Ascend of Mount Taranaki in spring with Erich

Mount Taranaki, our aim (an active vulcano)

South Island Trip Christmas 2010

Kea Mountain Parrot

Arthur's Pass

Wellington Harbour entrance at nightfall

New Year's Eve in the Marlborough Sounds

Rob and Aneke, who emigrated from Holland to New Zealand some 20 years ago, kindly invited Anne, Nynke and me to their property in the Marlborough Sounds for New Year's Eve.

It took us 1/2 h to get from the gate to the house down in one of the bays, partly over a steep and narrow track through the bush. But it is fully worth it!

View from the house

"Our" beach. What else can I say?

Rob and Aneke's bays. Their property is so large that it comprises several secluded, very beautiful bays of white sand and amazing rock, in one of the most beautiful parts of the country.

Everything was prepared for the New Year's Eve party.

The water was amazing. When we surfing on New Year's Day, we saw a huge eagle ray (a bit like a sting ray) in the surf right in front of us.

View on French Pass from one of the hills.

Jolly get-together (with Anne & Nynke)

Good times! (Rob on the far left)

The house as seen from the surrounding hills

Deck at the beach


Bonfire at the beach to welcome the New Year

An amazing night at the beach

Summer Road Trip on the South Island

East Coast Evening

Christmas Eve - Kiwi style: With BBQ at the beach

A meddlesome sea lioness in Curio Bay

Catlins view

Dolphins visiting me while I am surfing

Full waterfalls after a few days of rain

Nugget Point in exceptionally good weather

Kaikoura seals with pups

Spot the dolphins! (Sorry for the bad shots)

S'later Palmy!!

So...this is it! 18 months in this wonderful country... and tomorrow morning I'm heading back to good old Europe. Phil will stay here for a bit longer and will take up the blog again. Thanks heaps guys for the most amazing farewell present ever, I hope we meet again somewhere, some time in the future. NZ rocks!

The Lost Gipsy Gallery

Ok, this is one of the funniest things we've seen in New Zealand (and thanks again to the Lonely Planet guide...): The Lost Gypsy Gallery. This guy (who is a surfer, by the way) works in a bus that is filled with gadgets he's made himself out of junk and recycling items. Everything is wind or solar powered and made out of...well, anything he's been finding around!! We spent hours playing with the toys and having a look around the garden where all his best creations are on display.