Welcome to New Zealand

To go or not to go - we could not make up our minds for ages. Until, after a few pints at the Duke, we spontaneously decided that New Zealand could not be left out. After all we would never be so close again in the foreseeable future. It also had the positive side effect that a) we would miss out the hottest month in Thailand b) we could counteract the the ever looming danger of overplanitis (a virus against which no real cure exists) and c) the burden of our massive budget would become a bit lighter...:)

We landed in Auckland on the 25th of April, cruised through immigration, bumped straight into the driver of our shuttle, chose a great hostel and, by mere coincidence, found ourselves in the only vegan restaurant in the city. Nothing ever went so smooth in Australia. After we picked up the campervan without any unpleasant surprises I had the creeping suspicion that this was all too good to be true. 50 km on gravel road (20 so gruelling that they don't even deserve that term) to our first camp site and back? Absolutely no issues (worth mentioning that rental 2WDs are not supposed to be taken off sealed roads).

Stoney Beach campground where we spent our first night having fun on the rope swing. Although NZ was fantastic the dent in my trousers (bottom right) is not due to high blood levels in a specific body part...:)

It was the second night on the Coromandel peninsula, after visiting Cathedral Cove and Hot Water Beach, when the bomb exploded. Biosecurity at AKL forgot to pack the rain fly into my tent bag after inspecting its contents! Wow! Our home for the southeast Asian rainy season in the next six months was suddely as functional as chopsticks for spooning soup. I had no clue what to think or make of this so I decided to laugh - mainly because it is much healthier than hyperventilating. 24 hours and a phone call later we could arrange for a pickup on the return flight and were back on lucky avenue - paved, not cobbled.

Top and bottom left: Cathedral Cove and the way to it, bottom right Hot Water Beach

Still riding on what had now transformed into a tent high we decided to heed the advice of some locals and visited a gully after dawn right next to the camp site. What we experienced there is anything but describable. Galaxies of glowworms left, right, top and bottom surrounded us. We had to sit down in awe next to a waterfall and could not quite grasp what we were seeing. Of course, scientifically speaking, we knew that this emission of light would be connected to some sort of electronically excited states, most likely driven by ATP. But why something, to our senses, so spectacular would evolve was beyond us and we felt utterly small and unimportant. The cold and dampness rudely awoke us from our trance-like state and sadly we had to say goodbye to this most magical of places.

Our budget (maybe not so large as initially stated) dictated only short stops in Rotorua (massively overpriced) and Taupo, en route to the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. According to the DOC (Dept. of Conservation) a "serious 6 - 8 hour hike" which turned out to be a harmless 4.5 hour walk through a surreal but fabulous volcanic moonscape. LOTR fans may be familiar with parts of it (Mount Doom).

Moonscape of the Tongariro alpine crossing. Clouds and blue sky were taking turns very rapidly which added to the tour in our eyes.

A very warm welcome at the house of Elvira's relatives and their neighbours in Hawera designated the penultimate stop before hitting Wellington and setting sails for the South Island.

Hawera's volcano as the sun sets...

Read this blog in German: http://ueberlandindieschweiz.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/willkommen-in-neuseeland.html

Don't worry we've got it planned out...

Getting closer to the end of the master thesis is taking its toll on the regularity with which I update our blog. Resulting in a very belated: "Happy 2013"! 

~

One of the main attractions of South Australia is undoubtedly Kangaroo Island. With its 4250 square kilometres (1/10th of Switzerland or about three times the area of Greater London) it is Australias third biggest island after Tasmania and Melville Island. Because it is not connected to the main land a part of the endemic flora and fauna could surive or was brought there in order to secure their preservation. 

Location of Kangaroo Island (Wikipedia)
 

Matt, accompanied by Linda and his car Toadie were supposed to pick us up on Friday at 8:30 am. This would give us enough time to shop in Central Market and get to Cape Jervis by noon. The kick off of a weekend plan that Matt and myself had "carefully" crafted - mainly to appease Linda who likes to have a structured framework. Naturally it failed immediately. Due to heavy traffic we hit Central Market at 9:30 - no need to panic. Whilst casually driving southwards at 80 km/h and taking in the sights we suddenly realised it was 11:30 and we had 45 km to go. Missing the ferry would have cost us $ 22 each and 3 h - the next one was not leaving until 3 pm. We were left with the option of flooring the throttle and Matt taught Toadie how to fly along the coast with up to 150 km/h. At 11:57 we arrived at the port and reversed instantly onto the vessel. The woman at the check in was slighlty confused about our sequence of things but, in true Aussie style, didn't make a big deal out of it...

