Aotearoa - the land of the long white cloud.
Since it is the country of
the great outdoors,
I deciced to create this webpage to share some pictures and information about
New
Zealand
/ Aotearoa and it's many sites and activities.
There is plenty to do out here ...
One of the most remote Areas is Far North, where the Tasman Sea on the left and the Pacific Ocean on the right finally come together at the very top of the North Island which is Cape Reinga.
Hidden in the deep hinterland of Napier you will find this beautiful forgotten place
A 3-4 hr trip from Wellington you will find the Tongariro National Park with it's majestic mountains. Here there are also 2 Skifields as well as plenty of Hiking tracks.
A challenging but beautiful 6-8h walk across the alpine desert of Mount Ruhapehu.
The Wellington District stretches from the bottom of the North Island to Taranki and Hawke's Bay in the north.
The wild coast track is a beautiful and remote track along the rugged south coast between Wellington and lake Onoke. It's a day trip 15km and return, mostly flat but often challenging weather conditions since it is very exposed to the south.It is also part of the longer Remutaka Cycle Trail.
Only a short trip from Wellington you'll find amazing Mountain Biking Trails as well as Hiking tracks.
Only a short ferry ride from Wellington, you can enjoy these beautiful views over the Wellington harbour.
In the year of the global pandemic, I decided to do a extensive roundtrip around the coastline of the North Island (2300 km). What I found was a widely empty country with towns and businesses struggling due to the absence of international tourists. Luckily there was a considerable amount of domestic tourism over the christmas holiday period...
The Marlborough District is at top of the South Island. It is also where the famous and beautiful Marlborough Sounds are located.
Picton is the gateway to the Queen-Charlotte (Totaranui) Sound and South-Island in generalif you are coming by ferry from Wellington.
The French Pass and its small township is at the top most northern end of the Marlborough Sounds. From here there is also boat access to d'urveiles Island.
The QCT can be done either by foor or by mountain bike. I did both. You need 2-4 days depending on what you choose. You can book through Picton iSite, or drive there with a camper van. It's beautiful scenic track along a historic route where capitain cook landed and also along historic Maori sites. Below are a few impressions of when I did this track.
Next to Marlborough you find the smallest but most beautiful national park, named after Abel Tasman who was the first European explorer who discovered New Zealand in 1642.
Mount Aoraki is the highest mountain in New Zealand. It is named after Capt. James Cook the british sailor who first charted a map of New Zealand. It is a mgnificent view, here from the Hooker Valley Track and the Muller Hut Track.
From Timaru over Oamaru and Dunedin, along the southern scenic route to Stewart Island/ Rakiura, over Invercargill to Te Anau you will find beautiful, remote and rugged landscapes as well as one of the main centers for tourism (Te Anau). Fjordland with it's unspoiled landscapes attractes in non-pandemic times hundreds of thousands of domestic and international visitors who come to see the beautiful Milford Sound and the surrounding landscape.
In February 2021 I had the chance to spontanously do the Milford Track, which is usually booked out for months in advance. It was an incredible experience, with a huge variety in landscape and weather, from lush forrests to alpine environments, from summer sunshine to strong winds and rainfall. The Fjordland weather is famous to be very changeable. In minutes giant waterfalls were coming from the steep rocks into the the deep valleys. The walk takes place over 4 days and includes the crossing of the Mackinnon Pass in 1000m altitude. The track is located in some of the most remote areas of New Zealand / Fjordland and only accessible by foot, boat and helicopter.
In February 2023 I visited Wellington and did a short trip to Nelson, Tasman and Golden Bay Region. Amongst other things I did a 4 day cycling trip called "The great Taste Trail" from Nelson via Motueka, Kaiteriteri, Tapawera back to Nelson. Also I went on a road trip along the golden Bay Coast via Takaka and Collingwood up to Farewell Spit, visiting all the iconic landmarks along the way.
Apart from Air New Zealand *** and Singapore Airlines *** and Quantas there are several smaller local airlines who provide scenic flights and spectactular views.
*** In and after times of the corona virus you have to expect huge disruptions when flying from and to New Zealand.
Kiwis are keen sailors. I was taking part in regular club races on the weekends with one of the local sail clubs in Wellington
food is fresh and local with an abundance of seafood, since Aotearoa is surrounded by the ocean. Lots of dairy and fried food, but also European, Indian and Asian cuisine.
I've spend 5 years living & working in NZ and have been doing trips to NZ from Europe.
Don't hesitate to
get in touch with me
if you look for expert advice or a NZ travel advisor. It can get very expensive if you travel to NZ
without knowing the ins and outs of traveling in New Zealand.
Here are some useful ressources:
you have reached the end of this website.