New Zealand

Last night was pretty tough. Of cause I didn't´t want to go home straight after the show. However, bumming around the bars till half past 3 was not the best idea (if you got to get up at 5 to pack your backpack in the dark of your hostel room). My roommates, who both had to work, must have killed me in their thoughts. I met some really great people that night. Shame that it is all over so soon but I did everything I could to stay longer in Australia. In fact, I changed my flight to the last possible date allowed by my tourist visa. Now after 3 months I have to leave. However, I could come back whenever I like within a year. So MAYBE???
Anyways, on the way to the airport I witnessed one of the most impressive sunrises ever. So I was at least a little bit rewarded for my lack of sleep. (Of cause pictures out of the window don´t really capture it.









This time I new that I have to utilize the duty free. Alcohol and cigarettes are far more expensive in Australia and New Zealand. So though I was not really feeling like drinking again, I still got a bottle of Gin. Who knows :D
After some nice egg and bacon breakfast on the plane, I soon arrived in Christchurch, What a difference to Australia. The air is heavy with scent of autumn and falling leafs. It pretty much feels like October in Heidelberg, just when I left Germany.



Christchurch experienced a series of heavy earthquakes in 2011 that destroyed most of the city center and took many lives. As a result of the destruction, many young inhabitants left town, mostly women. Reconstruction of the city will probably last until 2020 and till then there is a massive building industry. If you are a plumber or electrician, you can become rich here. All that lead to a women to men ratio of 1:10 (and made Christchurch the center of legal prostitution in New Zealand :D).
You don´t really see that though. The city is very clean and quiet, almost asleep. The buildings themselves look very European. I heard that used to be the most English city in the country. Very different vibe to most of Australia, but hard to describe. I really loved it to just walk along the empty streets. Most of the people on the street are Chinese tourists. Much is still destroyed or under construction. Still, it actually feels like a very nice place to life (of cause a bit to far away from everything for me :P).
the city center:


the new shopping mall



more city


strange for most people, but Dr. Pepper light is something I have found only in two supermarkets on my whole trip. So I have to celebrate it every time :D

I was also very lucky with my hostel. Some of the hostels in Australia were true backpacker hells. This one actually resembled more our German Youth Hostels like the one in Todnauberg. Here I shared my room with another German dude who gave me some advices what to see around NZ.

15.04.2016