New Zealand North – 1996/97

It must have been around autumn 1995 when one of our professors at the Geology Department of Frankfurt University complained that nowadays students prefer doing their diploma thesis close to their homes. “Alright then”, said Barnim Schulze-Fielitz, Michael Credner and I, “How about a diploma thesis with a fieldwork area that is as far away from Germany as possible?” Thanks to Professor Georg Kleinschmidt, who had a flair for far-away destinations (10 expeditions to Antarctica!) we got what we asked for – on New Zealand’s South Island…

In autumn 1996 the three of us flew to Christchurch, bought a car and drove to Arrowtown, where we were able to rent a house as our basecamp. We wanted to spend four months working in the field for our thesis, then spend two months traveling this incredibly varied country.

The more accessible and logistically easier North Island I visited in early 1997 together with my mom: Auckland – Cape Reinga – Ninety Mile Beach – Bay of Islands – Orewa – Coromandel – Rotorua – Taupo – Mount Tongariro – Waitomo Caves – Napier – Wellington. Beaches, forests, islands, hot springs, geysers, volcanoes, caves, Art Deco…