Kia ora everyone! I am told this means hello in Maori language, so let's use it while I am here. Time flies so fast, another day is over in New Zealand. Today I had a different kind of exercise, I used the early hours of the morning to climb a mountain to a lookout over the bay. I was shameless taking selfies, because there was nobody else around when I was up there. Somewhere halfway the way back, other people went up to the same lookout. Ha, I was first! :-) I...

Somehow I made it to New Zealand in the last few days. I left sunday evening for Abu Dhabi, a city that I can't image to ever visit if it wasn't to change planes. All I saw out of the window was the grey color of sand, lots and lots of sand. When we came closer I did see some palm trees and other green, but my first impression was grey. I had some time to kill here so strolled the shops and treated myself on a big breakfast, you never know what you get offered ...

Ah the first full day in New Zealand was a pretty full one. Thanks to the different time zone I woke up at 4.40 am, but managed to get an hour more sleep before my german roommate was shaking my arm. It was 6.15 in the morning, and I had a bus to catch at 7.50. I wrote my blog in the kitchen before heading to the busstop. Today's destination was Paihia, located in the bay of islands. We were lucky, the bus wasn't fully booked so plenty of room for everyone. Beli...

It's 2014! Yes of course you know, but this is a year that's gonna be special. If all goes well, it's the year I'm planning to visit all Grand Slams in tennis in the world. That's why I am off to Australia in 3 days, with a week of New Zealand before the Australian Open. I'm every year in London and Paris, because that's quite close to the Netherlands. Then the last plan is for august/september. If my money allows me, I'll make the trip to the United States, to ...

I have a confession to make. And that is that I am actually getting nervous for take off this time. No worries though, I am still ridiculously looking forward to pack my suitcase again and leave, but I am also nervous. Somehow I regret my first week in New Zealand. Some of my favourite tennisplayers will be in Sydney that week and it doesn't feel right to me that I am relatively close, but not going there. Ah well, I hope it's a temporay madness because they sa...