Contemplation

 ...then what does?

Good day everyone!
I'm in an awfully good mood today, and I've got quite a few reasons to be. The only one that's relevant to this particular space-update, is that I've just received another message from one of my "traveling buddies" from New Zealand. A fantastic reminder of a fantastic time. Thought it was about time for me to FINALLY write about that last and most amazing month down there, ey? I'm very sorry to have kept it waiting for as long as I have, but just bear with me okay? ;) Before I even start writing all of this, I'd like to warn you that this is probably gonna be a very long story... Of course, by the time you're reading this, you'd probably already have scrolled fown to see just how big it is. Then why am I even typing this? 'Not a clue. Not a clue...
 Oh, I know! I just wanted to remind you that I don't EXPECT any of you to read this. It's for those of you that really care, are plane curious, enjoy reading, or are just really bored ;P I've already said this several times before but the main reason that I keep this blog updated, is for myself. Just don't feel obliged to read this (:

SO! Where to start the documentation of this lifechanging journey? The beginning, might be a good idea. My last update from New Zealand was the one I wrote about Rhythm&Vines, the first festival in the world to see the sunrise in 2008. Yes, what an amazing week that was... I wrote that update just a few days before I finished my internship at KIWA. Seems like a good place to start, yes? It may already be quite a while ago, but I remember all of it as if happened yesterday. Or two days, at most ;)
 Well, enough with the introduction - let's get this ball rolling, shall we? You might remember me going on and on about all the plans I'd made, now let me tell you how the all worked out.

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Friday, 18th of January... This had been a day I'd been looking forward to for a very long time. It was my last day working at KIWA Productions, and this was an occasion worth celebrating. In fact, I was gonna be celebrating it that very evening with the Kings of Leon in Wellington! Little more than a week after Rhythm&Vines, it was time for another concert. And another one, AND another one!! Kings of Leon that Friday, The National on Tuesday, and Big Day Out the Friday after that!! One big week of celebration... I said my goodbyes to Dee, Lincoln, Jacob & Daniel, since I wouldn't see them for more than a month, and took the bus over to Wellington. Lincoln had given me his old backback, which was a bit more practical than my suitcase on wheels, but a backpack this heavy really took some getting used to; the effect of gravity of 20 extra kilograms on your back tends to have its effect on your balance... Just for the record, I'm used to having people on my back and neck, but they usually get climb back down to solid ground after 5 or 10 minutes. This backpack was gonna be a 5th (or 6th? :P) limb of my body for the next 40 days, so I'd better get used to it.

I still remember that bus ride over to Wellington as if it happened yesterday, when in fact it's a good 3 months ago already...! It's incredible. I really miss that place, I really do. Being back home has been great and all, but. Well, a major difference is that when you're away, you get this certain image in your head of what home was like, or rather what you THINK home was like when you left. The way you want it to be. This provides you with a certain kind of freedom of interpreting your life back home, which I think is a big part of the beauty of travel. You're leading a second life somewhere far away from home, where you know you can afford to try all kinds of new things. Because even if it DOES go wrong, you'll always have your life back home to fall back on. You've already succeeded back there, and you can rebuild so much in this new place, only WITH the knowledge of your old life. Call it a reincarnation of yourself, if you will.
 While staring out of the window from my seat in that bus, admiring the wonderful New Zealand landscapes and shorelines while enjoying some good ol' Dave Matthews, you reflect on your "old life" back home and just sit there enjoying the moment. In some sort of trance, you realize what an amazing addition this is to your life as it already was, understanding the lack of boundaries of where you want your life to go. These bus trips can never last long enough if you ask me.

Arriving in Wellington somewhere in the early afternoon, I headed right down to the backpackers' where I was gonna be satying that night, dropped off my stuff and headed right back into the city. This was only my second time in "Welly", yet somehow I felt perfectly at home. I'd been here before to see the Black Seeds again, and after that FANTASTIC welcome Wellington gave me that weekend, the city just felt like a second home to me. I didn't feel like a tourist AT ALL anymore. After having reacquainted myself with the city, I headed over to the docks to do something I had to skip the last time I was there; I rented a pair of rollerblades and spent the next 3 hours skating all the way through Windy Wellington's harbour! It was fantastic, I hadn't rolled around on those things since I was 12! That's TEN YEARS, people. Now THAT'S getting in touch with your old life ;) I also rolled by the TSB Arena where the Kings of Leon were gonna be playing that night. It wasn't another 3 hours until they'd actually get onstage and there were already people waiting at the doors. Thought it might be time for me to grab me some dinner and get in line, so I did...

