One year, 23.000 miles by plane, over 30.000km by car, 1.300 km by bus, 640 km by train, 500 km by boat, 5 kg more on my hips, 8.000€ less on my account – I had an awesome time!

Thanks to everybody who joined my journey – in New Zealand, Fiji, USA and in Germany through my blog! You guys kept me happy all the time!

It’s time for a resume:
I found true friends and the love to ski again, I meet incredible people, saw different cultures and amazing landscapes.
I really had the best time in my life so far and I hope and know it wasn’t the last big journey – I will keep on travelling even when I have to go back to reality and find a job as soon as possible.

Another turning point,
a fork stuck in the road.
Time grabs you by the wrist,
directs you where to go.
So make the best of this test,
and don’t ask why.
It’s not a question,
but a lesson learned in time.
It’s something unpredictable
but in the end is right.
I hope you had the time of your life.
So take the photographs
and still frames in your mind.
Hang it on a shelf
in good health and good time.
Tattoos of memories
and dead skin on trial.
For what it’s worth,
it was worth all the while.
It’s something unpredictable
but in the end is right.
I hope you had the time of your life.
It’s something unpredictable
but in the end is right.
I hope you had the time of your life.
It’s something unpredictable
but in the end is right.
I hope you had the time of your life.

Cheers guys and I hope you enjoyed my little trip with me!!!
Stef

After my flight from Nadi to LA I catched the bus up to San Francisco - 9h flight, 8h waiting in the Greyhound Station, 9h bus ride - after 2 days of traveling I finally made it to San Fran - yeah!

I stayed in a Hostel at Fisherman’s Wharf - a nice area with views of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge. Alcatraz was pretty interesting! I went Downtown by cable car - must do in San Francisco and was wondering around at Fisherman’s Wharf. That’s all I could do in three days, but it was cool though (only the fact that three people got shot next to hostel wasn’t really cool and there are a lots of homeless people in the states and they all ask u for money)

From San Fran I took the bus back to LA - this time during the day and it took me about 1h from the Greyhound Station in Hollywood to the hostel in Santa Monica - more weird people and more homeless people asking for money…
Santa Monica is a also a nice area, but I only had one day to ‘explore’, so I went with an aussie girl to the Getty museum and to the Hollywood Blvd. The museum is really awesome, Hollywood Bvld really crappy and there are more homeless people… It’s hard to see all the homeless people on one site and all the posh houses in Beverly Hills on the other site - well that’s the states - the gap is just massive!

2morrow I’m finally on my way back to Germany, will fly out at 4pm - and thanks Mr Bin Laden - I have to check in at 1pm. I’ll be back on German ground at 5.30 pm on Tuesday- isn’t that confusing - the whole time I was 12 hours before Germany, now I’m 9hours behind and in 36hours I’ll be in your time again…

Well I’m not looking forward sitting in the plane again for another 10h, but I’m looking forward seeing my family and friends again and go riding - Pow Pow!

Catch ya later!
Stef

I’ve been to Fiji for a week and went on an Island hopping tour arround the Yasawa Group. Was nice but really really hot - over 30°C, way too much for a girl from the black forest. Was a good experience, but one week is enough.

Now I’m waiting for my bus to San Fran - I had a 10 h flight to LA and have another 12h on the bus to go - well that’s how it is when u travel on a budget

I can’t wait till im back in the pow in a weeks time - that keeps me happy, even when the people in the states are not that nice then in nz and the three security checks at the airport were just annoying. Pow pow!!!

C ya guys soon!
Stef

I met a lots of lovely peoples, I saw incredible landscapes, I found true friends, I had the best job ever and I learned a lots about myself – I had an awesome time!

I spent my last days of course back ‘home’ in Wanaka and did all the things I already wanted to do during the season. We went Kayaking to Ruby Island, we went up to the Roys Peak, did the Roys Valley Track and had a lot of buzz … I miss it already!