Map of Kangaroo Island and our route
 

After this rather stressful start and a calm 45 minute cruise we enjoyed the sights at the Bay of Shoals, Emu Bay and Stokes Bay - proving that the two wheelie Toadie is a true dirt road star. Slightly to the dislike of Linda who didn't enjoy the rattling...:) Western River Cove was our campground of choice for the first night. We were the only ones in this stunning place, had a private beach, barbie and toilet. Kangaroos encircled our tent and the vibrations of their hopping gently rocked us to sleep. The pleasant besiegers were still grazing early next morning - at least twenty in our direct vicinity. 

Top: Bay of shoals and Emu Bay, Bottom: Cave at Stokes Bay and view of the campground at Western River Cove

The reason for our early start was an egg laying, beak bearing, semi aquatic mammal - the platypus, best spotted at night / early morning. Luck was on our side and after patiently waiting for almost an hour in total we had seen three of them. One in full size because he performed a "dolphin roll" right in front of us. Snake lagoon (a MUST when you're on KI), Admirals Arch, and Remarkble Rocks were the other stops for the day before camping at Vivionne Bay - ranked the second nicest beach in Australia (whatever that means). The only regret was not bringing climbing shoes with us. The Remarkable Rocks would have had some interesting problems to solve...

Snake Lagoon (only accessible via dirt roads and then on foot)

View and lighthouse at Cape du Couedic

Remarkable rocks

Evening shadows and sunrise at Vivionne Bay

Determined to not experience the same adrenalin rush as when we got to Kangaroo Island, we decided to take it easy on the last day. Sandboarding in Little Sahara (really fun - especially the second row of dunes where no one goes) and visiting Seal Bay (The seals are cute but it's overpriced - Admirals Arch offers (different) seals for free) were on our do to list before heading to Antechamber Bay to cook dinner.

Little Sahara: views and sandboarding

Seal bay boardwalk

From there we returned to Penneshaw - so early that the check-in for the ferry wasn't open yet. A coffee later and back at the registration counter we checked our reservation and it said: Monday 21.1.2013. WHAT? How could that happen? Surely we booked the return on Sunday... Our good friend adrenalin was back. Next step: switching to emergency plan: make the guy at the counter laugh. Telling him about having had a retard moment and joking about being drunk at work when booking the tickets won him over. There was just enough space on the boat and he let us on without having to re-book for $ 22 each. We couldn't believe our luck but were on edge until well clear of the island and sure they wouldn't make us debark again...

Conclusions from this trip:

• Kangaroo Island is awesome. Almost everything Australia has to offer is condensed right there. To make the most of it I would advise taking a car that you can take off road. Otherwise you will miss some amazing spots. 
• Under no circumstances travel with Elvira, Matt or me if you love well planned trips. Spontaneity and improvisation is our forte. And that is exactly how I "plan" to walk through Southeast Asia with Elvira...:) 

Pictures compyright P. Wettstein

Why vegan?

In this probably last post in 2012 I will not write about Australia. I will tell youabout something very close to my heart. If this does not interest you feel free to stop reading here and just look at the pictures (random choice from our stay thus far).

Park in Adelaide and view over Adelaide

 

Like most people I am extremely grateful for everything my parents passed on to myself and my brother. But two specific values need highlighting to create a backdrop for this post. The first is a deep love and respect for our nature. I was fortunate enough to not grow up with a TV so I spent endless hours outdoors. My dad would draw my attention to the beautiful jay up in the sky and the woodlouse under the rocks. It was him who named bushes, trees and animals and explained how they all have their important place ecosystems and consequently on the planet. And secondly they always did what they, deep down in their hearts, believed to be the right thing. Irrespective of possible inconveniences, personal sacrifices or consequences. And that - luckily - rubbed off. Thanks mum and dad.
My decision to live vegan needs to be seen in this context. Now first things first: it is and can only be a personal choice. I do not want to convince anyone to convert to a vegan nor do I think badly of people who enjoy dairy or eating meat. I enjoyed both very much for roughly 26 years of my life... I would simply like to explain how I came to that decision because most people outside of Australia do not know about that yet.

