tamitravels
new zealand
after more than 3 weeks trying to find a flight home and being stuck in New Zealand, we finally made it home yesterday with a repatriation flight. the flight took 24 hours and we travelled 31 hours in total before we arrived home.
we are really sad that this trip had to end.. but we are glad that we are at home now.
#triparoundtheworld #tamitravels #newzealand #stuck #pandemic #home #backpacking
because of this pandemic happening right now, we decided to end our around-the-world trip for now and go home. but unfortunately, they cancelled our flight and there is no flight leaving for Austria anymore. for the moment we are stuck in New Zealand. :(
#triparoundtheworld #tamitravels #newzealand #stuck #cancelled #flight #pandemic #auckland #backpacking
roadtrip day 36: 6570km
we visited Wai-O-Tapu and afterwards Kerosene Creek and Hot'n'Cold, which are hot springs and where I already went to 4 years ago. :D we also visited Rotorua and the Rainbow Springs Nature Park. :) we spent our last night at a lake and today we arrived in Auckland!
#triparoundtheworld #tamitravels #newzealand #roadtrip #4000km #6570km #waiotapu #kerosenecreek #hotncold #hotsprings #rotorua #rainbowspringsnaturepark #auckland #backpacking
roadtrip day 33: 6200km
we stayed at Nape Nape Beach where we saw a lost sheep. xD we came by a seal colony and took the ferry to Wellington in the morning. we stayed at Mount Taranaki, which is an active volcano. :) afterwards we did the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, which is New Zealand's best day hike and which I did already on my first around-the-world trip and it is still really beautiful! :D today we came by the Huka Falls and Craters of the Moon and stay by a river for the night. :)
#triparoundtheworld #tamitravels #newzealand #roadtrip #4000km #6200km #napenapebeach #seal #colony #ferry #wellington #mountaranaki #tongariro #crossing #nationalpark #emeraldlakes #bluelake #redcrater #hukafalls #cratersofthemoon #backpacking
roadtrip day 26: 4900km
we checked out Mount Cook, which is New Zealand's highest mountain. we also visited the Hooker Valley and Tasman Glacier, which is the largest and longest glacier in New Zealand, right next to Mount Cook. :) we stayed at Lake Mcgregor for the night and gazed the stars, right next to Lake Tekapo, which is part of the Dark Sky Reserve. Both, Lake Pukaki and Lake Tekapo, are intense turquoise in colour because they are glacier lakes and they really look amazing. :) the next day we stayed at Lake Camp where we also gazed the stars. :) and now we are on our way back to Picton where we are going to catch the ferry to the North Island. :D
#triparoundtheworld #tamitravels #newzealand #roadtrip #4000km #4900km #mountcook #hookervalley #tasmanglacier #laketekapo #lakepukaki #lakecamp #stars #picton #ferry #northisland #backpacking
roadtrip day 22: 3950km
we went to the southernmost point of the South Island of New Zealand and afterwards to Curio Bay, where we stayed for the night, visited the Petrified Forest and saw maaaany Hector's Dolphins which are the world's smallest and rarest dolphins and endemic to New Zealand. the next day we visited Matai, Horseshoe and Purakaunui Falls. afterwards we managed to see and come very close to a New Zealand Sea Lion, which are the rarest in the world and as the name tells you also endemic to New Zealand! we stayed at a free campsite at the beach that night. :) the next day we saw a Yellow-eyed Penguin in the wild and some in rehabilitation care. they are also endemic to New Zealand, the rarest in the world and very endangered... afterwards we visited the world's steepest street. :) today we found a really big and beautiful Paua shell, which is also unique to New Zealand, at the beach. and tonight we stay at Lake Pukaki :)
#triparoundtheworld #tamitravels #newzealand #roadtrip #4000km #3950km #southernmost #curiobay #petrifiedforest #hectorsdolphin #waterfall #sealion #yelloweyedpenguin #steepeststreet #beach #paua #lakepukaki #backpacking
roadtrip day 18: 3180km
