New Zealand Weekly Update #33

Last updated on Juni 24, 2023

05th of June until 11th of June 2023

Approximate reading time: 10 minutes

Lets get it started

Good morning folks, what a loveley day to end the week. What a lovely week to tell you about. Wanaka is getting cold, we have snow on top of the mountains, you can see your own breath outside, winter time is right here 🙂
The week started amazing, with a nice hike, which is part of the Te Araroa, the 3000km hike thorugh whole New Zealand. The rest of the weak was about work work work. And about becoming a little more confident at work. But it still feels like being back in a volunteershop as you have so many processes, so many things to learn, of course for me also new vocabulary. But, it’s gonna be alright, it’s gonna be okay 🙂
Alrighty fellas, lets have a look back, a look forward, and a little deep talk…

Fern Burn Hut

Monday, day off. And the weather was supposed to be great. And so Lea and I decided to go for a nice and easy peasy day hike. So we went to Glendhu Bay, the area where the Motatapu Marathon started back in march 2023. And we decided to go for a part of the Motatapu Track, which is a 3-4 day hike across some mountains and where you can stay in huts overnight. And the Motatapu Track, different than the track we ran for the marathon, is part of the Te Araroa – the popular hike across whole New Zealand (north and south island). Distance… 3000km. Its history goes back to about 1975 and while being well known all around New Zealand, this trail is not very well known in other countries. But it takes a while, you cross all areas of New Zealand, by foot. And just with your backpack, your body and your soul – an even more challenging and exciting hike than a camino?

Back to Fern Burn Hut, we started the hike pretty easy, some flat areas across a farm land. And into the forest afterwards, a little up and down – „Über Stock und Stein“ as we say in Germany (Over stick and stone). And then along the narrow valley, with some muddy and slippery areas. And with some snow sections on top of the mountains, blue sky and sunshine in our backs. And so we ended up at the Fern Burn hat after 2 hours. Time for a tee, a talk and just some relaxing in the sun. Silence. Peace. Nature. Nothing more to add. And we were just talking about how salutary nature can be. How easy it is to become a little bit more grateful and peaceful while being in nature. While „just“ hiking, „just“ walking“. While „just“ being in nature. But for whatever reason, the energy level fills up while doing this. While being outside, being surrounded by nature and energy.

When I look back in time, when I was a teenager (I was about to say when I was young haha, age is just a number though), I was gaming a lot. I was never able to understand why people go out, to „just“ go for a walk, „just“ for a hike. And „just“ being outside. But now I understand, now I feel it, now I can tell. Of course if it would be rainy for weeks, I might think about going back for a little gaming session as well haha!

Back on track to the car, we decided to go for an after-hike-swim in Lake Wanaka. So we did (sorry guys, no content available 🙂 ). And of course with the slogan „no pants, no problem“ 🙂

Two sides of the coin

I have probably already talked about the fact, that if you are far away from home, life is different. Changing. Challenging. Exciting. New. Suprising.
Especially in New Zealand you have heaps, heaps of options to go for a hike. For an adventure. To be surrounded by stunning and breathtaking nature. Even after months of being here I am sometimes still not able to understand and to realize how beautiful, how unique and how special this whole country is. How blessed I am to be here. To be able to experience this. To be able to share it. To share it in person and also remotely. And I still get messages from all around the world from friends who are stunned „just“ by the pictures or videos I share. And how happy it makes me to be able to share a little bit of my current life with the most important people – friends and family.
So as you see – there is one shiny, special, bright, beautiful, smily, excited side of the coin.

And then there is the challenging, exhausting, demanding, shady an sad side of the coin. So like it is with everything in life. If there is light, there is shade. If there is rain, there will be sun. If there is night, there will be day. Sunset and sunrise. While hiking the camino, I talked to a pilgrim. Old and wise. Full of power in his eyes. Full of stories to tell. And he told me one thing, I will never forget.
„The more you travel, the more alone you are“
Not lonely. But alone. With yourself. On your own.
You grow. You learn. You get to know yourself better each and every day. And you learn how to overcome barriers, challenging moments, „what the fuck“ moments and how to move on, without focusing on the bad and sad.

But of course, you miss a lot. You miss friends and family. You miss the small moments, the everyday encounters. The spontaneous meetings, the small and deep talks. With people who have been around and with you for years and years. And whether you like it or not, but you grow apart. So they do as well. And you miss special moments, special days. Special people. But I just got aware of the fact, that if you miss something, someone, that is has been there. That you experienced something secial which is worth it to miss it. Which is worth enough to think about it. To be grateful for. Since if you don’t miss anything, don’t miss anybody, don’t be able to look back in a grateful way – this would be a pretty sad and short story to tell…
And even if traveling a lot means being alone from time to time. Most of the time, a part of my friends and family is always with me. And around me.

Shiny happy Wanaka

Work in a nutshell – it’s okay 🙂 . I need to learn. I need to adapt. And I need to keep a positive mindset. Since working in an optician store again was and never will be my „real passion“. But it gives me the opportunity, to stay. To earn some money. To enjoy New Zealand. And it might be the way to get residency. And I have a regular schedule, I work inside while it is pretty cold outside. And the company and the staff are amazing. So what – it is not meant to be forever (and ever ever and ever ever 🙂 )
Friday night. Queenstown. Icehockey with some friends – Max and Jess. I have already told you about Max and Jess, wonderful and happy people. I love to hang out with them as they have so much positive energy to give and to share. And as we always have some nice small talk and deep talk conversatiosn as well. And so we went to Queenstown after work to watch an icehockey game. And hell, Queenstown has propably the smallest icehockey stadium I have ever seen in my life 🙂 Just a few rows of seats, really close by the ice field. Great atmohsphere in the stadium, fast and physical game. Unfortunatelly no real fight this time on the field 🙂 And the Queenstown Stampede won in overtime. Amazing night, even though it was pretty cold as well in the stadium.

Saturday, I was supposed to go for an overnight hike to Brewster Hut again, the one with the glacier lake and the ice caves which I was hiking with some friends back in February. But since I was not able to get some spikes (you need some this time of the year to be safe for the walk from the hut to the glacier), I decided to do something different. And it was worth it!

Grandview Track, just a 20 minute drive from Wanaka to Hawea. And this one is also part of the Te Araroa. While it was pretty cloudy and foggy in Wanaka, the area around Hawea was already sunny, with blue sky and a view to the mountains. Covered in snow! And so I made my way along the valley and up the mountain. Always with a short view back down the valley. Watching the lake, covered in clouds, watching the mountains, coverd in snow. And I made my way up, step by step. To reach the Peak of Grandview, I had to trudge through the snow. The sound of walking in deep snow – I really missed that one. And what to say, the view from top… unique! No more words necessary…

Back in Wanaka in the afternoon, sun and blue sky here as well. And since I have not been able to go for a run with these conditions for a long time, I decided to go for a run by the lake. And a coffee with Anthony at Kai Whaka Pai afterwards. And some movies in the evening as well.

What else to say?

Winter time is sometimes a rough time. Most of the day it is dark, cold, not really cozy as well. Not much daylight. Sometimes no sun for days. And sometimes , this can affect our mind and mindset. But also this time is not meant to be forever. Try to keep a positive mindset, try to enjoy the time off as much as possible and be grateful for the adventures and moments which fill you up with energy and life 🙂

See you next week!

Your DingyInternational
Felix