home sweet home

Hi people!

This is my final blog-post. I am back home now, back with friends and family and loved-ones.

What a trip this has been! Just simply incredible.... almost impossible to comprehend! I can only tell you that in reallity the photographed landscapes, animals, plants, people, etc. are ALL far far far better than photographs can ever convey. But in the end, the last few weeks, after having seen such amazing things, I felt a bit 'overloaded' (as you can imagine), so it was really time to come home: if you are no longer amazed by the beautiful mother earth, it is time to let it sink in for a while.

Thank you all for keeping an eye on my blog for all these months- It was really really nice to feel that nobody was forgetting me, and was stil with me a bit. Really you have no idea how nice that was.

Last thing I really want to say is: DO AS I DID! PLEASE:

GET UP AND GO TRAVELLING!

NOW!

Bas.

California and San Francisco

Hi people,
The final leg of my travels is California. After spending almost a week in San Francisco I rented a car for some days and drove to Redwood National Park and Yosemite National Park. It was very nice, but I am looking forward to coming home soon!!
Take care,
Bas.

last day in Auckland + NZ

Hi there!

I spent my last days in New Zealand in Auckland, with ray and Donnae, a South African couple that lives there. I have met them a couple of weeks ago at Mount Taranaki. They are amazing people! They invited me into their home and treated me to a great "braai" (South African BBQ)! It was so good! I am such a lucky bastard!

Thanks Ray and Donnae! And Mishka (their great cat!)!! We'll be in touch!

Bas.

South Island

PICTURES

Hi people,

Finally I have some time to give you an update on the last couple of weeks! I have arrived back in Christchurch yesterday with Merel- she flew back to Australia for her last 3 weeks before going back to NL. I will stay another 12days or so in NZ and then fly to San Francisco.

Merel and me met up again in Taupo three weeks ago. We spent a couple of relaxing days there swimming in beautifull water of lake Taupo and its rivers. After that Merel walked the Tongariro Crossing and I travelled to Wellington. We met up a day later and spent two very nice days there. Then we took the boat [ferry] to the South Island.

We arrived in Picton where we saw a lot of sealife, just in the harbor. Hundreds of seastars, fish and even some rays. One day we walked about 28km on the Queen Charlotte Track in the beautifull area around Picton (Malborough Sounds, a sort of ford-landscape).

After that we travelled by bus to Christchurch where we picked up our rental car. We drove immediately to Akaroa, a small place on Banks Pininsula. this is a volcanic pininsula where the crater of the main volcano actually erupted to form a bay of the sea. We swam with Dolphins there!! Amazing, swimming circles with these animals while they look at you.. really seeming to play and investigate you! We also collected (huge) mussels there and cooked them in a nice paella! It was great. We stayed on a farm/hostell... good beginning of our roadtrip!

After that we drove a whole day trough amazing landscapes to go pick up Myrte in Nelson. Myrte is a friend of Merel, travelling Australia and New Zealand aswell. After picing her up we drove to the far north, Farewel Spit and later Abel Tasman National Park. We did a whole day of Seakayaking there and saw heaps of seals and pinguins! We swam at amazing little beaches. In the afternoon we walked for another 3,5hours through the park. It was great. Just check the pictures!

After that we drove to the westcoast and down, to a place called Frans Jozef. There is a glacier there we were going to climb. What an insaine trip! All day climbing up the glacier trough cracks in the beautifull blue ice! Surreal!

Then we travelled South to Te Anau [after visiting Fox Glaciar down the road] where we had a nice afternoon break with Cheese and Wine [Valentine day and Merel and me 4 months together].

The next day we did a boat tour in the Milford Sound: a proper "fjord". Again, amazing. Pictures dont do justice. One of the cool things was that the boat dipped it's front into a waterfall [yes, we were standing on the front deck and got a nice shower].

After Te Anau we drove to Wanaka [great lake views and mountain air] and later Queenstown. Here we spent two days relaxing [reading, eating, drinking, going out, short strolls in the park and town]. We needed that after so much hectic travelling!

After Queenstown we drove south furter, to the South Coast where we saw amazing landscapes and pinguins.

We seem to have saved the best for last: On the way back North to Christchurch we visited the Mount Cook National Park. I can only say check the pictures of the blue lakes and the snowy peaks and crazy glaciers... it was simply magnificent!

The last night we dropped of Myrte in Akaroa, where we started our trip, so she could
swim with Dolphins aswell. The next day Merel and I dropped off the car in Christchurch and you know the rest.

It was an amazing trip, but I am happy that I am now on my way [slowly] to the Netherlands again. What a travels I have don so far! It has been what I wished for and more.. but I miss you all now so.. i'll be back soon.

But first a little bit more NZ and some North America too.

Check back soon!

PICTURES

Bas.

pictures South Island- in progress

the pictures of the travels on the South Island- the photos of Merel and Myrte will be uploaded soon to check back in a couple of days!

PICTURES

pictures Taranaki-Wellington

the pictures of the last week on the north island: Mt. Taranaki (vulcano I climbed) and the travels to Wellington after meeting up with Merel again.

PICTURES

South Island

Sorry people! I am to busy travelling to keep the blog updated, but I picked mussels with Merel as big as my hand and we cooked and ate them, then we swam with Dolphins (insaine), then we kayaked a whole day and encountered seals and swam in crazily beautifull blue sea, today we climed a glaciar all day- IT IS SIMPLY CRAZY!

PICTURES

Bas.

