Hello Switzerland

After 247 days, 11 countries, 19 flights, 10 guided tours, 2 camper tours, 13 days of surfing, 1 Skydive, 1 Bungee, 1 PADI Advanced Diving Certificate, …  and an 40 hours journey back to Switzerland I arrived yesterday evening safe and happy at my parents place.

I met so many awesome people who made my trip to what it was – amazing and unforgettable! Many thanks to you guys!!

Hope to see you again.

The missing blogs and pictures from awesome Zealand and Australia will follow in the next few weeks on this page.

Calgary

Rocky Mountains

Vancouver

Fiji

Hawaii

Auckland II

@English speakers:

I arrived in Auckland after lunch time. I went back to the YHA were i picked up my locked luggage and went back to the same room I was before. There I met Cecilia again. I sorted all my dirty salty sandy clothes out, packed all the stuff I had to send at home and went with a Ireland girl down to the city to the post office and for a drink in the harbor. After that I went for some shopping before i went back to the hostel for making laundry, showering and cooking dinner and eat with some girls from my room. After my laundry was done I had to repack my stuff for my first hiking safari with Hiking New Zealand which started the next morning.

@Deutsch Sprechende:

Ich landete in Auckland etwas nach dem Mittag. Ich ging zurück ins YHA Hostel, wo ich meinen grossen Rucksack wieder fasste, und in das gleiche Zimmer wie beim letzten Aufenthalt ging. Dort traff ich wieder auf Cecilia. Ich sortierte meine salzigen sandigen Kleider zur Wäsche aus, suchte alle Sachen, welche mit dem Paket nach Hause mussten zusammen und ging mit einer Irin in die Stadt zur Post und in den Hafen etwas trinken. Nach einigen Besorgungen ging ich zurück ins Hostel, setzte meine Wäsche an, duschte, kochte und ass mit ein paar Girls aus meinem Zimmer Abendessen. Nachdem meine Wäsche fertig war, musste ich meine Rucksacke umpacken für meine erste Wandertour mit Hiking New Zealand, welche am nächsten Morgen startete.

 

Fiji

@Deutsch Sprechende:

Dieser Blog werde ich nur auf English aufschalten. Ansonsten müsst ihr noch ewig darauf warten. Bin aber sicher ihr kommt mit meinem einfachen Englisch zurecht.

