17th of October, Queenstown to Te Ana
After some days in Queenstown, recovering from my cold and jumping into canyons it was time to move on to  Milford Sound. Just getting there was a very scenically drive including  Lake Wakatipu, some more waterfalls and the descent from the Homer Tunnel to the Milford Sound. The Maori name for the sound, Piopiotahi, means first native thrush.

The magnificent Fjord is a “Must see” and one of the major sights of New Zealand. Fortunately it was one of the 60 days every year they get down there that did not include rain. I even got to see yellow eyed penguins, which are very rare – according to the captain of the boat that took us  out to the Fjord.

18th of October, Te Anau to Invercargill (and Stewart Island)
In the morning we went to Bluff to catch a ferry to visit New Zealand's third major island 'Stewart Island'. Unfortunately our Bus driver got confused over the timetable and we missed the first ferry and had to hang around in Invercargill for a couple of hours. We went to a local museum and watched some Tuataras. Tuataras are little reptiles, which hang around most the time, doing nothing at all, not even blinking. But would you believe it - those little cuties get pretty old, some of the inhabitants in the museum where around 150 years old… Maybe I should start sitting on my butt take it a little bit easier!

Finally we able to get a express ferry, which was a hefty $90 Kiwi-Dollar for a return trip to the island. On the island one group went fishing, while I did a walk on the cheap around the island to some beaches with the rest of the group. The fishing team was very successful and managed to feed the entire bus group with a very delicious fish called Blue Cod.

Overall, Stewart Island is very remote and very quiet. The best part was the local pub, rumor has it that it is the most southern pub in the world, but New Zealanders tend to show off a little bit. (Well, it is very very south for sure..). If you are ever sipping a drink – or like me – two double tequila, in that pub, go to the men’s toilet to take a look at the condom vending machine, it has something very  funny written on it. Unfortunately I did not get to see much of the island and spent less then 24 hours on the island itself. If you have only that much time, safe the 90 Bucks for the boat-ride for something else! But I do  have to admit when I woke up the next morning and went outside, discovering  the island covered in mist and hearing all different kinds bird sounds it indeed felt like being at a mysteries island out in the middle of nowhere.

19th of October, Invercargill to Dunedin
Just after a little bit less then 24 hours it was already time to leave Steward island with the express ferry. The highlight on the way from the very south of New Zealand towards Dunedin was the Petrified Forest and a stop at the beach to watch some sea lions. Dunedin has Scottish roots and is home of the Speight’s brewery and a Cadbury chocolate factory. For me it was also movies night and I decided to watch “40 year old virgin” at the local theater.

20th of October, Dunedin to Christchurch
We had to get up pretty early in the morning to visit one last sight before leaving Dunedin. The steepest road of the world - Baldwin street . Our bus driver made us hike up that steep hill by promising that on top of it would be a nice cafeteria offering hot chocolate. Of course when we reached the peak, there was nothing but some old houses and an odd looking camper van.

On the way to Christchurch we stopped for a walk at the Moeraki boulders. There are huge boulders lying along a stretch of Koekohe Beach, some of these boulders are broken and you can sit in them like in a chair, or jump from one to another. Very stupid idea when the mist has made them slippery and you try to jump from one boulder to the other – like I did… 

The drive from Canterbury Plains to Christchurch also meant the last time I would travel with a most of the group that had stayed on the bus with me for almost three weeks. Of course we celebrated that one last evening at the pub in Christchurch, had a few dinks and danced till early in the morning.

21th of October, Christchurch
A sunny and warm day is best spent outside in the nature, so I took a bus to the Christchurch Gondola to get a better view of the area. Up at the restaurant I met a German girl and we decided to hike down the mountain together to get some nice views of the Canterbury Plains and take a bus back from Lyttelton Harbour rather then just taking the cable way down again.

22nd of October, Botanical Gardens and Art center.
A nice way to explore the inner city is the tram, which follows a 2.5 kilometer loop around central Christchurch. It’s a nice way to hop on and off at the major sights like the Botanical Gardends – with its rather disturbing little pond. The pond has statue of a blindfolded woman in the water like she is looking for something. Imagine a foggy day in fall when you walk around the park and it’s about to get dark!

23rd of October, Christchurch to Auckland
It took me more then three week s to get from Auckland to Christchurch by bus, but its just a 2,5 hour flight to get back. Fortunately it was a very sunny day and I got to see some of the parts that I could not visit due to my limited time – like KAIKOURA' and its famous whales. Maybe the next time when I visit New Zealand… After checking into the hostel in Auckland I paid the Zoo a little visit and finally got to see some of the infamous Kiwi birds – behind a thick window but at least alive.

24th of October, Rangitoto Island
My final “full” day in New Zealand, back in Auckland where it all begin more then four weeks ago. I decided to take a boat to Rangitoto Island and walk around the world's largest Pohutukawa forest,

Rangitoto emerged from the sea around 600 years ago in a series of fiery volcanic explosions. It is the most recent and the largest of the approximately 48 volcanoes of the Auckland volcanic field. I even brought a flash lamp and walked through the lave tunnel... Not so long ago the island was a wasteland and full of animals not native to New Zealand, but after they removed all the "forreigners" the island was reclaimed by native Flora and Fauna.

Good bye New Zealand, I hope to see you again some day! Keep up the good spirit, and try to work on the national cuisine!