By the time I'd finished dinner and got my butt back to the venue, there was already a HUGE line waiting right there, it was ridiculous. But still, even in the line, the atmosphere was there: everyone in that line was in for some good, raw, live rock. Most of you reading this will know what this feels like, so it won't be mich of a surprise that it wasn't a problem at all to wait for about an hour surrounded by these people. My kind of people... I didn't know a single person in there when I headed over there, but somehow it always seems to be a mere matter of time until that changes miraculously. Especially after actually getting inside and waiting for the band, people walked up to me who recognized me from either Rhythm&Vines or even from Hawera! And, of course, people who just thought they'd make some "original" remark about my height; how could you ever grow tired of people asking you how tall you are.
 Apart from some girl who threw up three times just to pass out right into her breakfast from last morning, the atmosphere in the crowd was fantastic. I can't tell you how much I'd missed times like these, it was a great reminder of my personal highlight of last year's Lowlands. It couldn't possibly have topped that particular experience, but it came pretty close! Third time to see these guys playing, but I honestly don't see how you could ever grow tired of witnessing it. Their support-act, Youth Group, made sure of this. Great stuff.
 Once the gig was over, I went way to the back just to rehydrate and calm-the-hell-down with some other guys that I'd met up front while we were jumping shoulder-to-shoulder. We got to talking and I agreed to head into town with their group afterwards... This turned out to be quite a night, it was wild! A great group to be hangin'out with, though not all of them seemed as "intellectual" as the others. Still, I had some great conversations with them and other people we met at the clubs where we were at. And the best part was; I really felt "respected", you know? I remember one of these guys, Mike, bit older than I was, talking to one of his friends about me. How they met me at the concert and how much he enjoyed "listening to his stories". The sincerity (or the alcohol) in his voice really meant a lot to me at the time :)
 They couldn't dance for much, but I remember this one guy that was grooving out next to me on the dance floor and he was copying all of my moves! Was pretty cool to see someone "learning" from you like that, but once he got them down it was fantastic: it was like I was dancing in a mirror. I reckon it must've looked pretty cool until the guy made pass at me! I'm not gonna state what he told me exactly, but he seemed quite fond of the fact that I was dancing with my shirt open... I couldn't believe my ears, hoping I misunderstood him due to the loud music. "WHAT?!" I replied, and he just backed off: "Never mind, never mind", as I re-buttoned my shirt while reconvincing myself of my "sexual preference". Gah.

I got back to my hostel at around 5 in the morning, sliiightly intoxicated. Normally you'd have to be checked out of the hostel by 10am, but this time around, I'd planned an extra day/night for recovery, and I'm GLAD that I did! Most of this day (or at least what was left of it) was spent relaxing on the beach and just chilling out. Enjoying some great fresh memories, organizing them and giving them a spot in my mind. In the evening I suddenly felt like watching a good movie and decided to head over to the cinema to see what was playing. I'd been wanting to check out I Am Legend and it was JUST what I needed! Blew me away. Fantastic. And a huge coincidence; after the movie I walked back down the stairs and ran into that Mike-guy from last night, with some others from that night. They seemed in even worse shape than I was, but it was great 't we got to say our goodbyes like that.

After that, it was on to Auckland for the next couple of gigs! That Monday, after ALMOST having missed my train to Auckland (those cabs everywhere CAN some in handy sometimes), I was rolling on a railroad straight through the center of the North Island. It felt pretty good to be back in a train again.. I hadn't expected this feeling at all, but being back in a train like this, it kinda felt like home, really. It didn't have those typical orange benches like the ones we have back here of course, but still - the train still feels like "my territory"! After all those bus- and planetrips, I could honestly say that.. I'd missed this :) I spent most of the trip reading and talking the people around me. I had an older couple of European South Africans behind me and I think I must've spent at least 2 hours talking to these people. The stories from that country are astounding: so different from what we're used to. So much chaos. Nowhere on the world have different cultures clashed as much as they have there, it's kinda sad. I stand by my opinion that we had no right to invade their country and force our Western lifestyle upon those people. But that's a different story!! I'll probably get a bit deeper into this subject once I've actually been there myself. A matter of time ;)

I had initially planned to stay with my aunt&uncle up there in Auckland, but I hadn't been able to get a hold of them in time. But since they lived way out of the city, and my concerts were way in the center, I figured it would be better for the both of us to find and book a hostel somewhere in the city. However, finding one proved to be a bit more of a challenge than I initially had anticipated. With Big Day Out coming up this Friday, almost EVERY hostel I found was booked way up to they maximum capacity. Remember this was Auckland, a city inhabiting HALF of NZ's total population. A city counting well over 2 million people, with NO available hostels at all..?!?! No way, man! No way. After some intense searching, I finally managed to find this great place, right next to the Sky Tower. And a cheaper one at that: $18 NZD per night, which would account for about €9 per night! Perfect!
 Still, nothing could've given me an idea of what I was in for over at that hostel. It was fantastic; it was like spending a full month with a group of friends I'd known for months. With Big Day Out coming up that Friday, more than HALF of the people staying there were all going to the festival. It was a fantastic bunch of people; all different kinds of people from all different places around the world. I had two roommates, Ross & Jim from England, which were little younger than I was (although little Ross looked like a bloody 12-year-old :P). I got along with these two from the very minute I walked into my room and I spent every next day of my week in Auckland with these follows, including Big Day Out itself. I could on about this single week for about an hour, but I'll just let the pictures do the talking. I'm not sure how much longer this update will become, but if you scroll down to the bottom of it, you should see the photo's down there. Provided that I haven't forgotten to add them...
 The part that I still want to explain in detail, is that very last day in Auckland. I had reserved one extra day in Auckland after BDO for "physical and mental recovery", just like I'd done back in Welly, and apparently most people at the hostel had done the same. This last day/night together turned out to be almost as good as BDO itself..! See, what happened is... On that last night, our whole BDO-group was hanging out together on the balcony one last time. The manager let us stay up there until 1am, rather than the normal 10pm. So he was already cutting us some slack, but when the time actually came, none of us were really prepared to call it a night, so we decided to hit the town instead. But rather than going to some random pub, we all just went ahead and bought our own beer and took this to the nearest park. We didn't even have any music or whatever, yet we sat there for hours! The police even came by because apparently we weren't allowed to drink in that particular park, but they were real easy on us, really kind, and we even got a big group photo with'm :P I'll add that photo to the rest, it's fantastic :D You can see the cop way on the right, be sure to check it out! They told us to leave, but they just left after we told them that we would. ...We never really got out of that park until another 2 hours later :P But would you just look at that photo for a minute?! I mean, we've got some Germans in there, Englishmen, some tall Dutch guy, Canadians, Aussie's, a few actual Kiwi's and... Just look at those facial expressions! Look at the absolute joy in those faces! Isn't that what it's all about? It's one of my best memories of the whole trip and I'm so, so glad that we got it photographed like that. And that's not even the whole group!

