24/02/2023 Dunedin
Dunedin
Walk around the Octagon and town
When we arrived in Dunedin, it was already dark. It was so great being back after I spent one incredible year here as a high school student in 2005.
Walking along the main street in town brought back so many great memories and I had constantly flashbacks from 18 (!) years ago.
Listen to live music in a pub
Before finding a spot to sleep at night, Blake and I popped into a bar for a drink and for some live music. Since it was a Friday night, I thought we might run into some friends from 2005 here. With a lot of them, however, I didn’t know what they looked like these days. But in my mind they still looked like 16-year-old teenagers.
25/02/2023 Dunedin
Explore the Botanic Gardens
Last night we ended up driving to the Botanic Gardens where we found a car park inside the park.
As a 15-year-old I don’t think I had ever gone here. But the park was actually really beautiful!
Drive up Signal Hill
Back in my high school year in Dunedin it was considered “cool” to drive up to Signal Hill in the dark and speed down again. These days it’s “cool” to admire the view from up there. In those moments I really do realize how much I’ve grown up.
Go to the Otago Farmers Market
Another very mature thing that I get quite excited about these days (and didn’t even know existed back in the days), is going to the Saturday farmers’ market next to the Railway Station. The market was big and you could buy anything from chai tea, fruit and baked goodies – and trust me, I did!
Long time no see
I was pretty excited since I was going to visit my host mum again today for the first time in eleven years. (I came back for a visit in 2008/09 after doing work and travel in Australia for one year and after my semester abroad in Australia in 2011/12, in which I also met Blake for the first time.)
Therefore I didn’t want to look too run-down when we first met up again after such a long time. So Blake and I sneaked into a hostel for a shower one last time (at least for the last time in New Zealand 😉).
Relax at St Clair Beach
The weather was fabulous! So we drove to St. Clair Beach, which is a beautiful long sandy beach just ten minutes away from the downtown.
Expectations vs. reality
Funnily, back in 2005 I chose Dunedin as a city because I always wanted to live close to the beach. However, Dunedin’s weather and the lack of having a car made me only go to the beach four times in the entire year in total!
My old high school Kaikorai Valley College
Before seeing my host mum again, we had a look around my old high school, which was so exciting for me! I loved going to school here and joining so many school sports teams as well as other outdoor excursions.
Seeing my host mum again
And then it was time to see my host mum Lola again. Gosh, I was so excited! When we knocked on the door and an old lady came out, I immediately broke into tears. Unfortunately, we had mixed up the numbers and had knocked on the wrong door. Under all these tears it was hard to see, but I did notice that this was definitely not my host mum.
A very emotional visit
When I saw my actual host mum a few doors down the road I got emotional all over again. And then I cried again when we talked about my host dad who had passed away nine years ago. Other than that it was a very happy get together and I’m grateful my host mum and Blake got to meet each other.
Do a self-guided walking tour around town
In the afternoon we did a self-guided tour around town and saw buildings I had never seen before in the entire year of living here.
Catch up with friends
In the evening we caught up with two good friends of mine, Mel and Becci, from my high school time here. Becci had also visited me in Germany many years ago and with Mel I had lived in a six-person-flat when I came back in 2009. It is quite shocking to realize how long it’s been! On the other hand it’s great to see that with some friends it feels like no time has passed at all.
26/02/2023 From Dunedin to Timaru
Spend a day on Otago Peninsula
After waking up in our camper van in the Botanic Gardens once again, we left the city to drive to the Otago Peninsula.
Flanking the southern edge of Dunedin’s extensive harbour, Otago Peninsula is high and rugged on the ocean side; warm and sheltered on the harbour side. Volcanic in origin, the peninsula is part of the crater wall of a large, long-extinct volcano.”
newzealand.com
We walked to two different viewpoints, from which you had an incredible view over the peninsula. First, we walked to the viewpoint of “Sandfly Bay”, from where you could see seals lying on the sandy white beach below us.
Next, we went to “Sandymount Recreation Reserve”, which was just as stunning.
Perfect get-away from the “big” city life
Back in 2005 my host dad took my two host sisters from Japan and Hong Kong and me to different beach walks on the Otago Peninsula every Sunday. I loved those walks (but obviously I never had a clue where we actually went). Now – being “a bit” older and more into nature walks – I appreciate those weekly walks we did even more!
