Heading South

Let it go
I woke up to a great sky and decided I’ll hit the road early, no detours…  choosing the fastest track, an easy-to-navigate highway. The cliché that there are more sheep in New Zealand than people is surely true. I stopped counting… Farmland, forests and hills make up most of the scenery. Sheep, cows and bulls! […] Read More

Heaven and Hell

Let it go
I slept like a baby after the evening in the Polynesian Spa, ready to start the day in Rotorua… But somehow, I was undecided what to see, the thermal pods in the park, the Lake, the Māori site with the Geysir… I walked a bit along the lake and through those sulfur and steam vents… but […] Read More

Thermal

Let it go
It was a long day in the car. I underestimated the time it would all take, even if I only drove about 225 kilometers. Most of it was on tiny, windy beach-mountain-beach roads that took forever. I also did not factor in how much time I would actually like to spend in various spots, so […] Read More

Coromandel Peninsula

Let it go
I got my car at 10 in the morning, then packed up my stuff, got a coffee for the way and my repaired bag, and ran into Clint and a friend. Final hugs, and off I go. My first stop tonight is Hot Water Beach, however I took quite a detour via the Coromandel Peninsula. Separated by […] Read More

Auckland Transport

Let it go
Auckland is a car city. They pretty much built it on, around and for the car. While the CBD now has a couple of pedestrian zones, the main means of transport for Aucklanders are their four wheels. First time you realize that, is when you have to wait for green on any crossing. I seems […] Read More

NZ Road Trip

Let it go
I have been busy planning my road thrip through New Zealand in the past weeks, and I think I am pretty close to sorting it all out. It’s prime travel time in NZ, the backpackers are everywhere and the hotels and hostels are pretty full, that’s why it took some time to plan it… It’s […] Read More

Aotearoa

Let it go
Aotearoa – the Māori name for New Zealand, translated: “The land of the long white cloud”. I’m starting to plan the trip around the islands, after my three weeks in Auckland. Here’s my itinerary for the North Island, or Te Ika-a-Māui (“the fish of Maui”). I booked cheap stays in between. Seems there are some hot springs […] Read More

Left sided

Let it go
It’s really just a question of ignoring your fears and taking them head on. So I rented a car and drove on the left side. Big deal. Indeed. I am no experienced driver. In all my life I have driven maybe 5000 Km, most of that through American or Canadian national parks, desert roads and […] Read More

Heading to Valparaíso

Let it go
I wanted to see more of Chile than just Santiago, but flights to Easter Island were expensive, or completely sold out, and even a visit to the Atacama desert or the glaciers in the south would have meant a budget deficit higher than Greece’s. So I decided I’d got to Valparaiso and Viña del Mar […] Read More