THE INTERNAL - NEWSLETTER 5/04

TIME TO SAY GOODBYE

Torsten finished his internship at the end of last week and took a plane on Saturday to the South Island. (As a result Kristina was happily moving in Torsten’s room, getting rid of her snoring roommate.) MBE, the service-center he worked at, will have difficulties to fill the gap, which this always motivated and friendly guy is leaving behind. People at the WOXA house spent a good time with him. Usually Torsten was easy-going, except when it came to some special topics, e.g. the toilet paper: which one should be purchased and which way around one has to put it in the roller …..  We are looking forward seeing you after your trip! What about a good bye party???

Also ending her internship but not leaving the country immediately is Nina. She has done a great job, e.g. creating databases and getting in contact with German traveling agencies - Erin, her boss, will miss her for sure! But she has been pretty lucky, too! Who else is living in Mission Bay with view to Rangitoto? Right now she is waiting for her brother to arrive from Sydney for traveling the North and South Island. Good luck with the car! Sorry, I just had to take this picture.

WELCOME IN MIDDLE-EARTH

Kevin arrived last Tuesday. He is 25 years old and studies Computer Technology in Essen. A part of Propharma, the company he will do his internship with, just recently moved to a site at the airport. Now they are waiting for Kevin to get everything related to computers back on the right track. Kevin already seems to feel pretty comfortable in Auckland and very strangely knows some friends of Roul back home – it is a small world! Kevin is staying at Ryecroft Lodge in Newmarket together with ….

… Frank, who was picked up from the airport two days later. He is studying Business Administration in Osnabrueck and specializes in finance and international economics. Frank will work at the Bank of New Zealand at Queen Street. With 27 years he one of the oldest interns right now – no special rights apply! The only thing he really needs to get used to is the snoring of an Indian man next door.

Both of them managed their jetlag pretty good and quickly adapted to Kiwi habits.

Not only! They also explored Auckland during the last days and joined for a short trip to Hibiscus Coast and Goat Island on Sunday.

GET TOGETHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ST PATRICK’S FESTIVAL   11-17 March 2004

Yes, they are still celebrating and the most important day will be the coming Wednesday (17th of March), St Patrick’s Day. Most of us will not be able to go to the Irish Pub for a lovely Irish breakfast or brunch, but whoever wants to join for some live music and Guinness, come to the Dogs Bollix Irish Bar about 8pm. Its easy to get there with the Link (corner Newton Road/ Karangahape). If the pub should be overcrowded we can easily move on to the next down the road.

Hope to see you there!

WHATS ON IN AND AROUND AUCKLAND

MAORI & PACIFIC ISLAND FESTIVAL      18 - 20 March

Manukau Sports Bowl, Te Irirangi Drive, Manukau

This cultural festival was started in 1976 to provide a showcase opportunity for young

Polynesians and Maori, bring schools together, as well as the different cultures within them.

Today, the festival features over 10,000 students passionately performing songs, dances and hakas from Maori, Pacific Island and Asian cultures, demonstrating the pride that they have in their cultural heritage. It is vibrant celebration of creativity, colour and culture.The festival also has speech and art competitions, and an array of food and craft stalls.

Thursday, 18 March12.30pm – 5.30pm

Friday 19 March                   09.00am – 5.30pm

Saturday, 20 March             09.00am – 5.30pm

MONTANA INTERNATIONAL JAZZ AND BLUES FEST 04       

Easter 8 – 12 April

Over 30 international and 60 NZ musicians are going to perform on five days of Jazz and blues, at 15 venues Waiheke Island wide. Relax and soak up the atmosphere at vineyards, cafes and scenic outdoor places. Just 40 minutes by ferry from downtown Auckland City. Concerts in the evening also take place in Auckland, e.g. Auckland Town Hall.

Check out www.waihekejazz.co.nz for more details and early bird specials!

WOX WEEKEND SUGGESTION

If you do not want to do a weekend trip, there are a lot of things in and around Auckland, which are easily to be managed in one day. Waiheki Island is one of this awesome spots you should visit while staying in Auckland. The Island is in the north-east of Auckland, close to Rangitoto.

Take the Fullers ferry at 8.15am ($25 return), which will bring you to Waiheke in about 40 minutes. At the island you do have various possibilities. Rent a bike for about $30 (9am – 3pm) and explore the island. If you want to see the Island from the seaside, book a Kayak trip. A guided half day tour (9am – 1pm) costs about $65. Since it is not that difficult to kayak you can also just rent one and head off after a short introduction (the rescue firework is pretty impressive).

For info check out www.kayakwaiheke.co.nz.  That’s the best possibility for finding your own “private” beach for a picnic and sunbath!

Furthermore, there are great walks around the island, beautiful beaches just for relaxing a bit, wine tasting tours ………

Think about it and we can have a chat on Wednesday.

WOX WEEKEND TRIP

What do you think about a weekend trip to Coromandel Peninsula at the 27/28th of March? Coromandel juts out in the South Pacific Ocean, bordered on the west with the Hauraki Gulf. Offering some of North Island’s finest coastal scenery and beaches it is the perfect destination for a weekend away from the city bustle. Depending on how many people want to join, I could rent the car/s and reach Coromandel within two hours. There are lots of places to visit: Hot Water Beach (at low tide!), where you can dig a hole in the beach for your very own spa; Cathedral Cove; small cosy towns beautiful beaches – awesome nature! For Sunday I would suggest a sailing tour with a trimaran from 10am to 4pm (about $85) – the best offer ever!

Think about it and we can discuss this topic tomorrow, too.

MESSAGE FROM JONATHON

Hey guys! March was supposed to be nice to make up for the rainy February, but it hasn’t happened yet, huh? Oh well, hopefully the winter will be mild and not the usually rainy Auckland weather.

If you are in Auckland and need to get around, you can look up www.rideline.co.nz.  All you need to do is enter where you want to go to and from, and it will give you a timetable of buses and even a wee map of where to catch them from.  Alternately, you could use the Rideline text service.  They will text you bus times and info to your mobile phone, so you won’t get stuck somewhere in Auckland that you don’t want to be.

Unfortunately, public transport isn’t the greatest in Auckland.  It’s one of the bad sides to life here.  But you just have to make up for it by enjoying the other things which Auckland has to offer (like the St Patrick’s Day drinks!).

GOOD TO KNOW

• At the moment “friends” telephone cards seem to be the cheapest for calling to Germany (even cheaper than Kia Ora)

• We can provide information on where to look for a car, how to buy a car, how to open a bank account & what to do when you are loosing your passport – requests by e-mail!

• We are on our way to build up a partnership with the Travellers Contact Point New Zealand. So, whenever you want to rent a car, need an accommodation somewhere, looking for a car insurance, book a ferry or an inland flight – whatever – let us know, and we will get the best deal possible for you.

BLACKBOARD

If there is anything you want to make public (you look for a flatmate, want to sell your cellphone card, need a tent, a sleeping bag, sell your car) – that’s the place! Send us an e-mail and we can fill the blackboard of our newsletter.

THAT’S ALL FOLKS!