Woohoo, the lazy butt that is me is finally bringing herself to get to work on this blog stump! Off to a great start, I guess. Blame it on this gorgeous gem of a country. I was just too busy enjoying myself out here and taking in the views and impressions to sit down and start writing. Right now I'm on an Intercity bus from Whitianga to Tauranga, so at least I've got something to do for the duration of the trip.

Where do I start? I arrived in Auckland on Tuesday 27.01., where I got to stay with my former host family again. Needless to say it felt like coming home. Still can't believe it's been nearly 6 years since I stayed in Auckland as a student (I feel so old everytime I hear myself say that...) the kids have grown up sooo much, Maia's 10 now and Matt almost 8. they're still the same sweetheart and cheeky monkey though.:)

The first couple of days I didn't really do much other than relaxing, hanging out with my Kiwi family, going to the beach and - what else? - shopping on Queen Street. Other people would probably try and get some rest right after getting off a plane and with no decent sleep for almost 2 days. Nope, not this chick. I skip out of Hannah's with a new pair of Steve Madden stilettos (shut up, they were on sale!!) not even 4 hours after setting foot on Kiwi ground. Smack me, I have issues. Last Saturday my Kiwi family took me to Rangitoto Island. It was a family trip organized by Leigh's (my host mum) workplace, but the group took me along as part of the family anyway and I didn't even get to pay for my ferry ticket! Rangitoto was absolutely stunning. We took a tractor train tour around the volcanic island and then hiked up to the top of the extinct volcano. Quite an exercise, but the view from the top was so rewarding! I was also completely fascinated by the beautiful forest covering the whole island. Due to the unique climate created by the volcanic earth and the sea there were different plant and tree types growing next to each other that you would normally never see together in the same geographic area. On the way back to the ferry port our driver gave us some more info about the island's history. One of the most amazing bits was the pest control and preservation. By the 1980s the island's native flora had practically been annihilated by imported critters like possums, rats and wallaby. All the bird populations had completely disappeared, too, due to the newcomers destroying their nests. Finally, the government decided to take action by launching a wildlife repopulation program: within a few years, they managed to rid the island of the pests by setting up special pest control traps and hunting. In recent years, they set free several groups of native birds on the island, with some extremely endangered ones among them. So, within about 30 years, not only have they turned an island of shrubs into a full blown forest, but they have also created a sanctuary for some very rare birds. I was once again fascinated that while the rest of the world moans about how we need to protect nature without really getting anything done properly, the Kiwis keep proving over and over again how it can be done by just putting your elbows into it... That's some food for thought I guess.

That's enough for one blog entry I suppose. Don't want to smother you guys with my ramblings.:) I'll make sure to update within the next few days (yeah yeah, this time for sure!) One more thing, I decided to add some sort of an "OMFG you gotta go there NAOUW!"-list for all the really, reaaally great accommodation, food, attractions etc. that I come across at the end of every entry, so if you're thinking about visiting NZ and need some hints and tips (based on my humble opinion), here's the stuff:

Auckland

Rangitoto Island: Obvious. Just grab a good camera & some walking shoes and go.

Manuka Café, Devonport: It's worth taking the 10min ferry ride over to Devonport to have lunch or just a coffee and cake at that place. Very good coffee and beautiful lunch and snack choices. Best smoked chicken open sandwich ever.