Tomorrow I’m off to Fiji for ten days and then to LA and San Francisco before I’m back in the snow on the 9th of February. Get your boards waxed guys – I wanna shred the Black Forest in two weeks!

See u soon back in Germany!

Stef

I hope u guys had an awesome start in 2010 and I’ll write my next and probably last article from NZ soonish.

C ya
Steeef

#News#News#News#
*I sold Paul at the beginning of December and made 500 bucks profit - Fiji, LA, San Francisco and Lake Tahoe I’m coming!
*Congrats to Isi and Jonas - I hope I can make it to your wedding

Well I made a lot of stuff over the last few weeks: I went surfing in Raglan, worked in a shitwhole of hostel in Thames, organized my parents holidays, met Amy again, went on a roadtrip Far North and ended finally back in Auckland to sell Paul.

After my Tongariro adventure I drove to New Plymouth via the Surf Highway and wanted to hike up Mt Taranaki – unfortunately there was too much snow on it, so I couldn’t hike up there. Instead of hiking I spent two days in New Plymouth in the library and used the free WiFi to organize my parents’ holidays in New Zealand.

After that I made my way up to Raglan and met some friends from Wanaka to celebrate Evans birthday and Danis and Daz leaving party. Raglan was really nice and chilled out. I went surfing – the first time in my life and it wasn’t too bad. I thought I’m without any talent but it worked - I really could stand on that thing and ride a wave – but snow is still my element and I can’t wait until February when I go skiing again!!!
Finally we had to say good bye to Dani and Daz, they went back home to England – but I’ll hopefully see Daz again – next winter season in Wanaka – wohoo!

During my week in Raglan I got a job offer in Thames, Coromandel to clean in a hostel for accommodation, which is a good thing to save some money. I went up there and the hostel itself was alright, but the two managers (mother and son) were really grumpy and have no idea what customer service is. I decided I can’t stay there for two weeks and left after a week. The manager was not really happy about that, but I don’t give a sh** on that. Even a lots of the guests said, the managers are not very nice and helpful!

I decided to drive up to Auckland and lucky me, Amy came to Auckland too. She decided to fly home before Christmas, so we met up in Auckland and bumped into Evan – not on purpose. He was leaving the next day, so it was another time of saying good bye to somebody!

Amies flight was a week later so we decided to go on our last roadtrip together and travel around the Northland and the Bay of Island. It’s beautiful up there and the beaches are awesome. We went to Paihia and Russell, and drove up to the 90 mile beach and Cape Reinga. We also went sandboarding or better sand – sliding on the giant dune of Te Paki – great fun! The weather was just perfect and I really enjoyed the last week with Amy!

Monday was time to say good bye again – Amy left! After we spent six months together we finally had to say good bye – it was really sad. We lived together for almost five months in Wanaka and went together on a roadtrip around the South Island, we met each other in Raglan again and finally travelled together around Northland and the Bay of Island. We became really good friends and hopefully we’ll see each other again somewhere in the UK or Canada or Germany or on one of the skifields in Europe or …TAKE CARE AMY and I wish u a lots of fun in Canada next year!!! Miss ya!

Now it’s time for me to sell my loved PAUL! We had our ups and downs but I really would love to keep him. He brought me around the South Island three times, he drove up to Treble Cone, Cardrona, Mt Hutt and the Remarkables, he went with me to the North Island without gettin’ sea sick, he enjoyed with me the last 10 month in New Zealand and he never left me in the lurch!

I’ll stay until the 21st in Auckland and went already from hostel to hostel to put my flyer on the notice boards and I’ll go to the backpacker car market next Wednesday. Well perhaps I’m lucky and can sell him soon, so I can go to Waiheke Island and do more stuff around Auckland – Auckland itself is a shitwhole to be honest… And when I sold him I can effort to buy a ticket on the street for the Green Day concert in Auckland And finally I can effort to buy some new shoes. I have to say good bye to my Adidas shoes too. They die and I can’t stop them from doing so. I duct-tape them every week, but they’re almost dead – that’s really sad after that long time (seven years) and a loooots of km we managed together… I hope I can find a good replacement for them!