That next Sunday morning, that whole little "family" we had going on parted ways again, and we barely even got to say our goodbyes. We had to be checked out by 11am, and with the lack of sleep from the last night, most of us seemed to have some trouble getting up... Some just didn't, and decided to stay one more day, just for the sake of sleeping in. Would've been well worth it, but I had a flight to catch that afternoon! Off to the South Island at last... My hunger for live music had been well fed, and now it was time for me to get right down to nature! Into The Wild. I'd managed to get a hold of my uncle the day before, and had agreed to meet up them in the park. Albert Park, which I'd grown so utterly fond of. There's something about those "mid-urban parks", I don't know. It's where everyone goes to get away from the suburban city chaos, which creates a certain kind of atmosphere, and a sense of unity with everyone there. I haven't found a better reading spot in Auckland, than this certain tree in this particular park. I read my books in there, but to oppose some recent rumours, I DID NOT spend the night in any of those trees!
 Anyhow, I was real glad to still get to see my uncle & aunt again during my second stay in Auckland. I hadn't seen them since I headed down to Hawera, just a week after arriving in New Zealand. It was great to catch up, while enjoying a warm, sunny, little picnic in the park. Also, they said they were willing to drive me over to the airport to catch my flight, giving us a few extra hours to enjoy in the park.
 The thing was, though... We got so carried away talking, that we completely lost track of time. My flight left at 5 o'clock, and we headed over there at about 4. I was sure that it wouldn't be much of a problem, until I heard how far it was: 35 kilometers?! They had been keeping a close eye on the time but it turned out that, due to a little misunderstanding, they though that I had to CHECK IN at 5pm, when my flight would actually be LEAVING at that time! When they found out, they started stressing about how we'd never make it in time and all that, and... Well, to be honest with you, I just couldn't be bothered to worry about it :P A major lack of sleep, combined with the satisfaction of a fantastic festiva-.. of a fantastic WEEK, made sure of it that I just sat there, going "Aahh, whatever man, it'll be fiiine".
 BUT! No it won't :D We arrived at the Domestic Terminal at about 10 to 5, dragged my equipment over to check-in, just to find out that the plane was already boarded. I had managed to catch every bus and train in New Zealand so far, but it just would've been unnatural if I didn't miss SOMETHING, SOMEWHERE along the trip, right? :P

Thankfully, the Air New Zealand staff was very helpful to reschedule my flight for me. It did cost me a little extra, but I still couldn't care... After that last week, nothing could go wrong anymore anyway. I could tell that the woman that was helping me quite enjoyed my state of mind, since most people in line got all fussy about it. And here was this huge, tired, satisfied hippie with this big grin on his face going "Aahh, sure, whatever, take your time". People often tell me I don't worry as much as I should sometimes, but this is a habit I'm most proud of ;)
 I couldn't get a flight for that same day anymore, but got the first flight on the next day instead. 10am... I called my uncle about how it all went, he seemed to feel a bit guilty but I eventually managed to convince him that it was my responsibility. After talking things through, I decided it would probably be the easiest for the both of us if I just found a hostel somewhere near the airport. He didn't mind picking me up, on the contrary, but I was a bit reluctant to accept any help at this time. I worked my way into this situation, and I'll get my way right back out again. I could just imagine how my mother would've responded to this, I sortof felt the need to prove that it really wasn't that big of a deal.
 So I went to check for hostels in the area but they were all relatively expensive. Still ridiculously low for Dutch standards, but I still didn't feel like paying for it. But then, someone suggested that I could always wait in the internation terminal, which doesn't close overnight..! This sounded perfect! I don't know about you guys, but I'm one of those people that loves airports. I still head over to Schiphol from time to time just to suck up the atmosphere. So I headed back to the International Terminal which I hadn't seen since my arrival in New Zealand. It felt good. I went through the whole building in search of a nice spot to relax for a bit. Read my book, listen some music, sleep a little... Didn't take me long to find a perfect spot for this: some corner way in the corner on the top floor, poorly lit, with some huge windows providing a fantastic view over the runway. No one else there and, best of all, it was free! What else could a man wish for. Well, a bed would've been nice, but the benches weren't half bad, really :) I couldn't help but feel like Tom Hanks in The Terminal, have you seen that movie? You're hereby invited to come watch it at my place!
 Some of you might not believe me on this one, but I really did quite enjoy myself that night! In fact, I'm GLAD that I missed my flight that day, looking back at it now.

