East Eats West

Riding a water-pump down river rapids

The Hamilton water-jet for boats is basically a big water-pump attached to a boat. It was invented in New Zealand in order to navigate shallow rivers. Combined with a beefy big-block American V8 motor, one ends up with an incredibly fast, maneuverable and noisy device called the jet-boat. All over New Zealand those jet-boats can be boarded for fun-rides, but what makes the Rapids Jet boat ride near Lake Taupo unique is that the boat goes down river rapids. Next to the Skippers Canyon Jet Boat near Queenstown, it is my favorite jet boat ride! Be ready to get wet while the 500 horsepower Chevy V8 propels the boat up and down the rapids! Website: http://www.rapidsjet.com/

Swiss not meeting Swiss or the joys of Kiwi hospitality

Picture: A traditional Swiss greeting with little words exchanged. 

What happens if a Swiss meets a Swiss abroad? Nothing, as they avoid each other! Not long ago I had dinner in a Swiss-owned fine-dining restaurant in the picturesque art deco town of Napier. Upon entering the restaurant a dour-faced Swiss chef de service led us to our table, barely even smiling. After I tried to make small-talk in Swiss-German, he disappeared upstairs while his untrained staff were nibbling on the bread that was meant for customers. He not only ignored us, he ignored all the other customers as well, hiding behind the bar away from the tables. Only recently I got the same cold reaction from two Swiss travelers I met at a Maori show in Rotorua. As I experienced before: Swiss avoid Swiss abroad.

Having traveled in New Zealand the contrast between the New Zealander's cheerful friendliness and the Swiss' grumpiness is painfully stark. And one thing stood out: traveling in New Zealand is not only pleasant because of the abundance of nature and plethora of activities, but also because the overwhelming friendliness of the Kiwis. We stayed at the Cottage Mews Motel in Taupo, a small family-managed motel, and were deeply touched by the spontaneous note and birthday gift my wife got. Staying at the Twin Gullies B&B near Akaroa was not only very blissful because of the large wooden pre-earthquake house, but also because of the cheerful and heartfelt welcome we got from the owners, Doug and Vic. At the other end of the world, a smile can make you feel at home instantly. The Kiwis seem to know that!

A lake the size of Singapore

The biggest lake in Australasia is at the same time one of the youngest lakes in the world. Lake Taupo on the North Island of New Zealand was created by a gigantic volcanic eruption about 5'000 years ago. The lake is the rough size of Singapore and sports some very clean water. The town of Taupo, overlooking the lake, is among New Zealand towns a fledgling. Tourism has only started to take off in the eighties. Today Taupo not only offers a scenic lakeside area with many charming lodges and motels, but also a host of activities, ranging from floating planes to bungee jumping to jet-boating. Next to the Bay of Islands it was my favorite destination on the North Island. Particularly as it offers a breath-taking view of the three Tongariro Park volcanic mountains, at the other end of the lake and is a good base for the Tongariro crossing.

Status seekers should travel

Picture: Travel in style! 

For most Asians going on holiday means visiting relatives in various parts of the world. With improvements and westernization of their living-standards, visiting relatives takes a back-seat to sightseeing. Nowadays New Zealand has become a popular holiday destination for many middle-class Indians and Chinese. The southern adventure capital Queenstown nowadays sports a Louis Vuitton shop! Traditionally New Zealand has been attracting many Western backpackers due to its wide range of thrill-seeking activities (e.g. think bungee-jumping, sky-diving and jet-boating). While backpackers are thrill-seekers, visitors from China and India might have another motive: status acquisition. An inspiring Asian middle-class wants to visit holiday destinations that carry a cachet of luxury (think Paris, Lucerne or London). But interestingly, according to an article in The Economist, rich world travelers might also be seeking status. According to the article 'time' has become the ultimate luxury as everyone already has all the material things money can buy. But taking time off and visiting places is the true new status symbol. The article reads: “...there is cachet in being able to boast about the places you have been to and the things you have done”. Read the article here: http://www.economist.com/node/17627313?story_id=17627313

Stinging digital travel criticism

When traveling through New Zealand many backpackers and tourists still rely on the legendary Lonely Planet travel guide. However, with the advent of the community-generated online content and feedback, the game has changed (and not only because of WikiLeaks). At the forefront of travel-advice by travelers for travelers is the website TripAdvisor. TripAdvisors lets any traveler review an accommodation. The reviews are not edited and entail an overall ranking. I often use it for an independent review of an accommodation. However, while most reviews are fairly neutral and positive, some lodgings get outrightly bashed. I found that particularly for budget-accommodation guests can be unforgiving with their criticism, sometimes blaming an inner-city hotel for a noisy street or a remote motel for a lack of services. While such feedback can be valuable to pinpoint the bad apple or help managers to improve, I found that some reviews for budget accommodations are too strict, not taking the low price into consideration. You get what you pay for, isn't that fair? For managers TripAdvisor can be a blessing or a curse. A high ranking attracts guests but spiteful comments can damage the business profoundly as the only way to respond for managers is to post a comment that clarifies the criticism, however, they cannot delete vengeful reviews. www.TripAdvisor.com

Hiking across Mordor

Picture: Emerald Lakes, Tongariro Crossing. 