Catch up with my former teacher
Once we were back in Dunedin, we caught up with a former teacher of mine at “The Long Dog Café” at St Clair Beach. Back then he had also been responsible for the international students. It was great seeing him again and a really nice (and sunny) ending to our time in Dunedin.
Visit Boulders Beach
On the five-hour-drive to Christchurch, our last stop in New Zealand, we stopped at Boulders Beach. I had never been here before, but always saw pictures of these massive stones sitting on the beach. They were really impressive and the beach was beautiful!
Moeraki is now most famous for its boulders; mysteriously spherical stones scattered across a beach. Each boulder weighs several tonnes and is up to two metres high.Scientists explain the boulders as calcite concretions formed about 65 million years ago. According to Maori legend, the boulders are gourds washed ashore from the great voyaging canoe Araiteuru when it was wrecked upon landfall in New Zealand hundreds of years ago.”
newzealand.com
Oamaru
Another stop we did on the way to Christchurch was in a small town called Oamaru.
Oamaru […] has a rich history and proud heritage, enriched by the passionate and perhaps quirky locals. Explore this heritage in the Victorian Precint …] within some of the Southern Hemispheres most complete Victorian streetscapes and 19th century architecture.”
newzealand.com
See the penguin colony
The town was adorable and was picture-worthy at every corner! We had a beer in a brewery.
Afterwards we went to the penguin colony, where we unfortunately didn’t spot any penguins (apparently they only appear at dusk). But we saw lots of seals instead.
A great ending of our road trip
By now it was 6 p.m. and we didn’t feel the need to rush to Christchurch. That is why we stopped at a castle that we had found randomly on the side of the highway. Here we took out the gas cooker, cut up some veggies and enjoyed our wine from Cromwell, while looking at the castle during sunset. It was quite the scene and a perfect ending to our time on the road with our camper van.
Timaru
Camping at Caroline Bay in Timaru
We stayed the night in Timaru, about two hours south of Christchurch. We both got a bit sentimental setting up the bed and crawling into the back of the van one last time.
Back in 2021 when the world was in lockdown, we had found a way of still being able to travel by renting a campervan and traveling around Southern Germany. Back then we had already loved the camper van experience! We really hope this wouldn’t be the last time in a campervan on this world trip.
27/02/2023 From Timaru to Christchurch
Christchurch
Drop off of our campervan in Christchurch
After a last breakfast bowl on the road and the last few kilometres in our van, we arrived in Christchurch (“only” 1.5 hours after the official drop-off time). A lot of thoughts were running through our minds: Did we have to return the van with a full tank? Would the van be clean enough? And most importantly: Will they say anything about the flooding, the fact that this isn’t the same van and will we have to pay for the damage of the engine of the first van?
Surprisingly, the guy at the wicked camper van shop didn’t even look at the van! He only asked us if we had a good trip. Then we gave him the key and that was it! Kiwis are just the friendliest, most laid-back people! But good that we had worried A LOT before returning the van (maybe more me than Blake 😉).
Catch up with an old friend in the Riverside Market
And here we were: No more van to throw all our stuff in, but with two massive backpacks and a huge bag of leftover-foods.
One of my friends from my time in Dunedin had moved to Christchurch, who we met up with at the Riverside Market.
It was great seeing her again, before meeting my other kiwi family in Christchurch.
Seeing my (other) host family again
The last few times I went back to New Zealand, I always made sure I stopped in Christchurch to visit my other host parents Ele and Garry. They are the kindest, most generous people! In 2011 I even got to celebrate Christmas with them.
Needless to say, I was quite excited to see them again after eleven years time. You know you have a close relationship when it doesn’t feel like time has passed at all when you see each other again. Ele even did our laundry, we had PLENTY of wine, amazing food and so much to catch up on! I absolutely loved seeing them again and for them to get to know Blake as well.
Also, sleeping in a real bed again after 4.5 weeks in a camper van felt amazing! Unfortunately, this night only lasted for three hours, since we had decided (for some now unimaginable reason) to catch a flight out of New Zealand at 6 a.m. in the next morning for our next big adventure.
Resumé New Zealand
Blake and I both loved being back in New Zealand. Even though we had both been here before several times, it still felt different this time:
- Our priorities have changed from partying to being out in nature
- We explored the country in a camper van instead of with the hop-on hop off bus company “Kiwi Experience”
- And of course because we did it together this time and shared the experience
The nature in New Zealand is so diverse and stunning and the people are the kindest people we have met on our travels yet (besides the Fijians probably)! We both hope that this wouldn’t be our last time to New Zealand yet.
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