That morning I witnessed another hectic day at the airport, slowly picking up it's usual pace. Hundreds of people arriving and leaving home, welcomed or dropped off by family or friends, crying and laughing.. See, that's what I like about airports so much; they always look so formal and tidy, yet it's still always filled with emotions all around you. It's just one of those places where you're always "confronted" with the fact that every person around you has a whole life of their own going on. Their own little world, which is often a lot more similar to our own than most of us would like to admit. It's something that's so easy to neglect, allowing you to keep your eyes fixed on your own life. Life provides more than enough distractions for you to ignore the bigger picture. Because every one of us has to re-invent life and its environment. It seems so unnecessary sometimes, that that cycle keeps being repeated over and over again. But since both life and its environment is constantly changing, I suppose it would be only natural for us to keep being reacquainted with it over and over. Or is that the very cause for it to change in the first place? Are we just trying to adapt to our own changes? That would be what we refer to as "evolution", I guess..? But still, how are we ever gonna get somewhere if we can't even adapt to eachother?
 To me, an airport is just one of those places where you look up from the road your walking on, and to look around you. Where you see the bigger picture of where we, the human race as a whole, is heading - or at least attempt to figure it out. A moment of contemplation.

Just as I was about to discover the reason to our existence, a quick glance at the clock revealed that it was about time for me to check in already! Time flies when you're figuring out the reason of life. I packed up my stuff again, and off we went! Into the air, into the clouds, and hopefully not into any tall buildings.

I got off in Christchurch, where I hopped right onto my next flight to Invercargill; the very bottom of the South Island. New Zealand's asshole XD I had been looking forward to see the South Island ever since I arrived, and finally... Finally, I was there.
 I was picked up in Invercargill by Lincoln's father, Michael. He lived there in Invercargill and I was initially gonna be spending 2 nights there at his house. Since that first night was spent in Auckland's International Terminal, this was now reduced to a single night, forcing me to cancel my plans for Curio Bay and its "petrified forest".. (vandaar dus, Iris! I'M SORRY, okay?!) But despite my short stay, they were really kind to me while I was there (: The guy was a grandfather already, but he was about the same age as my dad.. A real interesting man, it was. I had some pretty intense discussions with the man that night after dinner, about all sorts of things. About marriage, kids, human history, human "breeds"... We didn't quite agree on a few things about these subjects and I'm telling you, the guy was TWICE as stubborn than I was! And that's saying something! Nonetheless, I enjoyed those discussions, I really did. Our opinions might've been completely different at some points, but I respect that man.

That next morning, I was dropped off at the Invercargill Visitor's center where I'd catch my bus down to Bluff, where the ferry would pick me up and take me right down to Stewart Island. This is an island just a few kilometers South off the coast of New Zealand's South Island. It's about the size of our province Zeeland, only difference being that it's inhabited by... Well, barely 400 people. It's got one little village and that's it! The rest of the island is just this vast, native, untouched forest. Now, just for the record, here in the Netherlands, almost every single bit of forest we have is planted by us. It's all been taken down at one point or another, until we finally got to a point where we finally realized its value. You don't know what you've got until you miss it.
 This makes Stewart Island some sort of treehugger-paradise. Real, raw nature... This is what I came to New Zealand for. I couldn't wait. Lincoln's dad had warned me about the ferry, he was almost certain that I'd throw up somewhere along the way but, thankfully, the contents of my stomache stayed right where it's supposed to be.
 I'd been hoping for some clear weather upon my arrival, to get that "magical" first impression of the island, y'know? Unfortunately it remained as grey as a Dutch winter day, but with those clouds making their way over the mountaintops, it might even have looked better than it would have on a sunny day. The island looked amazing and I couldn't wait to get on my way. All I had left to do was to get some food supplies for the next couple of days but, unexpextedly, this is where the more serious troubles started...

I knew the population on Stewart Island was small, but I never expected them NOT TO HAVE an ATM down there..? They didn't have a bank or anything..! But, no worries, I still have my credit card :) This thing had proven ESSENTIAL on my travels so far and had never let me down. Until now.
 See, until then, I had always just signed for every payment I made using my credit card. Didn't need a PIN-number or anything. However, down on Stewart Island, they didn't support this possibility either. You could pay electronically, but it just kept insisting on a PIN number that I didn't have! The people at the store let me call my bank about the issue and thank God they were available - it being past midnight back in the Netherlands. They told me that I SHOULD have a PIN number for that credit card and that they could request a new one but this would require me to identify myself at the bank. In the Netherlands. Fucked up... After that, the manager of the store advised me to try their main hotel, said that maybe they could help me. That's where people usually went to withdraw some cash. But this had the same result! The woman seemed understanding at let me use their phone to try and call my bank again. The guy that was helping me out this time was really helpful, he understood my situation very well and tried everything in his power to try and help me, he went to his teamleader, then to his boss, but none of them could help...