@English Speakers: On the 15th of December I went only with my small back bag and my camera to the airport in Auckland. My big one was locked in the YHA Hostel in Auckland. My flight to Nadi was at 2 pm. I was looking forward to a week in Fiji where I planned to do Island hopping with Awesome Adventures for 6 days. At the airport I had enough time to eat something and buy the Lonely Planet from Fiji and the book ‚Welcome to Paradise, Going to Hell‘. It is about surfing qnd surfers at the North Shore. At the gate I started to read…and I stopped only for taking pictures while take off, eating my chickenburger and taking pictures while landing in the plane. The book was amazing interesting. After the fast custom to enter Fiji I was reading again while waiting for my bag back. After the luggage scan and the ATM stop, I went to the pick up person from the Bamboo Hostel. As we arrived at the Hostel I couldn’t believe what I saw. The Hostel was directly at the beach. I made the registration in the 16 mixed bed dorm changed clothes (it was > 30°C) and went down to the bar at the beach. Until sunset I read in my book, then I ordered my beer and dinner and sat to some other peoples. So I met Ben (US), Claire (UK) and Henry (UK). We ate dinner together and spent some time with Henry until we went to our first Kawa Ceremony. We both didn’t have any idea whats going on and we did what the others tell us to do. A few bowls Kawa and songs later I went for a night walk at the beach, before i went to bed. I slept like a baby until my alarm rang. I was surprised because I didn’t expect that in a 16 bed dorm. At this moment I didn’t know it was because of the Kawa. I checked out and went to the corner where the Awesome Adventures Coach should pick me up. It was the first time I realized what Fiji Time means. Everything is a little bit slower and lazy in Fiji. With 15 minutes delay the coach arrived and we drove to the port Denerau. There I had to fix my booking for the Island Hopping. Unfortunately my Credit Card didn’t work anymore because I was on the limit and the money which Dad but on my Card didn’t arrive yet, because it was Sunday in Switzerland.  So I couldn’t start my islands trip. I went back to the hostel, spoke with a staff there which said i should first eat breakfast and then think about what i will do now. I followed his advice. While i was sitting lazy and shirty around, Henry gave me accompany. He was wondering what I did back in the Hostel and I told him the whole story. After we figured out what he will do the next day and what i am going to do. I booked again a night in the Hostel in the 12 bed female dorm and we went for a walk a long the beach until we couldn’t get further. Back by the Hostel we ate lunch. Then we started to the other direction until we couldn’t get further. Back in the hostel I went for a shower and lied in the hammock while read in my book. After a few more capture i went to the front to Henry and we ate dinner together. After chatting and watching the fire show from the hostel staff i went to bed. The next morning startet like the last one… at the port I went again to the check in and…my credit card worked. I was very happy – my trip to the beautiful islands could start. So i bought my breakfast (biscuits and orange juice) and went on the top from the catamaran.  After 30 minutes drive we arrived on the first island – the smallest of all. It looked beautiful. After around five hours drive and many more nice islands we arrived at the south end were i had to leave the boat. I closed my book and went down to dis empacking and board the small boat which brought me to the Nabua Lodge on the next island. Arrived on the island we had to walk trough the water on the beach to the lodge, where we get lunch. After lunch we went in the dorm and changed for the snorkeling tour to Blue Lagoon. Unfortunately is this reef quiet bad destroyed from all the boats and tourists. Back on our island I lied in the hammock and read the last captures from my book. After dinner and some dance lessons with the staff, we had a Kawa night. But this time with the whole ritual and some information about Kawa. Since then I know why I slept so well after my first Kawa evening. The next day started with the well known cave tour. We had an around 45 minutes bumpy boat ride to the caves. In the caves we could snorkel, climb around and the highlight dive in the other caves. It was scary to dive to the dark, if you don’t know how long to hold the breath and whats on the other end from the tunnel. But I survived and ended up in a other dark cave which was bigger than the first one. With a guide we snorkeled around and explored this cave. The dive back to the light was much easier. The afternoon I spent in the hammock until it started raining. Then we went to a little tea house nearby. In the evening we had a delicious barbecue and a Kawa evening again. The next morning was a lazy one, because it was raining and you can do nothing on these islands if the weather is like that. After lunch I had to leave to my next island stop. After I said Goodbye to all the Germans (8 on the first day, 6 on the second one) we went with the small boat to the big catamaran. With the usual delay (Fiji time 🙂 ) we drove south. On the ?? island i had to hop off in the small boat again to the lodge White Sandy Beach. I met a German couple (Jan & Fabienne) in the boat and a Dutch guy (Frank) at the lodge. The afternoon I spent with Fabienne chatting. The rainy evening we spent with beer, Bounty and Vodka chatting in the dark (after 10 pm there was no electricity). The next morning we spent with playing cards because it was raining again. After lunch I went snorkeling along the reef with Frank. It was a long distance we had to swim back until the beach. Good work out for me 🙂 In the late afternoon Leila and Jordi (in Australia living spainish guys) arrived. This afternoon I spent chatting first with Fabienne then with Leila. While dinner the staff told us, that there is no electricity because of a problem with the generator (they forget to fill up the fuel) and so there is also no water. So we couldnt wash our hands, couldnt shower and couldnt flush the toilet. For the first to points there was the ocean, for the third point…close the TOP. After the boys went to the resort nearby for buy Bounty and beer (our lodge ran also out of these two relevant things) we sat in the dark while chatting and waiting for the barn fire the staff said they will light up. An hour later we decided to go to the other resort because the staff wont make a barn fire and we wouldn’t sit in the dark the whole evening. In the other resort we were nearly the only ones. We had so much fun. A few hours later we went back to sleep. The next morning was hard for a few peoples 🙂 I spent the morning in the hammock reading and making neck less with the staff. At noon Frank left and after lunch Fabienne, Jan and I had to leave. We went with the small boat to the catamaran, which was late again, which drove south. After 3 to 4 hours on the catamaran chatting with Fabienne and playing with a little girl, I had to say Goodbye to the Couple and hop off on South Sea Island (the smallest one). There I went for a swim before dinner. After dinner I spent the time with the others on the island chatting. The next morning I walked around the island (10 minutes) and then I left for the Sea Spray Sailing Tour. We went with a sailing boat to the next island which is well known from the movie Cast Away. It was amazing.  I went snorkeling and wandered around the white beach with the amazing blue ocean in front. After a barbecue lunch on board we went to the island nearby to see the village. Then we drove back. It was an amazing day on the boat. After we left the Sea Spray I had to leave directly to mainland with the catamaran. The days lying in the hammock, reading, snorkeling and chatting on the islands was over. At the port Denerau I met Chris and Dom (Germans I met in the Nabua Lodge) again and I took them to the Bamboo Hostel, what we arranged when I left them on the Nabua Lodge. There I met Ben again which was a big surprise, because I thought he already left back home. He spent the rest of his time until he had to leave with us. I ate dinner with the Germans and spent the evening chatting with them. We went to bed early and so I had to say Goodbye again. The next morning I went to the airport in Nadi and flew back to Auckland. After 8 days back in civilization with (warm) showers, durable electricity, network and WiFi. How amazing can that be 🙂

Auckland I

@English Speakers:

After a more then 9 hours flight with less than 2 hours sleep I arrived in the early morning of the 11 of December in Auckland. I took the bus to the town, where I hopped of near by the YHA Hostel International. After a short walk along a f*** steep road i arrived at the Hostel, checked in and went straight to bed. In the late afternoon, with some hours sleep more, I went for a shower and down to the Maritime Museum, where I met Clio, Domino/Luki and Kurt & Fränzi Binggeli. Some Swiss friends, who were in Auckland too. We went for a beer and everyone told from his experience since the start of their trip. It was very interesting. Later we went for dinner and after that in an Irish Pub. There we had a lot of fun. Thank you guys for celebrating my birthday in Auckland – It was great!!