Roadtrip

Hi people!

You may wonder why I havent written in a while... I am on a road trip on the south island with Merel! It is simply amazing! Pictures will come soon!!

Bas.

next Vulcano: Mnt. Taranaki

I climbed mount Taranaki- a vulcano that rises out of the coastal flat-lands to 2520m.. an amzing climb.. the previous alpine walk [Tongariro crossing] was nothing compared to this [in terms of physical effort]. My god.. what a monster! Photos will come soon...

Bas.

Rotorua and Napier

Hi people!

After Taupo & Tongariro i went to Rotorua. This is an amazing place- everywhere there earth bubbles with Volcanic energy. Steam and fumes drift by everywhere- almost everybody has a hotspring in their own backyard! The town smells horrible though- a sulphur smell (like rotten eggs). But is is pretty impressive. I saw a geiser (biggest on southern hemisphere) in a park with some steaming lakes. There was alos a lot of information on Maori culture- they had a great war-canoe on exhibition! See the PICTURES.

After that I went to Napier. This little town on the east-coast was destroyed by an earthquake cin the 1930's. They quickly rebuilt everything in the style of the 30's, so now they have an amazing collection of Art Deco architecture... Just check the pictures.

I also added some pictures of the bustrip to Napier.

Enjoy.

Bas.

Auckland and Taupo

On top of Tongariro Mountain [1978m].

Hi People!

I've been in New Zealand now for more than a week. I was off to a slow start in Auckland since A- I was staying in a great hostel and B- I needed to get organised (in the brain) about my trip trough NZ.

In Auckland I have visited some vulcanic hills: Mount Eden and the next day Rangitoto. Mt. Eden is in the middle of the city, and on top you have a great view of Auckland. You can also see (in the photographs aswell) the green hills dotted troughout the city: these are all vulcanos! Really something. Especially cool to see a group of cows grazing in the crater of the vulcano.

Rangitoto is the youngest volcano in Auckland. It emerged out of the sea some six hundred years ago. That event has been thouroughly imbedded into Maori (native New Zealanders) culture- they have a gods that are linked to the vulcanic activity of the island. I took a ferry from the harbour of Auckland and dit a 12km walk around the island (which is mostly deserted accept from some holiday homes around the coast). It was great.

After Auckland I travelled to Lake Taupo in the centre of the North Island of New Zealand. It is the biggest lake on the southern hemisphere and was created in a hug volcanic explosion 1800 years ago. The Romans and the Ancient Chines recored that for months the earth recieved much less sunlight! I am happy to not have been here during that explosion! The lake is 30x40km... imagine.

Anyway, the first day I spent walking around and hinking along a river that flows out of the lake, towards some nice waterfalls. Great walk- the water was so nice and clear (and the weather was great too).

Yesterday however, I spent the whole day hinking in the mountains. This was incredible. Simply amazing. The walk I did was Tongariro Alpine Crossing- wich takes you trough some of the most amazing volcanic landscapes in the world. For people who know Lord of the Rings: this is the Mount Doom region (large vulcano with red topping you see in pictures). It was an all day, 23km hike (I did some side-tracks which made it better but also a bit tougher).

I hope the picture show a little bit about the trip because in reality it is simple flabbergasting- mindblowing- insainely wicked. What a trip! See the black lavaflow, the emerald turqouise lakes, the snowtops, the popped red blister, the steam and vulcanic fumes coming out of a valley, and mount Doom in the

PICTURES

What a trip am I making! This is what I came for! Can it get better than this??

Bas.

goodbye Melbourne, welcome to New Zealand

Auckland

vlnr Donnie, Matt, Dorian, Bruno, Rafa, Leanne, Dennis, Emily, Jet.

Hi people!

I have recently arrived in New Zealand, Auckland. Maybe you can tell from the picture; it is not the most beautifull city in the world in terms of architecture, however it is built on 50(!!) vulcanos amidst the sea. After a couple of sunny days, this weekend has been very rainy. I have spent most days on the internet and in books and travelguides, trying to make up my mind on where to travel (I am alos waiting for a package from Holland with my tent and campinggear).

In Melbourne I had a very nice goodbye-BBQ. Leanne helped me organize it and it was really great. Dennis and Emily were there, ofcourse! And Matt and Jet. And some guys from the hostel: Donnie (from New York), Dorian (from France), Rafa and Bruno (from Brazil). And ofcourse Leanne, who will be coming to NZ in Febuari, so I will see her soon again.

Merel stayed in Sydney- she will do some surfing and working on an organic farm. She will come to New Zealand for 5weeks, from 19januari onwards. We will travel the South Island together, that will be so cool!!!

Big hug, hope all of you are very well!

Bas.

new phonenumber

Hi people.

My new New Zealand phonenumber is:

+64-211-61-3464

Take care.

Bas.

happy new year!

New Year I celebrated in Sydney, with my cousin Marc and his girlfriend Clarissa, and some friends of them- some of whome I have met before in Germany or in Townsville. It was simply fantastic. We were invited to the home of somebody a friend of my cousing met while travelling. He had an amazing apartment with an amazing view over Sydney towards the Harbourbridge. It was awesome!! We bbq'ed on the balcony, opened some beers and later watched the crazy fireworks! What a night!

See more PICTURES HERE.

Bas.

PS. Merel spent the night with her friends in the Sydney Harbour, on a boat of people they'd met travelling. She made some movies of the fireworks.. I will try and upload them soon!