Now I’m very excited to see my parents on the 21st of December again and show them all the awesome places I have been to during the last ten months. Can’t wait to see them again and pick them up at the airport with our rental car for the last month I’m in New Zealand for – it’s a Ford Focus – *haha* a Ford again, back to the roots By the way – I hope the new owner of my loved little KA treats him well…

So that’s all so far – enjoy the snow at home everyone!!! I’m jealous!

C u later!
STEF

Happy Birthday Bro, Dad, Heike and Steffen – hope you guys have/had good days!

Here are some pictures!

Raglan: Evans 30 B-day!

Birthday Kayaking

My personal presents for Evan - a balloon portrait and a balloon whore

Roadtrippin’ Far North

Hundertwasser Toilets in Kawakawa

Matauri Bay

Russell

Cape Reinga

Sandboarding

Lunch after sand boarding - hangi in a pie - yumm!

90 Mile beach

Our hostel in Ahipara at the beginning of 90 mile beach and me balance boarding

World famous Mangonui Fish Shop - yummy

Big trees - Waipoua Kauri Forest

Paul and Amy

My shoes before and after duct-taping session

Before

After - who needs to buy some shoes when you’ve got some duct tape?

And now the German short version

Die Beiträge werden immer länger….

Was hab ich die letzten Wochen so gemacht? Ich war surfen in Raglan, hab in einem Hostel in Thames gearbeitet, hab mich mit Amy in Auckland wieder getroffen und wir sind zusammen das letzte mal auf einen Roadtrip Far North gegangen.

Ich bin nach dem Tongariro Alpine Crossing nach New Plymouth gefahren und wollte eigentlich auf den Mt Taranaki wandern – leider war zu viel Schnee dort, so dass sich das Abenteuer erledigt hat. Stattdessen hab ich mich zwei Tage lang intensiv mit der Urlaubsplanung meiner Eltern beschäftigt – was bei Regen und freiem Internet in der Bibliothek ein guter Zeitvertreib ist.

Danach bin ich nach Raglan gefahren um Freude aus meiner Zeit in Wanaka wieder zu treffen. Wir feierten Evans 30isten und Dani und Daz Farwell-Party. In Raglan bin ich das erste mal dann auch Surfen gewesen – großes Kino und gar nicht so schwer als ich gedacht hab. Ich konnte nach ein paar Versuchen auf dem Brett stehen und eine Welle reiten, dabei hab ich aber mindestens 3 Liter Salzwasser geschluckt. Schnee ist halt doch mehr mein Element und ich kann’s kaum erwarten, wenn ich im Februar wieder daheim bin und Skifahren gehen kann – wär hätt’s gedacht, aber ich vermiss das Skifahren wirklich!

Nach Raglan gings für mich nach Thames, wo ich eine Woche in einem Hostel für mein Zimmer gearbeitet hab. Das Hostel ansich war ganz ok, aber die Besitzer warne total griesgrämig und unfreundlich – sogar zu den Gästen.

Zum Glück hat Amy beschlossen früher nach Hause zufliegen, so dass wir uns in Auckland getroffen haben und zusammen das letzte mal auf einen gemeinsamen Roadtrip Far North gegangen sind. Es war einfach super und die Gegend ist das beste, was ich bisher auf der Nordinsel gesehen habe. Wir waren Sandboarden bzw. Schlittenfahren auf einer Düne und haben wunderschöne Strände gesehen. Wir waren am nördlichsten Ende von NZ, dem Cape Reinga und haben in einem wunderschönen Hostel am Anfang des 90 Mile Beach gewohnt.
Leider ist Amy am Montag nach Hause geflogen und nach einem tränenreichen Abschied am Flughafen heißt es für mich jetzt Auto verkaufen.
Ich werde die nächsten zwei Wochen in Auckland verbringen und versuchen meinen Paul zu verkaufen. Ich hoffe das gelingt mir bald, da ich absolut pleite bin und nicht unbedingt zwei Wochen in AUK City verbringen möchten – ist halt ne Großstadt wie überall…

In zwei Wochen kommen meine Eltern und ich kann’s kaum erwarten sie wieder zu sehen! Unsere Rundreise ist so gut wie komplett organisiert und ich werd sie am 21.12. mit unserem Mietwagen – Ford Focus- abholen.

