and I had lunch together at a Vietnamnese take away, then she headed on to her afternoon program and I met up with Stephen again.Read more

  • Michael MeyerGoing Down UnderTraveler
    Crater Lake
    Around the crater lakeAround the crater lakeAnother lakeKerosene CreekKerosene CreekKerosene CreekKerosene CreekAround Kerosene CreekMud pools

    Kerosene Creek, crater lakes, mudpools

    February 8, 2020 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    After some twenty minutes of driving out of town, Stephen took me on a trail up to a crater lake. The difference in vegetation was pretty interesting; from one step to the next the vegetation changed because the ground was getting hotter: moss instead of grass, plants with smaller leaves that have adapted to the hot surface... The crater lake had a wonderful color. We saw two more lakes and then drove over to "Kerosene Creek" a natural hot spring where you can have a bath. We only put our feet in though. The water temperature was almost 40°C. Our next stop were quite impressive bubbling mud pools.Read more

  • Michael MeyerGoing Down UnderTraveler
    Waikite Valley (hot springs)
    Waikite Valley (hot springs)Waikite Valley (hot springs)Cooling of the thermal poolsThermal poolsThermal poolsDinner treatRed Wood Treewalk by nightRed Wood Treewalk by nightRed Wood Treewalk by night

    Waikite Valley and Red Wood Tree Walk

    February 8, 2020 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Stephens last stop were the Waikite Valley hot springs and thermal pools that are fed by the springs. The springs are on the area of the pools. Quite impressive, the amount of hot water coming out of the earth there and making up a little creek with beautiful flora and mineralic sediments. Then, we enjoyed like half an hour in the pools. It is pretty settings, no question, but, honestly, I probably would have enjoyed it more on a cold autumn or winter day. The water temperatures in the different pools are between 36 and 40°C - just too hot for a summer day😄. Well, before heading back to town, Stephen had prepared some cold ice tea and some crackers. That was nice after the hot bath. Back in town, I felt hungry and treated myself with fish and chips and a Guinness in an Irish Pub. That was not the end of the day yet: I had the crazy idea to walk 5 km to the Red Wood Forest Treewalk (not the same forest like in the morning). The Treewalk consists of hanging bridges between the Red Wood tress, approximately ten meters above the ground (one section - the Highwalk - maybe 20 meters). By night, they have lanterns and light effects. It was nice, a bit crowded though. However, maybe it would have been even more impressive in daylight because in the dark you did not realize the height that much. After the 5 km walk back to the hostel, I felt that it had been a long day😉Read more

  • Michael MeyerGoing Down UnderTraveler
    Huka Falls
    Kuirau ParkKuirau ParkLake TaupoBlack SwanMarina in TaupoTrail to Huka FallsHuka FallsWaikato RiverWaikato River

    Huka Falls

    February 9, 2020 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    I started the day with an early morning walk just after sunrise in the Kuirau Park in Rotorua. The Kuirau Park is an area of geothermal activity almost in the middle of Rotorua. Everywhere steam rises and there is also mudpools - very nice in the early morning atmosphere. Afterwards, I went to Taupo by bus. That is just one hour south of Rotorua. Lake Taupo is quite big and pretty nice. For me, it felt a little like Lake Garda or so, when I first came to the lake shore. After some hours of doing not so much I started an about 7 km hike (one way) along Waikato river to the Huka Falls. It is a beautiful trail along the river with gorgeous views, but also a little demanding with some elevation. Furthermore, the sun was quite strong today. Anyway, I enjoyed the longer hike and it, hopefully, was a good preparation for the 20 km alpine hike I am going to do tomorrow. The Huka Falls themselves are relatively powerful, not very very high though, and nothing I would not have seen before. I have to admit, I got a little tired on the way back, but nothing to worry about... Back in town, I had to do some grocery shopping for the day hike tomorrow and the rest of the evening was rather relaxed.Read more