Mordor, situated in Middle-earth, is where Sauron from “Lord of the Rings” lives. Frodo and Sam, the two hobbits, had to bring the ring to Mordor in order to have it destroyed. I completed their dangerous journey, called Tongariro Crossing, in only a day! Reaching Mordor is strenuous at least and deadly in the worst, also in real life. Mordor was filmed at the Tongariro National Park in New Zealand. The park consists of three volcanic peaks that still fume poisonous gases. The most recent big volcanic eruption was in 1975 but several smaller ones have occurred since then (2007 being the latest). A warning sign helpfully states that one should descend quickly if there are eruptions or earth-quakes. It also says that lava can travel at up to 100km/h! So why die exhausted? While hiking up from the starting point at 1'200 meters one climbs for three hours to the pass at 1'900 meters. The stunning hike took me past emerald-green volcanic lakes, big flat craters, bright red cliffs and cracks in the surface that emit sulphuric gases. The hike took me almost seven hours and the most challenging bit for my knees was the two hour descent. It is a challenging walk but can be done if you are reasonably fit.

PS: Peter Jackson, director of the Lord of the Rings movies, recently visited Tongariro. Apparently he is scouting for his new movie called “The Hobbit”.

Stinging digital travel criticism

When traveling through New Zealand many backpackers and tourists still rely on the legendary Lonely Planet travel guide. However, with the advent of the community-generated online content and feedback, the game has changed (and not only because of WikiLeaks). At the forefront of travel-advice by travelers for travelers is the website TripAdvisor. TripAdvisors lets any traveler review an accommodation. The reviews are not edited and entail an overall ranking. I often use it for an independent review of an accommodation. However, while most reviews are fairly neutral and positive, some lodgings get outrightly bashed. I found that particularly for budget-accommodation guests can be unforgiving with their criticism, sometimes blaming an inner-city hotel for a noisy street or a remote motel for a lack of services. While such feedback can be valuable to pinpoint the bad apple or help managers to improve, I found that some reviews for budget accommodations are too strict, not taking the low price into consideration. You get what you pay for, isn't that fair? For managers TripAdvisor can be a blessing or a curse. A high ranking attracts guests but spiteful comments can damage the business profoundly as the only way to respond for managers is to post a comment that clarifies the criticism, however, they cannot delete vengeful reviews. Website: www.TripAdvisor.com

Where glowworms meet bulging eyes and protruding tongues

Since the late seventies the preservation of indigenous Maori culture in New Zealand has become a more pressing issue. Rotorua on the Northern Island has been at the forefront of introducing Maori culture to tourists. Various cultural exhibitions and performances let foreigners experience the rich and often bloody Maori history. The native Mitai family is running one of the best shows in Rotorua. It starts with the entrance of a Waka war canoe followed by a war dance and weapon performance in a settlement modeled on ancient layouts. Particularly the war dance, called the Haka, performed by muscular men with protruding eyes and tongues, made a lasting impression on me. The show was followed by a sumptuous steamed Hangi meal with lamb, chicken, sweet potatoes and vegetables. And before leaving we observed in the surrounding bush where the thousands of gently glowing glowworms reside. What made the evening truly charming was the very sincere and welcoming atmosphere created by the members of the extensive Mitai family. It is well worth a visit! Website: http://www.mitai.co.nz/

Sulphuric hospitality

The earth vibrates under your feet, there is hot sulphuric smell (similar to the smell of rotten eggs) everywhere, the ground is hot to touch and the water is hot enough to steam and cook meat and chicken. And the earth crust is sometimes only 30m thin. Welcome to the Te Whakararewarewa Maori village in Rotorua, New Zealand! For over one hundred years the inhabitants of the traditional Maori village have welcomed guests from near and far. Before the ascent of mass tourism guests to the village were allowed to bathe in the thermal pool rich in minerals, were given massages and were fed steamed-cooked Hangi meals. The Hangi meals are still around, unfortunately no more massages or baths are allowed. And due to the volatile nature of the area, a recent area of the village just recently collapsed. Also the population is shrinking. So better visit Te Whakararewarewa before it disappears! Website: http://www.whakarewarewa.com/

New Zealand: land of immigration

New Zealand is far away from anywhere and for most of its life it was not inhabited by humans. The Maoris were reckoned to have arrived from Polynesia about 1'000 years ago and only in 1848 New Zealand became a sovereign British state under the treaty of Waitangi. Today New Zealand has a population of about 4.2m people, almost 40m sheep and a growing population of cows and deers. About one fourth of the population live in Auckland, leaving a lot of beautiful, empty and green space everywhere else. So New Zealand has always tried to encourage immigration. And Auckland shows the effects of this policy with a big influx of immigrants from mainland China congregating specifically in the suburbs. Outside of Auckland every little town we drove through sported its own Thai and Chinese restaurant. And like other parts of the world Chinese immigrants tend to settle with their families, immediately embarking on business ventures ranging from food stores to restaurants. Auckland attracts a lot of overseas students hailing from China and India. According to government statistics those students are very likely to stay in New Zealand. At the same time more and more honeymooners from India and tourists from Singapore and Malaysia are flying to New Zealand for its unspoiled nature.