The first few lines, I wanted to write, are empty.
All previous blog entries have always been inspired by the paintings I had made and then brought back memories, and of the key points in my head, I prepare for each trip.
Now I think back to early 2009 and still remember how one of my legs for a long time somehow stood still in Germany when I lived long ago in Dunedin and New Zealand, sweet, week after week, month after month, "into my being "into ate.
Just now I have the feeling that there's a big part of me - maybe a leg, maybe a piece of Heart, has remained in New Zealand.
Therefore, it is not so easy to look at the last pictures, and so carefully planned, structured and focused to proceed as usual writing was so easy in our living room on the orange couch, with the back of the neck, Bic Runga, the CD player and Inkey translucent purring on my legs, with the Christchurch-summer sun through the huge windows, and Ro comes in with her busy schedule in mind, and has but time for a soy latte in the "about", our cafe, which to me then also, while telling them their car keys and even pulls me waiting look, blogs can also write afterwards, "yi"!
In
utterly bleak and uninspiring Germany I know now not so sure whether I will regard me the pictures from my last week in New Zealand (after my return from Oz), because the pictures of people from home on the wall the first few months Dunedin also do not easily made, is just missing - again - a crappy feeling that I would like to repress. So I am using now for 20 days in front of the letter, where I know virtually all key points more clearly before me have and must do is type ...
But every good story needs an end, let's go.
my plane flies afternoon of Brisbane, takes 3 hours, landed at night in Christchurch, and Australia is in the past, New Zealand is faster than any other. Fortunately, someone picks me up.
Only 6 days and a half in New Zealand.
I plan the next day continue the hiking boots-still-so-new-but-already-broken - what treat-for-a-nerve problem with ignoring, although walking expert and capitalism enemy colleague Ruth speak out are to me sometimes nice to give a new pair, or your money back! Oh ... I lack the enthusiasm to concern myself with such trivialities felt, I prefer to sit just so on the Cathedral Square watch and music to the ears of the passing people and dogs, the former as always shocking often German, we see that from a distance on the floor and the hair and the jacket, the clothes combination in general, and the face with the German view.
not feel like hiking boots business confrontation, there are more important. Well well, I'll just go back briefly to ask what they can do there. They tell me I should bring them to the shoemaker, who makes quite and does not cost much. Oh ...
Then again would you prefer coffee with Ro and Ngari in the "about" I take my leave also the same of Esther, the cafe owner, who would be too young at 24 actually to radiate so much wisdom and therefore probably attracts many regular customers that you complain then you manifold suffering, so that they can give their clever two cents - they drink from the coffee and everything about them is found more easily. So they look anyway bargain when they push the door and waving her again before continuing.
The wonderful Ngari, which can conjure with a knife and a steady full refrigerator (not really magic, cooking, easy) and for an Australian really is too much kiwi, held last weekend at my little brunch, Ro of course there and also Neve and Te Koha, and even Gary sits down with us and eats two olives, he eats nothing normally, despite the ngarieschen magic.
Ruth dragged me by the way the day before my departure yet to hiking boots and business erdiskutiert me a brand new replacement pair of boots for the "old" broken, because of "Let them fix it!". Revolution!
I rent but before this weekend, once a great white Toyota with steering wheel right and go as was planned long in the cooler south to Dunedin to see one last time to Elsa - Elsa, and Central Otago.
[Heading south on Highway 1, in the background of the Pacific] Towards Elsa I pass on-5 at the Moeraki Boulders. I have been here sometimes alone, in late autumn, which was like a terrible winter. In May. With guitar, K's Choice and a loooong face because it was all stupid.
are now the clouds are gone and I push back the boulder and look totally different and they would really like to smooch.
you have probably worn 4 million years to a particle on the sea floor to this size to grow. Now each of them weighs tons, and breaks down each year a fraction of an inch more.
The reunion with Elsa and her roommates, but above all, Elsa is ... melt. We talk late into the night as before. Schade and somehow wrooong just that Marta and Zeus are missing; is already no longer in New Zealand.
The next day I go - like I had it painted a long time - to Central, to say goodbye. Once a circle so I get nothing twice over; of Ranfurly (bicycle trip-with-Elsa memories come up and butt are back pain Atom) and Middlemarch, in 6 hours.
[boxes for the bees]
The wind reached record size. Toyota and I left a really unnecessary CO 2 - footprint in the New Zealand air, but when the trudge upward, it meets only onto ozone hole and can therefore nothing more to ruin. Or?