  • Michael MeyerGoing Down UnderTraveler

    Tongariro Crossing

    February 10, 2020 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    I had to get up really early. A few minutes before 6:00 am I was picked up by the transport service to the start of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing - one of the most famous day hikes in New Zealand. At 7:30 I started my journey through the scenic volcanic area. It was cold, I can tell you, mabe 5°C. I started out wearing a bonnet and gloves. After maybe half an hour the sun was high enough to reach the trail and then it got warmer every minute. Many people do this trail every day, so sometimes you feel like being in a big caravan on its way through the mountains. After about three quarters of an hour I took the opportunity to do a little extra walk (300 meters) to the "soda springs" - almost no people there which was wonderful. Then, the trail got steeper, until I reached a high plateau after maybe 400 meters of ascent. At the end of the plateau there is the beautiful South crater where I had a little break. Then, the steepest ascent came, another maybe 200 meters, a bit challenging, but more than doable. At the top you arrive at the highest point of the crossing, a ridge at Red crater some 1,800 meters above sea level, and can enjoy a stunning view. Volcanos, Lake Taupos, Emerald Lakes, Blue Lake and more... When you are up there, you know why you wanted to do the Crossing! 😄The descent to follow is quite tricky because it is pretty slippery with sand and gravel. I passed the Emerald Lakes and after short ascent I reached the Blue Lake where I had my lunch break. After the Blue Lake there is just one direction: down. You have a beautiful view on Lake Taupo but with the kilometers moving on it gets a bit monotonous. For some kilometers the environment does not change very much, you walk through heathlands. I did not enjoy this that much, but the last two, three kilometers were in the forest which was very nice again. Overall, it was a very beautiful 20 km hike with some 800 meters of ascent and some 1,200 of descent. Unfortunately, I had to wait very long for my transport back to Taupo. Back in Taupo, I was rather tired🙃Read more

  • Michael MeyerGoing Down UnderTraveler
    2

    Maori Rock Carvings

    February 11, 2020 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Today, was kind of a more quiet day. I slept relatively long and did not very much in the morning, except for planning the next days a bit and booking the respective busses and accomodation. In the afternoon, I went kayaking on Lake Taupo. In total, we were a group of eight including the guide Laura. I shared the kayak with Laura. It was really nice to see the surroundings from a different perspective and the kayaking was fun in general. We went to the Maori rock carvings that were only made in the 1970's but are beautiful anyway. The big carving shows one of the great maori ancestors, the small ones e.g. show Maori spirits. The lizard is quite nice as well. After admiring the carvings we went to a beach, had a swim and some coffee as well as biscuits. Then we paddled the 4 km back to our start. I enjoyed being on the water and it was good to use the arms instead of the legs after the hike yesterday😉 Tomorrow I gonna move on to the east coast.Read more

  • Michael MeyerGoing Down UnderTraveler
    Hastings
    Lake Taupo this morningIn TaupoApple trees in HastingsHastingsClose to HastingsClock Tower in HastingsMaori carvings in HastingsMaori carvingHastings (color and music installation)

    Hastings

    February 12, 2020 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Today, I have not so much to report. I kicked off the day with a nice 10 km-run at the lakeshore of Lake Taupo - the first run since the strep-throat had knocked me off (from sports) for basically the whole January. At 1:30 I took the bus from Taupo to Hastings in the Hawke's Bay close to the Pacific coast. We drove through a landscape dominated by hills and forests. For the first time I saw way more sheep than cows😄 From a longer distance, one meadow looked like there were white rocks on it, but, when we came closer, I could see that it were sheep😂In Hastings, I walked some kilometers through the city center and some neighborhoods up to some rural area with apple trees and other agriculture. Hastings seems to be a rather unspectacular town with some pretty corners though. Maybe I should have gone to Napier instead, but seeing a rather "normal" New Zealand town is not so bad either. Tomorrow, I'll be going on Winery- and Wine Tasting-tour anyway🙃Read more

  • Michael MeyerGoing Down UnderTraveler
    Brookfields Winery
    Hastings Clock Tower this morningHawke's Bay Opera House in HastingsBrookfieldsBrookfieldsBrookfieldsAskerne WineryAskerneAskerne

