After resting and recuperating in Christchurch for a bit, it was time for another adventure. After some deliberation, we decided to “take it easy” and just go for a walk… THROUGH A CAVE! Yep, about an hour’s drive from Christchurch is the Cave Stream, one of New Zealand’s best kept secrets – if only because it is nigh impossible to reach if you do not have your own transportation. It’s a 600-meter walk upstream, through a limestone cave, in water that goes from knee-deep to waist-deep (and is not too cold, if you’re lucky), and it’s AWESOME in the most literal sense of the word. Bonus: in Europe, there would inevitably be a ticket booth, guided tours, all kinds of health and safety measures, and possibly a souvenir shop. Here, all we got was a sign telling us to wear proper clothing, bring a flashlight, and godspeed. So in we went, and good times were had.
Seeing as it is kind of hard to convey how cool the whole experiene was, I’m just gonna skip right to the pictures instead, as they sort of tell their own story (even though it’s hard to take pics in pitch black conditions)…
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20
March
I finally, FINALLY got around to selecting, resizing and enhancing some pictures I took during the tarp of the trip that I have already written about (8-13 February)(click on “New Zealand” for more info). Enjoy!!
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19
March
I really, really should update this blog more often! Forgive me for I have sinned, it’s been a week since my last update and all that… but there’s SO much to do here!! Well, I guess I’ll just have to dig deep into my memory banks and see what I can come up with. Accuracy is not guaranteed, but excitement is, as we cycle up the Old Coach Road, and wander across Ohakune some more.
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16
March
Waking up in Wellington, I was surprised that the dreaded jetlag seemed to have no effect on me. I was just a groggy as I usually am after waking up slightly too early. Fortunately, there was no time for my usual slow start, as there were buses to be caught and breakfasts to be had: we were on our way to Ohakune, one of the possible HQs for the dreaded Tongariro Crossing!
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14
February
Flying, if you ask me, is a weird – if not unsettling – experience. Especially when traveling long distances, I always get the feeling that my mind and/or body are telling me that I’m moving too fast for my own good, that being stuffed into a big metal tube and whisked across the planet is not the way man is supposed to travel. Usually, when I fly, the effect is too small to properly appreciate (Berlin to Amsterdam is, for example, a relatively short distance), but when I had the pleasure of journeying halfway across the globe to New Zealand, what I think iamounts to the longest possible distance on a commercial flight, this effect hit me once again, like an old friend playfully punching you in the gut (albeit slightly too hard).
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14
February
Only in Berlin can you brave half an hour of snowy streets to watch one slightly underwhelming (but promising) rocksteady ska band (loved the Skatellites cover, guys!), then one AWESOME Japanese ska-punk band (Japanese ska NEVER seems to disappoint – great stage show, great energy, great metal riffs hidden under the 2tone, and of course bowler hats!!), only to move on to a bar three doors down to play foosball with a bunch of coked-out Greeks who were way too good for our humble skills, before stumbling back home at about 3am.
Man, I love this city… Read the rest of this entry »
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14
January
When I was in Sweden, staying at my friend Yvo’s place, I spent one morning just nursing a hangover in the apartment while he was out making money or something. Eventually, I switched on the TV and stumbled across one of these movies that almost instantly have you stop the zapping process because it is clear that something exciting is being broadcasted. Even though I had missed the setup, which usually means I don’t want to watch the rest of the movie anymore either (too confusing, plus I had a hangover), I decided to keep on watching – and that’s how I discovered Brick, a movie you may have missed.
Here’s a review…
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14
January
Listening to: Boysetsfire – Tomorrow Come Today and Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz
Just so you all know: I had intended to try and get some work done this weekend, but life, as usual, interfered with a vengeance. Oh well… my only real regret is that the batteries in my camera had died so I sadly cannot present any photographic evidence of my exploits until someone else decides to share pictures or send them to me. But, I’ll always have the memories of my first ever poker victory, and a fun-filled evening of bowling with a host of people I did not, or hardly, knew. That’s about all there is to it, actually, but if you really are interested, , by all means read on and I’ll provide some details that are of no consequence whatsoever. But, there’s police involvement!
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11
January