And that's when the panic started creeping in. Here I was, on an island, for 5 days, with no money. Well that was the worst part; I did háve the money, I just couldn't access it! I hate to admit it, but I cried in anger and desperation while talking on the phone... What was I supposed to do?! I had already booked and payed for the ferry trip back, but what was I going to live off for the next FIVE DAYS?! What the HELL was I gonna do?!?!
 I tried to pull myself together after that phonecall before bringing back the phone, but I think the hotel manager picked up on it right away. She was really kind and told me that she'd been in a similar situation once, over in Australia. She had a few suggestions, but after ruling out any other possibilities, she offered to lend me some money for those few days I was on the island. I could just transfer the money back to her account afterwards..! She had to offer this 3 times before I accepted, but you wouldn't believe the overwhelming sense of relief that followed.

So, after a long struggle with reality, I could finally make my escape from it. Away from our modern day society, from everything and everyone, just to throw yourself into the unknown. On your own! A few people responded quite surprised when I told them I was gonna be doing these walks all by myself, but I wouldnt've had it any other way.

And it was everything I hoped it could be.

Once again, I'd have to refer you to the photo's I made to give you but a fraction of an idea of what it was like, but it was fan-tastic. Waking up in the middle of a rainforest, with such a vast abundance of life around you. So much life, yet not a single human being. I had the whole thing to myself! It's a different sense of freedom, one that I hadn't ever felt before.
 It might've been a little wet, but that's just part of the fun. I was fully prepared for a bit of rain, but even when it was dry I couldn't resist running through those tempting looking puddles along the track. Even the mud, which you'd normally try to avoid whenever possible... After a while, you even start appreciating the sound of suction it makes when you pull your boots back out of it :P If you're reading this right now, just try and imagine that sound, we all know what it sounds like :P Good stuff... Good stuff.
 One of my most pleasant memories from this particular trip was on the second day. It had been softly raining most of the afternoon, and I really felt fantastic - both mentally and physically. Once you get that feeling in your legs and you've had those 25 kilograms on your back for a while, you don't even feel the weight anymore, it just becomes a part of your body. And with that warmed up feeling in your legs, you feel like you could walk non-stop for hours, days, even weeks. Jack Johnson is always perfect music to play in the rain, and there I was singing along with "Banana Pancakes" on the top of my lungs, 'cause there was noone around to hear me anyway!
 "Oh can't you see that it's just raaii-niing. Aaiin't no need to oouutsiide..."

Time flew by, and before I knew it, I was already on the ferry back to Bluff..! Exhausted but satisfied, I was on my way back to civilization. Heading back there, just to get away all over again! I would rest when I got back home. Upon arriving back in Bluff, I'd booked a bus taking me from there right up to Te Anau: the main gateway to Fiordland National Park. There, I had a few hours to take care of a few preperations, took a water taxi over Lake Te Anau, where I commenced the Kepler Track... A hike that still stands as one of the highlights of my whole trip through New Zealand.
 That watertaxi dropped me off on a small beach, almost INSTANTLY changing into a HUGE forest after the first couple of meters. I couldn't believe my eyes..! I've never seen a forest like this one before, it was magical. Almost everything was covered with green, be it from moss, leaves or algae. It looked magical! Seriously, you'd swear that any one of those trees could just get up at any given moment to run off and destroy Isengard :P
 Fiordland is known for its humidity, getting a few meters of rain each year. 2 out of 3 days is just constant rain... Yet during those 4 days that I was there, I felt a total of FOUR raindrops! In fact, I got sunburned again :D Whoopie. I had dropped off my tent and some other stuff in a locker somewhere, getting rid of any unnecessary weight. The Kepler Track crosses a few mountains, the highest one of which (Mt Luxmore) is a good 1,472 metres high. And trust me when I tell you that you don't want to be carrying those 25 kilo's up that high. Instead, I'd be staying in the three huts built along the track - also saving you the trouble of putting up and breaking down your tent every day ;) Bit more expensive, but worth every penny. And the best part that I later found out, was that every hut seemingly came with its own little extra's. The Luxmore Hut had some really impressive caves just 10 minutes off the track, which I explored with a fellow Dutchman (still wearing his last Lowlands wristband :D!!) and a few Germans. The second, the Iris Burn Hut had this fantastic waterfall nearby. And the last, the Moturau hut, was right next to Lake Manapouri, giving you the opportunity to go for a swim after a long day's walk! And you can really use one, knowing that none of the huts have showering facilities (duh). All the creeks and rivers I found so far (quite a few) were all freezing cold, even too cold for you feet, but the lake was about 20 degrees when I got there! I'd been making jokes about going for a swim in there, so imagine my surprise... Best swim I've had in a very. very. long time. Not with the horribly salty water I found/tasted on most beaches. OOHHH and the sunset that evening..!!!! My GOD! Remind me to put a link to that photo here, it must've been the most magical sunset I've ever seen in my life. I'm being serious here, just wait until you see that photo...

