Back in Germany =/

Hey guys!

Well, I am back in Germany now - it was like 4 months ago that my plane touched down at Paderborn Airport!!!
Omg, time goes by sooo fast and now it's almost X-mas again! ^^^Can't believe it. =P

So, I really didn't have much time to think about anything else other than school and work - which is pretty surprising in a negative way! =(
New Zealand was really soooo good and I wouldn't wanna miss this once-in-a-lifetime experience - thank you Sharon, Helen & Rex, Lee & Jeremy and of course Manatsu, Matt, Leighton, Ryan and everybody else! You guys rock. =D

Hmm, well I got back into the German routine quite fast which is sad! School is taking all my time and I just can't believe that you guys only have 3 exams per year whereas I have 24! *Wanna go back to NZ*

I'd take the next flight to FRA-SIN-AKL-Nelson if I had the money! =/ So as I won't be able to come back to NZ in the near future - you guys could come'n'visit me! =)

Ok, I'll leave u 2 it then...

Catch ya's!

Chris

AUSTRAHLIA Part III - Warner Bros. MovieWorld

G'day g'day!

Howzit? Well, pretty good over here... On Wednesday, we visited the Warner Bros. MovieWorld with heaps of rides such as "Wild West Falls", "Superman Escape", "Lethal Weapon", "Scooby-doo" or some kinda Batman stuff. =)

Well, unfortunately, you're not allowed to take pictures during the rides - which would by the way be very dangerous as well - but I took some of the whole area and the park as such!

Welcome to Warner Bros. MovieWorld on the Gold Coast

The Superman Escape - a fast roller-coaster

The Wild West Falls

This was an awesome funpark - or themepark as they're called here - but there's still one more to go which is said to be even better: DreamWorld in Coomera!

Ok then, all 4 now!

I'll catch ya's later - maybe even when I am back in Germany!

Until then,

Chris...tian =)

AUSTRAHLIA Part II - Skating and Shopping

Hello again...

Well, I'll now tell you about the Speed Skating Competitions and Shopping which are the things we did most of the time...

This is Dale skating...

I'm not that interested in neither of them but oh well... I have been looking for an Australian sweat-jacket or hoodie but I haven't found any yet so I keep on looking. =/
We've been to DFO, the Hyperdome, a few shops in Ascot where Sharon wants to buy three pieces of cloth (^^) for about AUSD400 and a few more shopping centres...

This is in the Hyperdome.... huuuuuuge!

So, in fact, we went shopping about every day. Might be a shopping paradise for girls and women here (the question is what do you need 10 pairs of bikinis for?) but not so much for me. Let's say it was a nice experience. =P

Okey dokey, that's all 4 now then!

Greetz

Chris...tian

AUSTRAHLIA Part I - Introduction and Gold Coast

G'day mates! ^^

Well, the news is - I am in Australia! To be more specific, in Brisbane and the Gold Coast!

We came in my plane on 6th July and we had a stopover in Sydney. As we came in to Sydney, I saw the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. I lost the photos though so I just got a similar photo from the net:

That was really cool... Yep, and then we went over to Brisbane and I can tell you: QANTAS Service is really good! Did you know that QANTAS stands for "Queensland and Northern Territory Air Services"?

Well, after all, we arrived here at our Motel called the "Quest Ascot" in Ascot, Brisbane! It's really nice and I've never seen so many palm trees at once!

Then, I spent two days with Matthew at his Nana's appartment in Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast which was really terrific! The beach was so close and we had a fantastic view on both the Pacific Ocean and the pool which reminded me of the luxury resorts in Fiji!

Here's a photo selection:

Me at the beach in Surfers Paradise

The view from Nana's appartment

The pool at the "Oriana"

The view from the 77th floor of the "Q1" (=Queensland 1) - the highest residential tower of the world: 332.5 metres

So that was the first part of my stay here in Australia but there's still more to come!!! Look forward to "Skating and Shopping" and "Warner Bros. Movie World" =)

Yours

Chris...tian =)

The last days in New Zealand =(

Heyhey....

The last days in New Zealand have begun for me now and we're off to Aussie the day after tomorrow (6th July)! Quite sad actually because I've made so many friends here and my English has improved quite a bit.

