Welcome to Aotearoa - New Zealand!

Hello everyone!

After a long long journey I have finally arrived in the Land of the Long White Cloud: Aotearoa/New Zealand! And it's wonderful! I have been warmly welcomed by Paulien and her friends at the University of Waikato in Hamilton, where they study. So nice to see Paulien again after such a long time. How great it was that she, Bjorn and Arjan picked me up in Berlin and gave me the opportunity to see the world...who could have imagined I'd go all the way to New Zealand? Before telling you more about my first adventures here let me tell you about the creation of this beautiful country.

Another name for New Zealand is Aotearoa, which literally means 'Land of the Long White Cloud'. The indigenous people of New Zealand - the Maori - believe this country was found by either Kupe or Maui. Kupe's daughter, while exploring the seas, at one point yelled out 'A cloud! A cloud!' and that is how they found Aotearoa. Another legend tells the story of the demigod Maui. When he went fishing with his 5 brothers he soon caught a huge fish with his magic fish-hook. It was struggling and fighting but eventually Maui pulled the fish up and that became the North Island of New Zealand - Te Ika a Maui/The Fish of Maui. Wellington Harbour is the fish's mouth, both coasts are its fins, Lake Taupo is its heart and the Northland peninsula its tail. The South Island - Te Waka o Maui/The Canoe of Maui - is the canoe in which Maui sat when he caught the fish and Stewart Island is his anchor. That is the story of New Zealand!

So I am finally in this country found by Maui and I have lots (or as the Kiwis say - heaps) to see. Unfortunately Paulien still needs to finish her semester at university before she can take me on some wonderful trips. Luckily she will be done by the end of October and this will be our itinerary from then:

• Do the famous Tongariro Crossing (located in the National Park where much of LOTR was shot) if the weather allows for it.
• Come back to Hamilton for a 21st b-day party (will need some beers after all that hiking).
• Go on a Van Trip to the top of the North Island where we will go from beach to beach camping, hiking, surfing, bbq-ing, etc. Btw, I've already been on my first VAN TRIP, see the picture below.
• After returning I will go to the Great South. I will cross the Cook Strait from Wellington to Picton by ferry and will discover the South Island for a month. Apparently that is even more beautiful than the North Island: glaciers, mountain ranges, funny beaches with big round boulders, fjords. I can't wait!
• After that we will see where my travels take me...
  

Until then I will try and explore more of the Kiwi culture which apparently is very interesting! Yesterday my new friends threw me a Welcome Party which meant sitting out in the sun drinking beer all day and having my first real 'Kiwi Barbie'! And to make me feel like home I even had some Belgium Hoegaarden Beer...wonderful...it felt just like home and I had to think of my European friends. I will miss you but thank you for sending me over here guys!

That's all for now. I hope you will enjoy my stories the next coming weeks. I already know I will love it here!

Cheers,
Sofie

p.s. Of course I will leave some photos on this website of my travels but if you want to see all of my pictures you can go to http://paulien.fotopic.net