Michael Öfele, formerly a teacher at the Weilheim grammar school, has been on a world tour on his bicycle for over four years.
But the corona pandemic also shapes this adventure: Since he cannot continue his journey in Southeast Asia as planned, the 45-year-old is hoping to extend his visa for New Zealand.
But the process drags on.
Weilheim
- In November, Öfele applied for the visa extension for the first time.
When he recently contacted the local newspaper by email, he still had no positive answer.
And in the meantime he had to deal with various formalities.
In his email he was confident that his visa will be extended.
The globetrotter is currently on tour on the North Island of New Zealand, which he also writes about in his latest travel report.
Between Rotorua and Taupo, Öfele saw “one highlight after the next” in a region characterized by volcanism.
The Tarawera volcano rises on Lake Rotomahana, which last erupted in 1886 and created the Waimangu Valley.
"I felt how thin the earth's crust is in this area in the Waikite Valley, where the magma warmed my tent pleasantly from below, like underfloor heating," said the globetrotter.
As he writes, the 45-year-old supplemented his “wellness holiday program” in a thermal stream that fills several rock pools with small waterfalls and then unites with the Waikato River.
“At 425 kilometers, this is the longest river in New Zealand,” says Öfele, “presses around 200,000 liters per second (which could be used to fill an Olympic swimming pool every ten seconds) through a rock channel that is only five meters wide and into its rapid rapids at the Huka Falls White foaming water whirls up, only to fall down in a thundering waterfall at the end. "
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Michael Öfele saw snow-white petrified waterfalls in the Orakei Korako area.
As reported, the 45-year-old's trip around the world will take six years.
© Öfele
The globetrotter also rode the Great Lake Trail at Kinloch, a forest path that winds its way along the edge of the Taupo volcano with winding climbs and descents.
Lake Taupo, the largest lake in New Zealand, is located in its basin.
At Kawakawa Bay floating pumice stones on the surface of the lake are reminiscent of a major volcanic eruption in which all of New Zealand was covered by an ash shower, which darkened the sun all over the world.
"Such forces of nature can not only destroy, but also create fabulous paradises," says Öfele - for example Orakei Korako, where boiling spring water flows down from rocks and from earthquake eruptions, depositing so many minerals that up to five meters high lines with snow-white petrified waterfalls have arisen.
In the Artists Palette at Wai-O-Tapu, in the Champagne Pool, gently pearling air bubbles rise like a glass of champagne.
"This 'saucepan' with a diameter of around 65 meters develops so much steam that the amber-brown rim made of various minerals was only recognizable for a brief moment," says Öfele, describing his impressions.
On his return to Rotorua, a thermal pond about 70 meters long obscured his view so that he could hardly see the ground beneath his feet.
Also read: This is what happened to Michael Öfele on another stage in New Zealand
On the Coromandel Peninsula, Öfele experienced the coastal road, lined with gnarled Pohutukawa trees, which "especially at the time of Advent unfolded their red flowers, which are reminiscent of sea urchins".
At Hot Water Beach he took a spade to dig his personal “spa” on this special sandy beach, which was shallowly filled with rising thermal water.
Then he cycled towards Cathedral Cove, which he finally reached after a walk.
"On this dream beach with a tunnel over ten meters high and hollowed out by the sea (...) I snorkelled to my heart's content around the rock towers in front of it," said Öfele.
In Auckland, the globetrotter then underwent a health check required for the visa.
He can now "officially" call himself healthy, writes Öfele in his travel report.
He continued his journey towards Cape Reinga, the "North Cape" of New Zealand.
Read more about Michael Öfele's world tour
