dimanche 10 avril 2011

Lake Tekapo, Kaikoura and Tongariro National Park: extraordinary experiences

18 April - 3 May 2011


Time to go to the East Coast of the South Island. We started with Dunedin but there was not much to see. Then with my bus, we passed by Christchurch. It was very sad to see the consequences of the earthquake. Roads were destroyed, buildings and houses damaged. There was no possibility to stay there so we headed towards Kaikoura, a little bit north of Christchurch.









Kaikoura is famous for the activities linked with the ocean wild life. So I decided to experience 2 different activities.

The first one, swimming with dolphins was amazing. Well, a bit early for me but unforgettable experience. I woke up at 4AM and got ready. By 6AM, I, with 9 other people, was on the small boat looking for dolphins. It was still dark and raining a lot. We all thought dolphins wouldn't show up but after 45 min searching for them, we finally saw them. Hundreds of them swimming in this big ocean. Time to jump into the ice cold water with our very sexy outfit. It was amazing, dolphins were spinning around me with a distance of maximum 30 cm. It was very tempting to touch them but they don't let people touch them... at some point, I saw a very strange brown dolphin. When I looked up closely, I realized it wasn't a dolphin but a fur seal, so cute!
After around 1.5 hour, we got back to the boat and said goodb
ye to the dolphins.







In the afternoon of the same day, I experienced the whale watching. We got so close to them with the big boat, we could see them breath. The most beautiful moment is when they dive into the water with their tail up in the air, like in the pictures, it was simply beautiful. During the trip we saw 3 whales, hundreds of dolphins, hundreds of fur seals and some albatross. That was also an unforgettable experience.










After Kaikoura, I decided to spend 2 days at Lake Tekapo. One of the most beautiful lakes I have ever seen so far. The water was turquoise. A unique color.
The lake is surrounded by mountains. So when I hiked to the top of Mount John, the view was just breathtaking. I was all by myself, standing in front of a gigantic turquoise lake surrounded by mountains. I didn't want to move from there anymore. One Dutch woman even asked me if I was meditating... No, just contemplating the stunning view.

I finished that amazing day with an outdoor hot pools with a view on the lake and the mountains, the feeling was indescribable, just magnificent! Sometimes, it's good to enjoy life ;o)
















My last challenge in New Zealand was on the North Island. The famous Tongariro Crossing in the Tongariro National Park. A challenge of 19.4km trough volcanoes and craters, lakes and mountains. I am very proud to say that I survived that challenge. Unbelievable! And all the 19.4km in a bit less than 6 hours! I was encouraged by 3 other German friends hopefully.
It was so freezing that we almost didn't stop for a break. We started the walk at 7.30AM, that was a real morning walk! Not sure I will be able to do it again...












Last stop in New Zealand, Coromandel Peninsula, near Auckland, in the North of the country. Famous for its hot water beach. I looked for a long time for the hot water and... never found it (on the picture, I just pretend it's hot but it's freezing cold!). The beach was nice tough...

After all these challenges, I thought I deserved a good rest in Indonesia. So goodbye New Zealand, I will certainly come back one day because i really felt in love with you but for the time being, I need sun, sea, rest and ... be on a diet...


Next stop: Bali and Gili Islands (Indonesia)



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