Sleeping koala in the wild

 

The real spark was the World Vegan Day in Adelaide. Elvira and I decided to attend - mainly out of curiosity and because we were vegetarians (myself for about three months, Elvira for a 1.5 years). The people I met there were great and a peaceful atmosphere seemed to hover over Victoria Square. Having come home, like my usual self, I started researching the matter deeper...

I came across "Livestock's Long Shadow" published by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations and learnt that livestock farming could account for as much as 18 % of the global CO2 equivalents (under their model assumptions of course). That is more than all planes, ships, trucks and cars put together.

Like everyone I knew the availability of drinking water will be one of the biggest challenges ahead. Little did I know about all the publications on water foorprints. In these one finds that, compared to plant based products, the water usage / kcal for all investigated animal products (with the exception of butter) is higher. In some cases this factor can be huge. Beef for example has a 20 fold higher water footprint than cereals. 

I read about the main cause for deforestation in the Amazon - the "lungs" of our planet and one of the most intriguing ecosystems - being soy beans. A crop which is mainly used to feed cattle. Roughly 90 % of the world wide harvest goes into the production of animal food. Despite its perfect suitability as source of protein. Moreover the rising prices of soy have lead neighbouring countries like Paraguay to follow Brazil's example - resulting in a huge GDP growth and devastating social consequences. A small handful of prepotent latifundistas push small farmers out of business, depriving them of their lievelihood and forcing them out of their houses into favela like shelters. The few who stay or the ones misfortunate ehough to live in the vicinity of soy fields are poisoned by pesticides and fertilizers. A rise in newborn deformity rates and a substantially lower life expectancy are the results.

Then there is the EU. The insatiable appetite for meat on the old continent has lead to a massive increase of meat production. In fact, the farming of chickens has risen so steeply that producers had to search for new channels to sell the "low quality" parts i.e. everything that isn't breast meat. Solution? Freeze everything and export it to certain countries in Africa. Because of factory farming the price is ten times lower than that of locally produced poultry. Result? African farmers give up - and the EU increases the budget for development aid. "The market will regulate it". 

And what about the bonoboesque desire of the human race to reproduce? How will 9'000'000'000 be fed in 2050? Depending on the calculation an estimated 2.5 - 3 planets would be needed to sustain a western diet for every citizen on earth today. And whenever someone uses more than his share there is someone else who doesn't have enough. Even if it is not directly visible due to a large geographical distance. 

And I studied more. A lot more. But I will spare you with it because Christmas is a time of happy meet ups with family and friends.

Somewhere in that process I paused - and tears started running down my face. Numerous enough to irrigate the lawn in front of the house and there was nothing that could stop it. It saddened me how the "pride of creation" treats his habitat and fellow humans - how he can destroy something so beautiful and awe inspriring like nature. Even worse: the thought of my son or grandson to be, looking up at me with tearful eyes, asking me why he cannot enjoy an intact planet any more popped into my mind. Knowing that I would have to answer "Because I, like many others, was too lazy to make a change" litreally tore my heart into shreds. 

Once I mopped the floor dry and could think clearly again I knew: From here on in I will do everything possible to never, ever see that look on my childrens or grand childrens face. And if I do see it then at least I can leave this earth in peace. Knowing that I did what I thought to be the best, simplest and most effective way for an individual to create a fairer, more humain planet. With humans treading on it in the lightest possible manner, respecting and taking care of nature.

To close I wish to repeat what I said in the beginning: This is NOT an attempt to turn anyone into a vegan. Everybody needs to decide on his or her own. It is an insight into my personal thoughts that led me into making this decision. Nothing more. Nothing less. The same contemplations in someone elses head could lead to a completely different conclusion on what could benefit our planet most. But what we can hopefully all agree on is that we need to change something and that we need to do it quickly. Before it is all too late...