So das war’s soweit!

Genießt den Schnee – ich beneide Euch dafür!!!

STEF

PS: Alles Gute zum Geburtstag: Andreas, Papa, Heike und Steffen!

After I finally left the South Island I made my way up to Napier and stayed there for a night. It’s quite nice and I was lucky - there was a bonfire at the beach because of Guy Fawkes night.

Napier Beach

The next day I drove up to Gisborne and visited Sam and Tina - friends from Wanaka. We had a nice evening and was great to stay at their house.

After that I drove via the east cape to Whakatane which was an awesome but also very long drive. The beaches along the east cape are just amazing.

Beach somewhere at the east cape

The next morning I went for a run and after I came back I realized that my food bag was stolen out of the hostel in Whakatane - lucky me it was only some fruits and coffee. The burglars stole also some shoes but they didn’t take mine - they are too old and duct-taped

From Whakatane I drove to Rotorua where I stayed in a very nice hostel (the first nice hostel on the North Island I’ve been to). I decided to stay three nights in Rotorua and do some of the volcanic stuff. I went to Waimangu Volcanic Valley which has some amazing geological things to offer.

Waimangu

After I left Rotorua I drove with Linda - a girl I meet in the hostel - to Taupo. We decided to do the Tongariro alpine crossing the next day - which was the best hike I’ve ever did!
The weather was just wonderful - blue sky, no rain, almost no wind!

The Crossing itself is just awesome! You’ve got stunning views all the time and I thought you can’t top this, but you just go a little bit further and the next amazing view followed. The only annoying thing was all the peoples on the track. Almost everybody takes the bus (like us) to the beginning and you get picked up at the end. So you can’t enjoy the stunning views by yourself but it’s worth to do it - and it’s not that exhausting then I thought.

Mt Ruapehu

Mt Ngauruhoe in the background

Ski stand with summit of Mt Tongariro in the background

Red Crater

Blue lake and Emerald lakes

Stunning view over Lake Taupo

The plan for the next view days is to drive to New Plymouth via the Surf Highway and end up in Raglan at the 16th of November and visit some friends from Wanaka up there - and I wanna try surfing - ohoh… I decided not to look for a new job - I just roadtrippin’ on the North Island till my parents arrive and/or I’m totally run out of money.

Well - that’s all so far!

C U later
Stef

I’m by myself again and left Amy and her friend in Nelson. She’ll go down the eastcoast and I’m headin’ up to Napier tomorrow. I don’t really know what’s going on over there - I’ lll see I’ve got six weeks left till my parents come over and visit me for almost 4 weeks - so I better should start planing our trip and organize a car and accommodations… I’ll do - I promise Mum!

What did we do over the last few days:

Golden Bay 25.10. - 27.10.
We went to Golden Bay and the Farewell Spit, but the weather was shit and we couldn’t really do something over there. The first Hostel was in the middle of nowhere and they had composting toilets - which really reminded me at the Quad toilets in the Saddle. We left after a night and stayed another night in Takaka

Picton 27.10. - 28.10.
We took the scenic route from Takaka to Picton - which was pretty awesome!

Queen Charlotte Track 29.10. - 30.10.
We went hiking for two days on the Queen Charlotte Track which was so beautiful. We had a great time - sunshine over two days, saw some Dolphins on our way to the track, stayed at a very nice Homestay with a lovely old Lady, spent a lot of money for the water taxi and I got 4 blisters - it was awesome and one of the nicest tracks I did here in NZ.