On the last day, when I found my way back to Te Anau, looked up the restaurant I'd picked out from my "travel bible" (I wanted my first dinner to be "special" :P) and ate so much so fast that my stomache hurt and couldn't even finish up my dessert. Never before has dessert been a problem for me, and it's completely against my principles to leave my plate unfinished, but this time I really couldn't do it...
 Once I'd recovered I headed straight to my hostel, one that I chose because my waiter told me that they had a spa... A spa, jacuzzi, hot tub, whatever you want to call it. The girl at the counter felt my pain and just handed me the keys to the spa for free. I dragged myself over there, absolutely exhausted, dove in there, and I'm telling you: I couldn't move. I couldn't move for two hours straight - the hot water just relaxed every single muscle in my body. Every single one, except for my heart maybe. Although I don't know, maybe that one too :P ULTIMATE relaxation! The only thing I had to worry about was keeping my head above water, which was quite a task at this point, trust me. 

My last full day there in Te Anau was spent at the amazing Doubtful Sound. A cruise that lasted almost the entire day. Together with the Milford Sound, these two make up what probably is the most popular destination for tourists in New Zealand. And I'm sure you'll see why, when you see the photo's... See for yourself!

As much as I enjoyed Te Anau so far, I'd seen all the places that I really wanted to see. And with less than 3 weeks to go, it was time to pick up the pace and hit the road again. On to Queenstown: Tourist Capital of New Zealand. This whole city somehow breathed internationalism, it had me wondering how many people around me were actually FROM NZ. I heard many great things about this city from people I'd met along the way, but... Me personally, I can't stand that whole commercialized tourism atmosphere. Of course you can't leave New Zealand without having bungyjumped and I'll admit that I really WAS quite eager to check this out, so I decided that I would just do the jump, get that over with, then get the hell back outta there.
 When I got back home, one of the first questions people usually asked me was "So how was the bungyjump?!". Some of them seemed a bit disappointed when told them that: That it wasn't quite as much of a rush than I hoped it would be..! I don't know. I thought you'd get that wind blowing in your face aaalllll the way down, but it really doesn't feel all that far. It's kinda like diving off the higher diving board, only the point of actually jumping is uhmm... A bit harder ;) You could choose from 3 different jump-sites; I just stuck with the classic Kawarau bridge, where "first bungyjump ever was made by AJ Hackett, founder of the company" bla bla bla. Commercial tourism crap. The reason I chose that one, was that this was the only one that offered you the "submerge" option, letting you touch the water, or even dive right into it.
 All in all, yeah it was cool, but I'm not sure if it's worth the NZD$160/€80 you pay for it. And then they even have the guts to charge you ANOTHER $45 for the damn photo's!! Me? I managed to get them for free. Hah. And I must admit, I AM quite proud of them (:

I'll spare you the story about my weird roommates in Queenstown... Yes, instead, I'll just move right on to the next day, where my journey began with Flyingkiwi! Man, did I enjoy this. Flyingkiwi is/was a tourbus-agency that I'd booked a few months in advance, because I didn't want to be doing the whole trip alone. Of course, you always meet plenty of people along the way, but. You hang with these people for maybe a few days and then you never see them again. And I'm really glad that I did book this trip because it was so much more than I'd initially expected it to be.
 Because you see, the thing about Flyingkiwi, was their whole laid-back-ness. It wasn't just a tour-bus, it was more like a backpacker-bus. A big mobile home. They carried bicycles, tents, a portable kitchen, a small library and best of all: a fruitbox! All the fruit you could eat, right there at your disposal. Apricots, peaches, oranges, apples, prunes, bananas, pears... Everything. Great stuff.

You might be wondering what I was complaining about earlyer: first I'm whining about not wanting to travel in groups, and here I am joining a whole group of other tourists! What the hell man?
 Truth be told, I was a bit hesitant about this at first, as well. But this really was a lot easier,  cheaper and most of all, more social. I really wanted to give this a chance and I must say that it worked out perfectly. I'd be spending a full week with this group, going from Queenstown way through the rugged West Coast, up to Picton: the most Northern part of the South Island.
 And I've gotta tell ya, it really WAS a fantastic journey! Along the way, we stopped at all the places that I really wanted to see, like the Glaciers, the Pancake Rocks, Abal Tasman National Park, and some of the most beautiful beaches I've ever seen. And quite a few spots that I never would've found by myself but were amazing anyway. Not just the "typical" tourist spots. A whole range of places where we set up camp were relatively small towns which most of us had never even heard of. Which most KIWI's had never even heard of! Our guide & driver really knew what they were doing. Genuine South Islanders, proud of their country and more than happy to show it around. But they didn't make everything sound TOO interesting as you would expect from most tours. Nothing too formal, that's what I liked about them. Buncha douchebags, that's what they were :P Nga & Brad... We had some great times with those two.