Vegan carrot and praline cake

 

Now I am left with one last thing. I wish you all a lovely festive season and a brilliant start into 2013. Thanks to everyone who read this blog, you made writing it so much more fun. 

Love and Peace

Christmas Season

Grey skies, temperatures approaching zero degrees (32 F for my American friends) and possibly the first snow. Drinking tea, eating mandarins, peanuts and chocolate, a crackling fire in the background. Succumbing to the smell of roasted chestnuts on the way home if I am hungry or not. The aroma of fir and spruce filling the living room - dimly lit by a flickering candle. Elvira snuggling up to me under a blanket covering us both. These are all things I relate to this time of year - probably because, until now, no December has gone by without me spending at least a few days in Switzerland. So what is it like on the other side of the planet?

Well, blue and usually cloudless skies greet us every morning. 30 - 40 °C (86 - 104 F) is rather common and snow is just to be seen on posters hanging in windows of travel agencies that advertise summer cruises to Antarctica. Barbies are sizzling and smoking in place of the familiar steaming of chestnut ovens. Bright, blinking LED lights try to imitate their waxy counterparts and the only odour to be expected from the plastic conifere twigs is that of petrolium - if they are (mis)placed so unfortunately that the sun beats it out of them. For fear of proteins denaturing a "strictly no cuddling" policy had to be issued and he middle in our bed is marked by barbed wire... A rather stark contrast to my usual advent. 

Then there are the things I just cannot get my head around. Walking through the streets to "Dashing through the snow, in a one horse open sleigh (...)" with sweat breaking from every pore somehow feels weird. And why would father Christmas wear fur boots along with a padded jacket when teenage girls in thong-esque hot pants display their butt cheeks on Rundle Mall (main shopping street in Adelaide)? Admittedly, seeing the guy in tight Speedos would be a rather disturbing sight but there is a bearable middle ground. Flip flops and Billabong trunks would be a start for example. Exchange the sleigh for a barbie on wheels and the reindeer for dingoes and you're in for a real, contradiction free Aussie Christmas. Even though I would just be putting tofu on the barbecue - not very Australian.
However, I am embracing this very different run up to the end of December and looking forward to spending 24th and 25th on the beach. After all, curiosity and the search for something new is what draws most of us to places far away from our families. 

Marion Coast Park Walk

Having acclimatised in Australia has the side effect of thinking more about our upcoming project of walking through Southeast Asia. I catch myself feeling guilty about using a lift or taking the tram, fearing that the missed training might come back to haunt me. I stop at any outdoor shop and ponder what gear we’re still missing, how we could save weight and what the most appropriate equipment could be to tackle the vast number of different climates. Last but not least a 1:250’000 map set of the whole area is ready to be studied extensively.

So, not surprisingly, we chose hiking as our Sunday activity and the Marion Coast Park Walk seemed perfect. The trail is described as "hard", spans 7.2 km from Hallet Cove Headland to Marino Esplanade and leads through two conservation parks. Hikers often walk on boardwalks, which tackle the sometimes rather precarious coastal topography. Impressive stairs provide access to the sea at selected points. The cliffs are close the beach – therefore it is mostly covered by rocks. Since they seldom dig themselves up from the ground but rather tend to fall from above I decided to not try climbing at this location…

Impressions from the trail

 

Nevertheless it has a lot of other attractions. Since Switzerland is a landlocked country being close to the sea is one in itself. Then there are geological features like large, polished slabs of stone telling stories that date back 280 million years – when glaciers covered Australia and polished the bedrock. Continental drift had yet to separate Pangaea and shape the world as we know it today...

Original location of Australia and subsequent continental drift (Image from USGS)

Then there is the flora and fauna which is still very unfamiliar to me – but I am working on it. Finally the two parks have the important function of reining back the approaching settlements, which threaten to topple the equilibrium of these ever so sensitive coastal ecosystems. 

Lovely devotement and getting jumpy at Hallet Cove Beach

 

Now you may ask: A 7.2 km coastal walk on a plank is described as “hard”? Well, we had the same thought. And to be honest: it turned out to be a stroll in the park – but a lovely one. We came up with an explanation of our own: in Australia one has to factor in venomous animals.  Throw in a few Eastern Browns and the trail is potentially deadly – which makes “hard” a gross understatement…:)