Blenheim 31.10 - 01.11.
Blenheim is famous for their vines - so we decided to do a vine tour. It was very interesting and we had a lot of free vine. Which was pretty good, so we survived the night in the most horrible hostel I’ve ever been in NZ.

Nelson 02.11 - 03.11.
Early in the morning we went back to Nelson. I finally managed to sent all my ski stuff back home. No more skiing for the next three months - that’s sad…
Yesterday we were pretty creative and made a bone carving workshop, now I’m really a typical German NZ tourist

I drove from Nelson back to Picton today and will catch the ferry tomorrow and make my way up to Napier. The day after that I’ll hopefully meet Sam again before I drive around the east cape.

That’s enough for now!

Oh - not to forget - I started running again - which is not very helpful for my blisters and I’m on a diet - which sucks but has to be… (wanna go hiking in the National Park, so I have to be in form)

See u later!
Stef

Some pics:

Farwell Spit

Queen Charlotte Track

Nelson Beach

Te Anau: 15.10 - 17.10.
We couldn’t do the Kepler and Routeburn Track because of snow, ice and avalanches, so we decided to do a day walk on the Kepler with beautiful weather. The day before we went to Milford Sounds which is awesome - even when it’s raining!. After we met the guys from Wanaka at a camp ground between Te Anau and Milford, we drove back to Wanaka. It really felt like ‘coming home’. It was good to meet everybody and it was a great evening. (18.10.). I’m glad that I’ve got the opportunity to come back next season and I really look forward to coming back.

Franz Josef: 19.10-20.10.
From Wanaka we drove up to the Franz Josef Glacier and which surprise - it was raining again. It looked like half a year ago, when I tried to make a Glacier Tour and they had to cancel it because of to much rain and water in the valley. We wanted to do a full-day tour for the next day, but I was fully booked so we only could do a half-day tour. We had sunshine the whole day- it was awesome!

Westcoast: 21.10.-22.10.
After our awesome glacier tour, we decided to head up the Westcoast. We made a stopover in Greymouth. The next day we drove from Greymouth to Nelson and stopped at the Pancake rocks, where I worked six month ago. We wanted to visit Lisa, the Manager from the hostel where I worked, but she was on vacation, so we drove up all the way to Nelson. It’s a very nice drive up!

Nelson: 22.10. - 23.10.
We arrived in Nelson and which surprise, we met Jeremy who was also at the Wanaka Bakpaka for the whole winter season. The next day, Sam came back from her trip to the Abel Tasman and we had a little ‘Wanaka reunion’.

Today we’re headin’ up to Golden Bay.

Cu later
Stef

More pics:

Kepler Track

Milford Sounds

Franz Josef Glacier

Montag haben Amy, Sheridan und ich Wanaka verlassen. Es gab zum Abschied ein großes Farwell Comitee - es war die beste Zeit bisher und ich war nicht das letzte mal in Wanaka und TC…

Nachdem wir zwei Tage in Dunedin waren und dort eine Brauerei und Schokoladenfabrik besichtigt haben ging’s Mittwoch weiter zu den Catlins. Eine tolle Gegend mit Seelöwen, Seals und tollen Buchten und Stränden.

Heute haben wir Sheridan an einem DOC Campground in den Catlins “ausgesetzt” und Amy und ich sind weiter nach Te Anau. Hier werden wir erstmal zwei Tage bleiben und schauen, ob wir den Keppler Track die Tage in Angriff nehmen. Nach der harten Ski-Saison bin ich ganz schön ausser Form

Hier mal wieder Bilder:

Thunderboards Day, 10.10.09:

Hard Working Liftie mit Bier und Kippe

Skiing Remarkables

Ich bin auch über die Box und den Kicker - wohoo!

Dunedin

“Wanaka” auf den Moeraki Boulders mit der “family” aus dem Wanaka Bakpaka

Catlins

Catch u later!
Stef