The next morning I slept in, before I checked my emails. I get an email from the kite camp I planned to do in Auckland. They wrote that I couldn’t go, because the camp was full before my money arrived. I was f*** angry, because everything was already arranged. So I made new researches about the possible activities in Auckland. I would have nearly two weeks there… After a few hours and not more ideas what to do, i met some girls from my room in the dinning room. We decided to go to Devonport the day after. After that I went for a walk to the harbor, where I picked up some booklets from the information center and made further researches in the sun. On the way back to the hostel I did some shopping.

The next day I spent with the girls in Devonport, where we walked a little round loop to have some nice views. We had a great time together. After I was get my hair cut by an Korean guy back in Auckland, I went back to the hostel, where we I met the girls again for preparing and eating dinner together and have a nice chat.

The next day I slept in, before I went for a walk through the parks from Auckland. The sun was shinning and it was so nice, that I decided to write diary in the shade of a palm tree in the big park near the museum. After that I visited the small botanic garden in the park, before I went back to the hostel to pack my bags.

The next morning I had to leave New Zealand already, because of my new plans…to fly to Fiji for a few days holidays 🙂

@Deutsch Sprechende:

Nach einem mehr als 9 Studnen Flug mit weniger als 2 Stunden Schlaf bin ich am fruehen Morgen des 11. Dezembers in Auckland gelandet. Ich bin mit dem Flughafenbus in die Stadt gefahren, wo ich in der Naehe des YHA Hostel International ausgestiegen bin. Nach einem kurzen Fussmarsch entlang einer extrem steilen Strasse, bin ich im Hostel angekommen. Dort habe ich eingecheckt und bin direkt ins Bett. Am spaeten Nachmittag, nach einigen Stunden mehr Schlaf, duschte ich mich und machte mich auf den Weg zum Maritime Museum, wo ich mich mit Clio, Domino/Luki und Kurt & Fraenzi Binggeli verabredet hatte. Wir gingen zusammen etwas trinken und jeder erzaehlte von seinen bisherigen Erfahrungen und Erlebnisse auf der bisherigen Reise. Es war mega interessant den anderen zu zu hoeren. Spaeter gingen wir zusammen essen und dann endeten wir im Irish Pub, wo wir jede Menge Spass hatten. Ich danke euch Vieren, dass ihr mit mir meinen Geburtstag in Auckland gefeiert habt – es war super!!!

Am naechsten Morgen schlief ich etwas laenger 🙂 Danach pruefte ich meine Mails, wobei ich eines vom Kite Camp in Auckland vorfand, welches ich geplant hatte zu besuchen. Diese schrieben mir, dass ich nicht am Camp teilnehmen kann, da dieses voll wahr, bevor mein Geld bei Ihnen auf dem Konto ankam. Ich war unglaublich sauer darueber, vor allem weil bereits alles entsprechend geplant war. Ich startete somit mit Recherchen ueber allfaellige Alternativen von Aktivitaeten in Auckland. Ich hatte ja beinahe 2 Wochen Zeit bis zu meiner naechsten gebuchten Tour. Ein paar Stunden und Ideen spaeter, traff ich auf ein paar Maedels aus meinem Zimmer. Wir verabredeten uns, dass wir am naechsten Tag zusammen Devonport besichtigen gehen. Spaeter ging ich dann noch zum Hafen, wo ich ein paar Informationsblaetter vom Infocenter holte und mich in der Sonne ueber weitere Aktivitaeten in Auckland informierte. Auf dem Weg zurueck ins Hostel endete ich mit Shoppen in diversen Laeden.

Der naechste Tag verbrachte ich, wie abgemacht, mit den Girls in Devonport, wo wir einen kleinen Round Loop machten und so zu schoenen Aussichtspunkten kamen. Wir hatten eine super Zeit zusammen. Nach dem ich mir zurueck in Auckland die Haare von einem Koreaner habe schneiden lassen, ging ich ins Hostel, wo ich mich mit den Girls zum gemeinsamen Abendessen kochen und essen verarbredet hatte. Wir hatten einen tollen Abend.

Am naechsten Tag schlief ich aus, bevor ich mich fuer die Erkundung von zweier Parks Aucklands entschied. Das Wetter war so schoen, dass ich spontan im Schatten einer Palme im grossen Park, in der Naehe des Museums, Tagebuch zu schrieb. Danach bin ich noch durch den kleinen botanischen Garten geschlendert, bevor ich zurueck zum Hostel ging, um meine Rucksaecke zu packen.

Am naechsten Morgen verliess ich Neuseeland schon wieder, aufgrund meiner neuen Plaene…ich hatte einen Flug nach Fiji gebucht, wo ich ein paar Tage Ferien machen werde 🙂