It's funny though, I only spent about a week with those people. And just like with our group back in Auckland, you grow so close with the people you travel with. Most of them already knew eachother since they were doing the tour through the whole country for a full month. I was just hitching along with them, but I felt sorry to leave them again, even after a mere week. Every night, after along day of exploring this wonderful country together, we set up camp somewhere, every day had a different cooking group which would take care of dinner and cleanup, and usually spend the rest of the night talking around a campfire or gas-light. It creates a bond, y'know? Everyone in the group had their own typical characteristics, culture and background, all those differences united in harmony. It took me a while to get all the names down, but I got along with most of them perfectly fine. Especially two of them; Rachel & Sarah. Definitely my two favorite people on the tour. The three of us explored most of the tour together. They had the idea to come down here to the Netherlands some time for either Pinkpop or Lowlands, that would be fantastic..!! The same with Ross & Jim from Big Day Out by the way, I don't think I've seen the last from them just yet, either. It's fantastic, all those new international contacts :)

When my part of the tour ended in Picton, I said my goodbyes to everyone from Flyingkiwi as they got on the boat to Wellington. I wouldn't be heading back up there until a few days later. I had some other plans first: one last hike here on the South Island before I head back up to the North Island for my two final concerts. The end of my trip was approaching fast... I couldn't grasp the idea at first but, since this was my LAST WEEK already, you start realizing that these will be your last few moments in this country. What was home going to be like after this? How could home ever live up to this country's beauty? How would my friends back home be doing? And my family..? ...Would my grandfather be watching over me right now?
 I decided just to stay focused on this last week that I had left here in this country, and that's exactly what I did. Time for the Queen Charlotte Track this time!

After having traveled in a group like that for a while, it was a bit weird to be heading back out on my own again. Weird, but nice nonetheless. But before I went back into the New Zealand wilderness again, it would be a good idea to get some supplies first. For which one would require money! The financial issues had been partially resolved by now, since I'd been able to get my money from my normal Dutch account so far, but I was already past my monthly budget. With a few Euro's remaining on my own account, my credit card was all I could fall back on. BUT! Won't you believe it, after the issues we had in Stewart Island, the damn thing had been BLOCKED because I tried a wrong PIN-code 3 times. Here we go again...
 Thanksfully, Dee still owed me some grocery-money so, after a few calls, money was on the way. 100 NZ dollars (50 Euro's) should be enough for a week, right? Just a shame that I wouldn't actually RECEIVE the money until the next morning... Where should I stay tonight..?

I went by a few holiday parks if they wouldn't mind me staying there and paying afterwards but once I found out their rates, I just luaghed in their face and walked back out again. 16 dollars for a bloody patch of land for one night... Hah. No thanks.
 One the the best things about New Zealand, is that there's nature everywhere. Even in bigger cities. I decided I'd just look up a bikker forest somewhere and set up my tent there, whether it was allowed or not. I didn't find out about the fine you'd have to pay if they caught you doing this until a few months later, but what're the odds of that anyway. I went to the nearest forest I could find but, with this forest on a hill, it turned out to be pretty hard to find an EVEN patch of land without trees on it. With the sun already setting, I really had to make haste if I still wanted to see anything to put up my tent. Eventually I found a decent spot somewhere just off the main path, hidden within the trees, but not really even. It had to do.
 Spending the night there on that spot was kinda weird, waking up 3 times that night because I slided down halfway through my tent again, but knowing that it was free made it all worthwhile ;) I felt fantastic that next morning. Who needs hostels or holiday parks? This was a completely different kind of traveling, and it felt fantastic. Like a nomad. It changes your whole outlook on the value of money, both in a good- and bad way. I won't get into it too far right now, but you don't realize the meaning of its value until you've lived like this once. It also gives a certain kind of respect for homeless people. I'd spoken with a few of them back in Auckland, and I don't know HOW they do it...
 Seriously, next time that a homeless guy walks up to you and you've got some free time, try talking to the guy for a bit. Some of them have some fascinating stories about how they ended up at this point of their lives.

That morning I packed up my tent not long after waking up, before people went on their morning jogging-sessions. Those Kiwi's are real earlybirds ;) Besides, you can forget sleeping in on a 10 degree angle :P Since my dinner from yesterday consisted of 2 apples and an orange that I took with me from the bus, I was really hungry for some breakfast. So the first thing I did was to see if my money had arrived yet and YESSS!! We were safe! Alriight. Let's get this show on the road.
 I bought all the essentials I needed for my trip, including this delicious looking Bacon&Cheese-loaf that was on special that morning. I was gonna save that for the trip, yes I was. After enjoying an amazing breakfast on the beach, I went to look for a way to get to Ship Cove. The starting point to the Queen Charlotte Track, only reachable by boat. Cheapest way to get there cost me $45, which was A LOT more than I had anticipated! I mean geez, if you're supposed to live off $100 that week, I really had to watch my expenses with utmost care. Bt this was gonna be my last trek through the South Island! My last trek through NEW ZEALAND! No way was I gonna cancel this. "Screw it", I thought. "Let's do this".

