Nelson to Queenstown Couchsurfing

In Nelson, the oldest town in New Zealand with a nice flair, I tried again Couchsurfing for 3 nights and I had a great time with this local and his dog. Very good talks, story exchanges and lots of laughs. I explored meanwhile the Abal Tasman Park and tramped 6 hours through forests and beautiful beaches.

Some days later I joined an Italian Lady to Franz Josef Glacier situated on the Westcoast. It was a beautiful walk,  but the Glacier is because of the climate change left very short. From this small village, leaving with some Rugby knowledge, I headed down to Wanaka. 

The bus drive was incredibly beautiful and I arrived in Wanaka with so much Energy and Love for New Zealand that my time in Wanaka was just amazing. My host from Couchsurfing was a perfect host and I gad a lot of fun with the whole house. I also explored the ski areas once over hitchhiking and once with my host.  First time in my life hitchhiked - and I was so lucky,  I had a fun day with some Australians. I went biking through Nationalparks and explored the wonderful surrounding areas.
From Wanaka I travelled by bus to Queenstown where I met my next host. Also a very positive experience and lots of fun in the mountains with him.

10 great helpX days at a Horse Farm

For 10 days I was staying at a show jumping ranch and helped the rider with the daily duties in exchange of food and accommodation.  It was great fun,  surroundings beautiful and horses a challenge. Cleaning,  feeding,  riding for more then one week - loved it.

Oamaru to Lake Tekapo

After Dunedin we travelled to Oamaru.  Special little place, felt like we have been travelling back in time. The whitestone townscape of Oamaru contains some of the best-preserved heritage buildings in New Zealand. In the late 19th century, the town prospered through goldmining, quarrying and timber milling. Some of the wealth was spent on elegant stone buildings made from local limestone. The Harbour-Tyne Street area is particularly special.

Oamaru Harbour is home to a colony of little blue penguins, and you should could also see yellow-eyed penguins from a special hide. Unfortunately we were not lucky at penguin viewing, despite we tried hard.

From Oamaru we travelled to Christchurch and did some sightseeing.  Christchurch was hit by a earthquake in 2001 very badly.  185 people died and lots of buildings and infrastructure were destroyed.  Christchurch is still struggling with the consequences.

We left Christchurch to Lake Tekapo where we spend some beautiful days hiking and relaxing.

Te Anau to Dunedin

From Queenstown to my next point of interest took 3 hours by bus. Milford Sound - I was pleased with fantastic weather.  Such a gorgeous spot,  definitely worth every cent. In Te Anau where I stayed at the youth hostel I met a nice young lady from Austria. We decided to catch up at the next opportunity.

So I travelled to Dunedin to catch up with her including quick overnight stop in Invergargill. 

Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand. The harbour and hills around Dunedin are the remnants of an extinct volcano.

Baldwin Street, in Dunedin, is the world's steepest residential street, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.
A short straight street a little under 350 metres long, Baldwin Street rises from 30 m above sea level to 100 m above sea level at the top, an average slope of slightly more than 1:5. That is, for every 2.86 metres travelled horizontally, the elevation changes by 1 metre.

New Zealand has three species of penguin, two of them we luckily saw.
On the land penguins have an ungainly waddle, marching upright like self-important little people. But in the water they take on a new grace, diving and swooping with acrobatic agility.

Of New Zealand's species, the korora, or little blue penguin, is the world’s smallest penguin. The rare hoiho, or yellow-eyed penguin, is distinguished by its vivid yellow eye band. We were lucky to spot them on the Otago Peninsula, just south of Dunedin. We had a really nice experience there to have a close up view on the penguins, sea lions and fur seals.