Tim Hartendorp, 16 januari 2012
Nederland , Rozenburg 4°

Fly me to the Moon

Day 44 Dunedin
Getting a haircut...it was needed.

Day 45 Dunedin
...

Day 46 Dunedin
This morning I got a mystery visit from my nurse. Not the good looking blonde girl I asked for but instead a bald guy called Koos. Nothing bad about Koos though. I am happy he is picking me up and he seems to have a good sense of humour. He also told me he has a lot of experience in these kind of flights and how to make them go as smooth as possible. More on that later...

In the afternoon Bronwyn took me out to see some wildlife. It is amazing how soon you move away from the city centre onto these gravel roads in the middle of nothing. Our first stop was Allans beach which is a place which is known for seals relaxing on the shore. It did not take long to find one and this one even got up for the picture (or to chase us away, not sure ). From the beach we went on to Taiaroa Head which is home to the royal albatross colony. Unfortunately on a day like today they don't fly since there was almost no wind. Because of their weight they need some wind otherwise they drop like bricks. We ended the day by getting some Fish and Chips in Portobello which was awarded the best fish and chips shop in New Zealand 2011!

Day 47 Dunedin
My last full day in New Zealand. Paul had to go out today to install a satellite dish in Milton. Milton is about 20km South if Dunedin and is the next town so to speak. It is really small however. It was good to relax in the sun and watch the clouds. In the afternoon I went to the Sinclair wetlands which is pretty close to Milton. It was good to do some walking before flying out tomorrow.

Day 48/49 Dunedin/Auckland/Kuala Lumpur
After six months it was time to put my backpack in my flight bag. After loading my luggage in the car we set off to pick up Koos who was staying at a hostel only five minutes driving away. When we pulled into the parking lot I saw Koos putting on some surgical gloves at the reception. I did not know I had to get anything done before flying. When he saw me he told me ''don't worry, this is not for you''. A guest staying at the hostel got unwell and they asked Koos if he could have a look at him. After ten minutes the ambulance from Dunedin hospital arrived to pick up this guest. He had a bleeding nose the whole night and since he was on blood thinners he lost lot of blood. Already an exciting start to the day!

We set off for Dunedin airport where I had to say goodbye to my Kiwi guardians. Thank you again on behalf of my family/friends and myself for taking care of me. Something I will never forget.

The flight to Auckland only took two hours. We only had a short stopover before boarding the plane towards Malaysia. My long haul flights were in one word...amazing. I was flying business class and the amount of luxury I think is over the top. After entering the plane (Boeing 777-200) you first get some fresh juice and a cloth...hot or cold (I don't know when you get which one but I am sure there was a method). Eating is also a different experience compared to economy. Besides getting your meal with a proper cutlery and a normal plate you can choose between dishes which are selected by chefs. They even tell you a story about your dinner. The chairs are bigger than my student bed when put into horizontal mode and provide different massage functions. There is also no lack of entertainment. On my way to New Zealand I was watching movies on a stamp encased in the seat in front of me. This time around I had a 15 inch screen which is about the size of the average laptop.

In Kuala Lumpur they brought us to the business lounge to wait for our next flight. The craziness just continued. Besides being able to drink and/or eat whatever you want you could take a shower, get a massage or even practice your swing in the putting room. My personal highlight were the bonbons which had fresh grapes and strawberries in them....mhhhh

The second plane was a little bigger (Boeing 747-400) but besides that it was a repeat of the first flight. I did have the fish instead of the chicken. :-P It was nice to travel with Koos. He already travelled around the world picking up patients from the most exotic places and/or with the most exotic conditions providing him with some good stories. Being in a plane for such a long time I got to know about his career path, how he met his wife and all about his children. Luckily I did not need Koos for the reason he travelled with me. Even though he is more used to travelling this much I still not envy him going back and forward between Dunedin within a week.

Day 50 Kuala Lumpur/Amsterdam/Rozenburg
Back on the home nest. Back to normal life. Back to my friends and family. Back to University...

I will save you a melodramatic ending since I already did enough of that in my previous travel blog. I am going to conclude with a statement about New Zealand which comes from my former German roommate in (Gyor) Hungary which I think is a beautiful description of New Zealand.

''When an alien lands on planet earth and would ask you to show him the earth. You could take him to the Amazon River, the Sahara desert, the Atlantic Ocean and perhaps the polar circle. The other option is to just show him New Zealand. ''

Thank you all for following my travel blog and all your sweet reactions. You will be informed when I start my next adventure.

Tim in Nieuw Zeeland bellen kan nu véél goedkoper met HalloBuitenland.nl