And I'm so glad that I did. It was quite a challenge, but all the more rewarding. The mail boat took me all the way through Queen Charlotte Sound, dropping off mail orders along the way. A few people actually lived on these desolated islands. I was the only guy on the boat that got off there at Ship Cove, some people on the boat seemed a bit surprised, asking me if I was sure about doing this :P "Yes I am, sir", I responded. "Yes I am. Trust me, you've nothing to worry about". And off we went. Back on the tracks!
 The walk was fantastic, offering just enough variation from the other walks I'd done so far. Unfortunately, the start didn't quite go as I'd hoped... I had barely been walking for an hour when I came across this sideroad leading to a waterfall up ahead. So I dropped my bag and went to check it out, just to discover that it barely had any water all falling down at all, because of the drought they'd been having. Oh well. So I run back down to resume the track, when I found this little bastard Weka going through all my stuff! What the hell?! My nectarines! No!
 I ran to my bag, scared off the annoysome bird to find that it'd pecked through almost every one of my nectarines..! Son of a bitch! I washed them all and ate them on the spot, but I needed those things for the rest of the track... Damnit. "And hey, where's that Bacon&Cheese-loaf anyw-... O God", I thought to myself. "He didn't-...". Oohh yes he diiiid! That bastard!! It took my whole bacon&cheese loaf, I'd been SAVING that thing!!! It VANISHED without a single trace. Not a single crumb was to be found anywhere, I was... Ik was met stomheid geslagen. Niet te geloven.

Now with a slight lack of food, I had to pick up the pace and do the whole track in 3 DAYS instead of 4, which meant that I had to walk 20 to 30 kilometers per day.. This is why this track was such a challenge for me, but I made it eventually! It a tough journey, but I made it. And how. The only way to tell you why, would be the photo's.. :)
 At the end of the track, I still had to find a way to get back to Picton, which still was a good 20 kilometers. After having walked this far I wouldn't have minded to walk that little bit further, but there's no fun walking by the wayside. So I just kept walking, only this time with my thumb in the air. Within an hour I was in a campervan heading back toward Picton, eastwardbound.
 
Last night in Picton. As a level 2 Nomad, I found a better spot to set up my tent this time. A little beach with its own bathroom, with a fantastic view over Picton. I still wasn't allowed to set up my tent here, but. The hell with it. It was too late to take any pictures so I'm afraid that I couldn't show you the view that night, but I sat there for hours. Watching the ferry arrive and leave again, carrying hundreds of lights throught the Queen Charlotte Sounds, was a surreal sight. An amazing last night on the South Island. I sat there thinking about everything this last month had done for me, all the people I'd met, the things I'd seen, the festivals and concerts, the Weka that stole my bread... I smiled and realized: "We're almost there...", as I fell asleep to the sound of the waves crushing into the beach.

The horn of the 9 o'clock ferry woke me up that next morning, as a reminder for my last few hours here on the South Island. When I unzipped the front of my tent, the tears welled up in my eyes as I saw that ferry leave Picton under the brightest rainbow I'd ever seen. The photo hardly shows its real beauty, but it's the best I can give you. I felt like the luckyest guy on earth to be sitting there, on the other side of the world. I was probably the only person in the world that could see that rainbow, as the people in the city itself couldn't see it (due to the angle in which the light is broken). It was like the South Island was saying goodbye to me. Goodbye... <:)
 Thinking of the plane I missed back in Auckland, I headed straight for the Ferry terminal, checking in 3 hours in advance. Normally I hate waiting, but I couldn't afford to miss it this time. Explosions in the Sky would be playing in Wellington that night, and I don't know WHAT I would've done if I missed it. Heads would've rolled, mark my words!

I clomb aboard the ferry with the weirdest feeling in my stomache... I couldn't figure out what was causing it until I got up to the deck. These memories really took me by surprise, as they took me back to the ferry from Terschelling 8 months ago...
 I'd managed to fend off these memories and their corresponding feelings relatively well these last couple of months, but suddenly everything was right back in my face. Trying to forget about Elise had worked out fairly well for me so far but, here on this boat, I could almost feel her sleeping head on my left shoulder as I stared out into the sea trying to figure out what to do. I was right back there. I remembered how happy I was that summer. All those things we'd done together. That certain look in her eyes she got sometimes that I liked so much. What her body felt like... "I wonder how she's doing", I thought.
 All those thoughts, memories and feelings crashed and burned when I remembered why I told myself to stop thinking about it. When I felt that anger boil back up again, I grabbed my iPod and looked up Weezer's "Perfect Situation" again, heard the ferry's horn go off as it set out into Cook Strait. Back to Wellington.

The closer we got to Wellington, the more excited I got. That night, I'd FINALLY get to see Explosions in the Sky again! Finally. Since I spent most of this last month sleeping in my tent, I rarely got the opportunity to charge my iPod. This, leading to a MAJOR lack of music! I'd gotten so hungry for music lately, a good concert was just what I needed.
 However, I didn't have a place to s