    Brookfields and Askerne Wineries

    February 13, 2020 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Another nice day... The morning was quiet, but at noon I got picked up for the winery tour. We were a group of ten, me being the only one younger than 60 as well as the only Non-British🙃Nevertheless, it was a great tour.The first winery to visit was Brookfields, probably already my favourite of the day. We tasted six different wines and they were all good. The owner explained a lot about the wines and the tasting took place in a nice room like alike a wine cellar. The second winery was Askerne, again six wines to be tasted, but here the tasting took place directly in a kind of sterile shop what was not so nice. In general, the wines were good, too, but did not convince me as much as Brookfields. Very interesting was the Dessert Cabernet, which we had with a piece of dark chocolate and tasted very different before and after having eaten the chocolate (afterwards it had a taste of cherry whereas before it had different fruity notes).Read more

  • Michael MeyerGoing Down UnderTraveler
    Oak Estate Winery
    Ash Ridge WineryAsh RidgeAsh RidgeOak EstateOak EstateOak EstateOak Estate

    Ash Ridge and Oak Estate Wineries

    February 13, 2020 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    The third winery we visited was Ash Ridge. Here the tasting took place in a modern restaurant-like room. Once more, six wines. In general, I liked the Pinot Gris' at every place very much, also here. Furthermore, Ash Ridge was the only of the four wineries to have a Riesling, which I liked very much. I even bought a bottle of it, but that will probably not see Europe😉 However, it has to be the "right" moment to open it. Last, but not least, we went to Oak Estate, a winery owned by a German-Swiss couple. Oak Estate is a very beautiful place and the tasting took place in the garden behind of the building - very nice on this sunny afternoon. Chicks were also moving around. At Oak Estate we also got a really good cold platter (almost all of it home made) to eat. After the amount of wine we already had had, that was also kind of necessary😀 Unfortunately, over eating the wines we tasted lost a bit of prominence. The reds, Cabernet and Syrah, were very good though.Read more

  • Michael MeyerGoing Down UnderTraveler

    Napier

    February 13, 2020 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Finally, I even made it to Napier, which had not been planned at all. Since the rest of the group all stayed in Napier, I spontaneously asked Denise, our tour guide and driver, if she could also take me to Napier instead of back to Hastings and booked a seat on the last Intercity Bus from Napier to Hastings at 7:35 p.m.. So, I could at least explore Napier for 1.5 hours. What a good decision! Napier is way nicer than Hastings! Other than Hastings it is located directly at the Pacific coast which gives the town a completely different atmosphere. Furthermore, Napier that had been completely destroyed by an earthquake in the 1930s is famous for its art deco-buildings. The mayor at that time even had brought foreign architects to Napier to rebuild the city in art deco style. I enjoyed the short time in Napier😊Read more

  • Michael MeyerGoing Down UnderTraveler
    Te Papa Museum
    In Te Papa MuseumIn Te Papa MuseumIn Te Papa MuseumWellingtonWellingtonWellingtonWellingtonWellington Lantern FestivalWellington Lantern Festival

    Te Papa (Wellington)

    February 14, 2020 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    After a long busride (5.5 hours) I arrived to Wellington. What a great city, I really like it, even though Ihave not seen so much of it yet. After checking in, I went to the Waterfront (there is a flair in the city that I really like!) and visited the Te Papa Museum, the National Museum of New Zealand. It is a really good and interesting museum dealing with several topics about New Zealand. I only had 2.5 hours until closure which was way too few time. I think, you could easily spend a whole day in the museum. In the evening, I enjoyed the beautiful lights of the Wellington Lantern Festival which also took place at the Waterfront.Read more

  • Michael MeyerGoing Down UnderTraveler
    Cuba Street
    St. Mary of the AngelsCivic SquareAt Civic SquareUnderground MarketCable CarFrom the Cable CarIn the Cable CarWellingtonUniversity Building

    Wonderful Wellington

    February 15, 2020 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Wellington is so great! It is so much more beautiful than Auckland. This city somehow caught me - the buildings, the waterfront, the hills, the atmosphere... After breakfast I was wandering around in the Te Aro quarter. The Cuba Street is so nice with many bars, cafés and shops. On Saturdays there is an underground market close to the waterfront with handcraft and art products. Well, I left some money there, although that was definetely not planned🙃 Afterwards I made my way to Wellington's cable car up to the quarter of Kelburn. What a view from up there. Anyway, I was on the way to Zealandia, a fenced eco-sanctuary where they try to re-create the original nature and eco-system of the New Zealand without foreign flora and fauna.Read more

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