we spent two nights at beautiful Lake Wakatipu where we gazed the stars and saw Elon Musk's Starlink satellites which look like a train of stars as you can see in the picture (which we took with my phone!).. :) yesterday we visited Milford Sound and we had to book a tour because the road is still closed for small vehicles after the heavy rains. however, it was great! the road to Milford Sound and Milford Sound itself are beautiful! today we visited Clifden Caves, McCracken's Rest, Gemstone Beach, Monkey Island and Stirling Point, where we noticed that we are closer to the South Pole than to the Equator. xD and tonight we stay at a free campsite at the beach. :)
#triparoundtheworld #tamitravels #newzealand #roadtrip #4000km #3180km #lakewakatipu #milfordsound #clifdencaves #mccrackensrest #gemstonebeach #monkeyisland #stirlingpoint #beach #backpacking
roadtrip day 13: 2450km
we visited Hokitika Gorge and Franz Josef Glacier, which is named after Emperor Franz Josef I of Austria. :) we stayed there in the rainforest for the night. we also visited Fox Glacier. Those two glaciers lay close together and are really fascinating. They reach from the top of the mountain at approx. 3500m down to about 300m. They move with a speed of 1m per week! Also they shrink and grow very fast because of the higher temperature in the rainforest where they end and the heavy snowfalls of 15000mm every year. :) the redish colour of the glaciers you can see in the pictures is caused by the smoke of the Australian bushfires.. yesterday we went past Fantail Falls, Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea which are stunning. today we went to Kawarau Gorge and Coronet Peak and tonight we stay at a free campsite at Lake Wakatipo. :D New Zealand is beautiful! :)
#triparoundtheworld #tamitravels #newzealand #roadtrip #4000km #2450km #hokitikagorge #franzjosefglacier #foxglacier #rainforest #lakewanaka #lakehawea #coronetpeak #kawaraugorge #lakewakatipu #backpacking
roadtrip day 9: 1600km
we went to Fossil Point on Farewell Spit, which is the northernmost point of the South Island and the longest sandspit in New Zealand. over there we saw many fossils and Portuguese man o' war and also some seals. btw can you spot one in the (7th) picture? I almost did not. xD afterwards we went to Nelson Lakes National Park, where we saw some black swans and New Zealand longfin eels, which are endemic to New Zealand and one of the largest and long-living eels in the world. we also visited the Maruia Falls and stayed at Westport at a free campsite at the beach pretty much alone that night and watched the surfers. :) and today we visited Paparoa National Park. :)
#triparoundtheworld #tamitravels #newzealand #roadtrip #4000km #1600km #farewellspit #fossil #portuguesemanowar #seal #nelsonlakes #nationalpark #blackswan #longfineel #westport #beach #paparoa #backpacking
roadtrip day 6: 920km
we stayed at a very green holiday park, went to Picton and to Kenepuru Sound on a winding road for 45km and stayed alone at a free campsite at Kenepuru Sound, where we gazed the stars and enjoyed the silence. the next day we went to Cullen Point Lookout, Pelorus Bridge Scenic Reserve, Nelson, the Centre of New Zealand and stayed at a free campsite at the beach. :) today we visited Abel Tasman National Park, Split Apple Rock, Takaka Hill (Lord of the Rings film location), The Grove Scenic Reserve and Te Waikoropupu Springs, which are amongst the clearest waters in the world (visibility 63m). and tonight we stay at a free campsite at the river. :)
#triparoundtheworld #tamitravels #newzealand #roadtrip #4000km #920km #picton #kenepurusound #cullenpoint #pelorusbridge #nelson #centreofnewzealand #abeltasman #nationalpark #splitapplerock #takakahill #lordoftherings #thegrove #tewaikoropurusprings #backpacking
roadtrip day 2: 350km
yesterday we started our roadtrip in New Zealand! and look at our campervan! what an upgrade to the last one! (however we paid double the price xD) the 2 days before we spent in Christchurch, which is a really quiet city. yesterday we went to the Cathedral Gully and Gore Bay Beach. today we went whale watching in Kaikoura and spotted sperm whales. :D we also spotted a seal colony on our way. :D
#triparoundtheworld #tamitravels #newzealand #roadtrip #4000km #350km #christchurch #kaikoura #whalewatching #spermwhale #backpacking #seal #colony