I will every now and again asked what is my favorite destination in New Zealand. Many people can be heard on the site of Queenstown (the mountains, the mountains, the lake, the lake!), Wanaka (the mountains, the mountains, the lake, the lake!), Auckland (no idea why), Mount Cook (highest mountain here, clear, brilliant), Stewart Iceland (untouched and kiwis), Tongariro National Park and the volcanoes (very impressive and popular with skiers), and very much in the predicate has the words "and the location of Lord of the rings.
If you could live only by soft hills around (as far as the eye can wander), small towns, few roads and people, I would, however, in Central Otago want to live. Here the clock seems different to tick, here's one like that of in the boonies, that not even a radio station, let alone mobile phone signal receiving (well, that's not art in NZ), here you wonder if a two cars within 30 minutes of meet. Here is the location of Rohan Lord of the Rings . I love this silence, this breadth, this impressive Simplicity of landscape, which even after two hours is still a predictable (but you still amazed constantly) and exudes so much warmth, even in June, when it snows.
You drive through here, if you drive gene of Dunedin West, for example, to Queenstown or Wanaka, the West Coast or Eastern country to Lake Tekapo or to Te Anau. I was here almost every season and I am fascinated by the feeling you get when you despite the great distance and predictability mentioned some places recognize. "Welcome home" (Dave Dobbyn). Central retains the same character in every season, just a different coat has to or not.
I resolve to eat lunch in Ranfurly; me to Pie and Café Latte.
On the wall hangs a picture with the title "Central Otago".
EXACTLY.
is EXACTLY THE Central. I put to him my sighing heavily.
The pies I eat - to the practice again and I reinzugrinsen - in typical Aussie style ...
Elsa for the evening invited some of the other foreign language teachers, we both know and cooked mjam.
If I'm in Dunedin, I must go also to the Wares, 6 months, after all, have lived with them and visited them in September, the last time.
Except John (father) are all there, even the cats. Really nice that I Alison, Jess and Laura again see. Fawkes, my best cat friend sees me with huge, disbelieving eyes and I would really like to know what is going on in his kitty cat brain. It takes a while until he can be petted. Phoenix, as always, ignored me proud, as he missed my hand on his coat.
Elsa starts the period of time already, prepare the food for the evening, there is quiche, I can help then, as I documented it, one must make it so.
Another brilliant evening with good company and Elsa-food ...
The next day I have to go back, the clock is ticking, I hear every second. The day after tomorrow I'm flying.
fork on the way back to Dunedin's city limits on I still Fronkraisch from Benjamin, who has to Oamaru, is indeed on the way to Christchurch, clear, spring clean. He does not really look like a criminal, his easons frongßößiescher Akßoong kliengt more timothy niescht göffäährliesch.
take a hitchhiker, is a pleasant way to bridge the six-hour drive, radio is received so rare and he has non-CD drive. Benjamin told me many interesting stories of New Zealand, which he last 3 weeks know, I listen and nod often strained smile.
Oamaru Before we get past the Boulders. Benjamin flies back in a week and I tell him he can not miss it if he ever goes directly past them. I ask him if he has some time and we put on our car park and walk down to the huge boulders, which is now the water up to his neck, and it is high tide.
Benjamin also says that this place is special. For some, the Boulders, just big stones, but Te Kaihinaki has a really extraordinary atmosphere. For the Maori, they are the fossilized remains of baskets and their contents, which were washed ashore after a shipwreck in the vicinity.
Back there, I show him, 45 minutes Bummelstrandweg is Moeraki, the village. I tell him just how I've in May, a weekend spent there and my phone credit ran out and I really urgently send someone a message had to, but there are no cards or PINs in Moeraki, you can buy only food and drinks at two places: the bar and the famous restaurant Fleur's . The seclusion gives one the feeling that the day would more hours, from time to time while a car comes along the little main street, but mostly only hear and smell the Pacific.
is here at the Boulders New Zealand Sun touchable as elsewhere, as in Central, Christchurch, in Taranaki, on the Otago Peninsula, Stewart Iceland, on each coast, each Beech-forest; it touches with his whole I take it on with all his senses, it devours it formally, but tender and enjoyable. Each tree you hugged breathes in and out of this country, loves any animal and it fights against all the things people have brought here and what does not belong here.
as a person one is stupid and unimportant in the middle of the overwhelming Beauty and significance, as Europeans we may lose its natural tolerance of stress, grim anonymity and deliberate one-is-top hierarchy arrogance. And when Connie ... you feel also incredibly rich, grateful and bigger because you have seen this country and be inhaled and in one of it is quite low also in the skin, and because we have met so many people, the one the have exacerbated view, expands the horizons and decorated the living history so great. Kiwiland is now Connie.
