New Zealand Part One

Most of the preperation time before our trip to NZ took up the search for a cheap rental car in New Zealand. Steffi and I were both under 25 and therefore most companies charge a surplus to the rate pf the rental cars. Since Steffi and I didn't want to pay that much money we booked a rental car at a tiny NZ company where we didn't have to pay anything extra and we could give back our car in Wellinton, go on the ferry without a car and get a new car in Picton for the South Island (therefore saving the ferry transport costs).

As we flew with EMIRATES to NZ, we were allowed to have two suitcases each - which we took. I really don't like backpacks - mostly because I hate to carry them everywhere and also because everything gets so messy inside. By going around with a car, we figured we 'd be alright with suitcases...
What we didn't consider is that we chose the smallest car available (again to save costs) and that we might have problems fitting our things in.

Upon arriving at the Auckland Airport - tired after a 30hours journey, the two guys from the rental company started laughing when they saw our luggage...

We understood when we saw our car...

However after 30min trying various ways to pack our car, we finally succeeded in fitting 4 suitcases, two small backpacks, two hand bags and two Steffi's into the car!

Here's a picture to prove it ;-)

Our trip in NZ started in Auckland, went then all the way to Cape Reinga, down past Auckland to Rotarua, passing Taupo we stopped in Wanganui and Palmerston North to visit old friends of mine, crossing the sea to the south island we spent some days in the Abel Tasman National Park before enjoying the raw cliffs and the rain forest of the west coast. We then stopped at the Franz Josef Glacies (I mean it is named after an Austrian Emporer we HAD to stop) and had pumped up our Adrenalin at Christchurch before being stunned at the beauty of the Milford Sound and seeing penguins north of Dunedin. We went dolphin watching in Kaikoura and met with old friends in Wellington before heading back home.
You need to know where those magical sounding places are?

Check out this map of our trip:

So this is the story of our trip through New Zealand with maybe a bit too much luggage for that tiny car and how we still managed to fit everything in every day of our 5-week journey.