Today, I went souvenir-shopping and a shop assisstant asked me where I was going... I said: "Back home to Germany!" and she was like: "No way! You don't have any accent at all... I would have taken you for a kiwi going overseas for a holiday!!!" That was real nice I thought... I bought a T-Shirt saying:

"I support two teams: New Zealand and anyone playing Australia!" =P

So yeh, yesterday, I said good-bye to one of my best friends, Manatsu but he promised to come to the airport on Friday! =) Mrs Glue is gonna come, too I think to help me with the luggage allowance limit. Ms Barker, my French teacher (see photo), wants to come too if she's got time! Really nice... Dunno if I'm gonna cry but I reckon I don't realize what is happening and that I have to leave all my friends behind... I'll get over it though!

During these last few days, there's still quite a lot to do such as getting all sorted and pack my stuff or get some souvenirs, burn the last pics on CD etc. etc.! =/

AND finally, I made the effort to take a photo of my hostfamily! It was because Poom was going to Queenstown and I just quickly needed a picture so yeh:

Me on the left, then Sharon and Mason, Miller and Poom in the front row!

I got this photo printed off for them as a souvenir for our time together... I think it's a nice farewell gift. =) Have to get some more pictures though, in Australia... =)

Ok, guys, I'll see if I find an Internet Cafe somewhere in Brisbane or on the Gold Coast and then, I could send some more pictures... =)

Till then and I'll catch ya's later!

Chris...tian

St Arnaud and the Nelson Lakes - 24/06/2007

Hello again! =P

Well, I got soooo much to tell you now so I thought I better do more than one post...

Ok, well, that weekend, I stayed at Matt's and as I already told you, we went to the Centre of New Zealand. But also, on the 24th (Sunday), they took me to St Arnaud which is a popular Skivillage about 100km south of Nelson. We also went to see Lake Rotoiti which is one of the two Nelson Lakes and the same Nationalpark!

Surprisingly, we found that it had snowed there the night before so there was about a foot of snow on the ground (= about 30cm!). Matt's 2nd time ever to see snow (of course in Australia, snow is rare and the ski fields closest to Adelaide are a 2 days drive away!!! =)...

Here are some of the best photos I took - coz I didn't forget my camera that day!!! ^^lol.

And here is Lake Rotoiti in the Nelson Lakes Nationalpark:

Thank you so much guys! I had an awesome time with you and I am sure I'm gonna come back sometime.

First, I am going to Australia though - to Brisbane and the Gold Coast! I'll post some pics later - of course you can google it and put them on here now already - but it's not the same as if I saw it myself and took the pictures myself! =P Little complex... haha

Anyway: if you're interested in the Gold Coast now, type in "Q1 Tower, Surfer's Paradise, Queensland" and you'll find some amazing views from the top of the highest residential tower in the world! More about that later... ^^

Well, what I actually wanted to say is: i'm gonna meet Matt and his mother again on the Gold Coast before I finally go back to Germany. Yep...

All 4 now,

Chris...tian

At the Centre of New Zealand

Hey guys!

Well, guess what... I've been to the centre of New Zealand!!! That's just 10 minutes' walk out of Nelson and the view is fantastic:

The view north towards the sea and the Bay

The view south towards the Maitai Valley

Well, yeah, sorry - these pictures are not mine, I got them from a website because I forgot my camera just on that day. =( Well, anyways, thanks to :
"www.nelsonlodge.co.nz/aboutnelson.html" - have a look there! It's worth it! Some awesome pictures and a real nice lodge! ;-P

Thanks also to Matthew and his parents for taking me up there!!!

Chris...tian

Sunset photos from Nelson =)

Hey everybody!

Yep, I am alive and I wanna take this chance to write again before I have to go... During the last few weeks actually I took lots of photos of sunsets here in Nelson!

Here's a selection... enjoy:

Picture taken 10/06/2007

Picture taken 16/06/2007

Picture taken 21/06/2007

I hope there are still more to come! Maybe some from Australia as well... I'll have to see.

Well, all 4 this topic then.

Catch ya's later ;-)

Chris...tian

Queen's Birthday Weekend III - Greymouth to NSN

So yeh, and the last part was a 6-hour-bus trip back up to Nelson!

On the way, we saw some great scenery:

The Pancake Rocks in Punakaiki! Impressive!

The Buller Gorge between Westport and Murchison!

So, yeh. That's it! Thanks again to all people who I stayed with! Hope 2 c u again!

Greetz,

Chris...tian

Queen's Birthday Weekend II - CHC to Greymouth

My second part of the weekend took me from Christchurch over the Southern Alps to Greymouth on the South Island's West Coast!

It is a very rough countryside but really beautiful - with lots of Nikau palms, ferns and cliffs! But have a look yourselves:

At the foot of the Southern Alps. It had just rained the night before so we had a thin layer of snow on the mountains... =)

It was sunny but freezing cold and misty. We might have had around -2 degrees which is even colder on a fast train!

