It's not the most traditional way of raising money for travel, but busking works quite well for Ulrich Schwabe.
The German busker is playing his way down the country from north to south, and funding his trip with busking along the way.
"I'm travelling for three months... I want to end up
in Queenstown," he says.
"I come for the good weather and the New Zealand people - they really like what I play."
The 49-year-old violinist has been in Mount Maunganui for three weeks and says the place is beautiful and the people friendly. It is the second time he has been here; he spent last Christmas and New Year's at the holiday spot.
He started busking in 1999 and quickly realised it was a great way to gather an intimate audience.
"I enjoy the close audience. The main reason is I get a lot of energy from the audience," he says.
Mr Schwabe originally started because he wanted to escape the harsh winter of England, where he lived for 17 years, and took off to Spain with an accordion-playing friend. They started busking and that helped him fund six months through Spain, Portugal, France and Italy.
"It's absolutely great fun and being in the sun was great for us," he says.
He has been playing the violin for 40 years - since he was nine - and also builds and sells the instrument. He also plays in concerts back home and is in a quartet, four bands and an orchestra in Leipzig, Germany.
But Mr Schwabe says it's not all about the money in busking - that's just a perk.
"People say 'thank you' in a way that pays off itself," he says.
You can find Mr Schwabe playing next to the Phoenix carpark in downtown Mount Maunganui.
