Rundschau (Rhein-Ahr) 23.10.2003

By bike through New Zealand Why staying at home when you can travel the world? Uli and Frank Schmitz from Wershofen asked themselves - and began to make their dream come true. Travelling one time by bike into an unknown distant country. That´s what the 41 years old welfare worker Uli and the 32 years old teacher for driving safety at the Nürburgring Frank want to do. In less than one week they start their tour together with their two daughters Malin (5) and Laura (2). They fly from Frankfurt to Tokio where to stop for three hours before they continue their flight to Auckland/NZ. The motorbike, a Yamaha F J 1200 with a twoseated sidecar started its way from Rotterdam/Netherlands in an especially built box on a containership in September. And that for a good reason: the passage takes six weeks. As oppose to that the 26 hours flight seems to be nothing. Frank mentions: "We have never been so far away from home. We actually wanted to travel to South America but because of the changing temperatures, less hygiene and the dimensions in this continent friends advised us to choose it. We also striked Ausralia off the list because of the distances and several animals." Some friends described New Zealand as "paradise on earth" and so they chose this little country on the other side of the world. A great way to hibernate, that´s what Uli and Frank think, because in New Zealand spring is beginning. Because of the price of 1000 Euro per flight for each aduld the family plans to come back next march. The four travelers mainly want to spend the nights on campsites or farms where they will work a few hours to pay. Threr are also many youthhostels to stay at said Frank. Frank and Uli are not afraid of the foreign language: „After several English classes and with the help of a private English teacher our English suffices for communication.“ Also the kids won´t have any problems to arrange with the foreign language. (jko)

back