But still, we could see the snow-capped mountains and the countryside was just AMAZING!!!

Just behind Arthur's Pass - the Gateway to the West Coast. The countryside is already much greener and seems friendlier!

Arriving at Lake Brunner

In Greymouth, we stayed with Matt's cousin Laura McIlroy. She showed us around:

The former Brunner Mine - destroyed by a coal dust explosion in 1896! Around 60 people died.

Shantytown - a former gold-digger town, today it is a museum!

Goldpanning - of course they put some gold in the pan for you to keep!

So, that's Greymouth! Thanks to Laura McIlroy and Patrick Sweeney! Enjoyed staying with you guys!

Chris...tian

Queen's Birthday Weekend I - Blenheim to CHC

The latest thing or trip I've done is this one:

Over the Queen's Birthday Weekend, I went down to Christchurch with Matt to visit his grandma over there. We took the train down from Blenheim:

Through hilly grassland ....

... through vineyards....

... and the salt fields of Lake Grassmere (100,000 t of salt per year!) ...

... we finally came to the Pacific Ocean which we followed southbound for about 200 km to Christchurch!

Christchurch is really beautiful and for those of you who have read carefully: yes, I have been to Christchurch once before but only for about 2 hours and I couldn't see much! Here comes my true impression of Christchurch:

Cafe-Restaurant Takahe Sign

Christchurch from the top of the hills

The Banks Peninsula

Christchurch City

Oh yes, and I would like to thank Mary & Laurie Brennan, Matthew Prater and everybody else in Christchurch who has made my stay so agreeable! It was a really really awesome time and I hope I'll be able to visit you again sometime!

Chris...tian

Gumboot-throwing 25/05/07

Hey!

I guess this was the weirdest thing I've ever done at school! Well, on 25th May, we went out on the tennis courts with our New Zealand Studies teacher Mrs Greenland to throw gumboots!

Well, New Zealanders think that the name for them is a unique NZ-thing BUT I can tell you: it's not! Translate it directly into German: Gummistiefel! Haha, see! =P BUT it is a unique New Zealand sport that actually exists!!! ^^lol.

So, yeh, it was really weird but we had fun and the pictures are so great. Have a look:

Hans Han from China

Laura from Germany

Ryan Mahuze from Indonesia

Let this inspire you! lol.

Have a great day.

Chris...tian

My birthday down under - May 23rd 2007

Hey,

well, yes - my birthday this year was not only down under but also upside down! We had chaos that morning, there was no school (nice pressie!) and we had the worst flood in 20 years!

I loved that day though - not only because of my b-day but also because of all that rain! I haven't seen anything like it in my life - well, yeh, now I have! ;-P

The streets were completely under water, cars had difficulties coming through and there really was water everywhere. Nothing really happened to me, neither to other people but houses were flooded, little footpaths turned into streams, streams turned into rivers! Amazing... =)

Just to give you an impression, here are some pictures I have taken during the flood and about 7 hours after the rain:

About 9 am, Fergusson Street (where our house is), photo taken out of our living room window!

The "little creek" flowing through our school campus. 4 buildings were flooded - result: no school on my birthday! This about 7 hours after the heavy rainfalls!

Also on the Nayland school campus (the gym in the background) - half of the footpath eroded and is still not accessible!

The Highway 6 under-bridge to Monaco - we can now use it again but machines had to clear it from dirt, wood and big stones!

Pretty cool, ey? Well, that was certainly the most exciting weather I've ever had on my birthday! Haha... Other than that, the birthday was very nice, we had pizza for dinner and I got a chocolate cake! yum... =P

So, yep. That's all about this then...

Have a good one!

Chris...tian

School Pics

Heyhey!

I'm sorry about not having written back in ages but well, you know, there's always something else to do here! =P

Well, recently, I've been taking photos of my school - Nayland College - and classroom situations etc.! So here are a few pics:

That's Hospitality - f.l.t.r.: Danielle, Winnie, Amy, Matt (our teacher) and Cheryl. We're discussing a menu for the "Board of Trustees Meeting" - don't ask me what that is! ^^

Preparing the food

Here are a few results of our work:

New Zealand Studies:

From left to right: Mrs Glue (International Department Coordinator), Mrs Greenland (our teacher), Juliana Ribeiro (Brazil) and Ayaka Ueno (Japan)

So, yeah, that's all about Nayland College. I'll see if I can get some more pictures and I'll then update this post!

Chris...tian