New Zealand – first days

Beautiful sunrises and sunsets, breathtaking waterfalls, lonely stretches of beach or cathedrals… please, not again. It’s bizarre for the people who offer us these things as the highlights of their country and we reject them immediately. But of course we’ve already had an infinite number of them in the last 2 years. And yes, they are beautiful, but… not again. And yes, we are almost 2 years on our way cycling around the world.

Bungee jumping, rafting or jet boat rides are not what we are looking for either here in New Zealand. I certainly don’t want to fly over with any small-engined aeroplanes, on glaciers with helicopters or on excursions with historic excursion steamers with dinner. And I don’t want to visit the Hobbit film set for NZ$ 120. The numerous wine tasting excursions don’t really appeal to us either. Skiing wouldn’t be bad, but it’s still summer here on the other side of the world. So no snow far and wide.

Queenstown

We arrive at the small and cosy airport in Queenstown. Our bikes are not checked for soil, but our tent is taken somewhere and checked for possible insects. We had cleaned all our outdoor equipment properly beforehand and they didn’t find anything.

Okay, Queenstown itself isn’t that great. If you still need outdoor equipment, it is. Queenstown itself has just under 16,000 inhabitants and at least 12 outdoor shops.  And you can clearly feel that this is one of New Zealand’s tourist strongholds. Almost 2 million tourists come here every year.

We wait until the rainy day is over and then set off. We are on our way to Markus and Lesley, who have been living in Wanaka for 5 months. Markus is Klaus’ oldest friend. He and Lesley got to know and love each other on a hike.  And now we are on our way to them and have no idea that we will be doing quite a lot of pushing the bicycles.

This road is embedded in the breathtaking landscapes of New Zealand, it should be an experience, simply gorges. So off we go.

This Road in New Zealand is not just another motorway, but a testament to the magnificence of nature and, above all, the perseverance of people. Winding through the Crown Range Mountains, this road is so scenic and offers panoramic views that leave us in awe. And because we are pushing quite many meters and kilometers (it is at some parts just too steep for us), we have plenty of time to enjoy these views 🙂 But it’s not just about the destination, it’s also about the journey, the landscapes, the twists and turns that make every moment on this road unforgettable. At least that’s what we always say. I’m quite glad you couldn’t hear us huffing and swearing

When we finally reach the top after almost 30 kilometres, we are happy to have reached our destination and look forward to the descent.

Our legs are pretty tired, but it was the 100% right decision to leave Australia. The climate is wonderful. Cool in the morning, but when the sun comes out, it warms us up again wonderfully. And that also means that Klaus is feeling better again. The heat and humidity were really getting to him.

After 2 days we reach Wanaka

Oh man, just a few months ago I had certainly never heard about a city named Wanaka. And now we’re staying here for a few days. Firstly, we want to spend time with Lesley and Markus. A bike tour and camping trip are on the programme. Camping and cycling at last.

We’ll plan our route again, maybe we can avoid one or two hills and we have some work to do on the bicycles. They will get new tyres, pads for the disc brakes, the oil on the Rohloff will be changed, new sprockets and other little things. We are further away from home than ever before. So now we’re finally on our way back, but there’s still a lot to do before we roll back into Berlin. We should be prepared for that.

We have now been in New Zealand for 9 days and are enjoying every minute 

Thanks to Leslie and Markus, we can also start our journey here with a safe space stop. And I can already tell that the New Zealanders are big outdoor fans. Whilst we simply enjoyed our lazy time in the tent on our trip together, Leslie swam long laps in the lake and went jogging. And while I was watching her, I realised that I could definitely imagine doing all of this, even if not as much. It looks like this country is made for those activities. At least, besides one little dangerous spider, there are no others. No crocodiles, dangerous snakes, nothing, to be afraid of.

But we’re going to set off again now without jogging or swimming. Leave the two of them and work our way north. Our destination is Auckland, where Klaus has an appointment to have his heart checked and we have already booked the flight to Chile. I’m really looking forward to 2 months in New Zealand. 

Oh, one more thing about New Zealand

Finally the worry about our water supplies is over. Firstly, tap water is free for everyone, including the New Zealanders themselves, and secondly, there’s plenty of it. This has often been a problem or at least very expensive in recent months and almost years.