Out of nowhere we drive into a snowy mountain environment. Lake Tekapo is our end point for the day when dusk falls.
Lake Tekapo’s turquoise waters.
Well prepared as we are we find out the whole town’s accommodation is completely booked out. This is one of those moments that I know from experience will take much effort, moments of despair, stress, and then relief will come as eventually I will find something unexpected, and somehow have a bed.
But as we keep on ringing every B&B and hotel in town, I slowly come to terms that it might be a car-sleep-in for tonight. Ward, however, rather drives 100km further to try our luck in the next town; ‘No way!’ this world traveler is sleeping in a car (sigh…).
But phew! An angel intervenes and a clash between the egos is avoided, somebody knows somebody who knows somebody else who has a room that they are willing to rent out. Hurrah! We’re saved and sleep in a fantastic house at a lovely elderly couple including extraordinary mountain views (for a sheer 150$ I might add, besides being lovely they also excelled in commercial dealings grrmbl).
No it’s not a painting; it’s the view from my unexpected bedroom window
My intentions are for this area to take a scenic flight over the highest mountain tops NZ has to offer. Unluckily the next day is too windy for all the flight operators, instead we climb Mount John and meet a few of NZ’s famous inhabitants.
*Sweet as, bro* thinks the sheep
Mt. Cook and his buddies seen after a 2 hour climb.
At mt Cook the weather is better and I get my desired helicopter flight. The views are exhilarating.
Helicopter view over Mt Cook and Franz Jozeph glacier.
A glacier landing at 2500m, and its freakin’ cold in shorts I can assure you
But it’s not only flying around and utter luxury, even the rich and the famous hike around. We go on a 4 hour track along Hooker River towards Hooker’s glacier (guess whose choice that is).
Ward looking out for Hooker’s glacier.
Enough of these mountains, we are living at 31 December that means we have some serious drinking to do tonight in Queenstown, a 4 hour drive away.
And what a drive it is.Road shot 1
Road shot 2
After a long drive it’s a long….. long night.
Happy New Year!
And after a long long night, a long long... long hangover follows. Is it just me or does it get worse the older you get? It feels like a sponge has been thrown in my bowl of happy juice, I’m drained of all my appetite to do anything really.
It takes a while before the evil sponge is squeezed out again and the happy juice is back above sea level. We have learned that we both seem to enjoy the mountain bike adventures and we seem even above average good at it. So we join a guided bike trip through Skipper Canyon. Wow! A must for all of you visiting Queenstown, this is great biking at fantastic speed. Brought by jeep to the mountain top, and off you go. Jeehaaa!
Part of Skipper Canyon biking trail seen from above
Going steady
Gaaaaaf man
Who visits NZ may not leave without seeing the Milford or Doubtful Sounds. We choose for the latter in a over crowded touristy cruise, nuf said.
Rainbow over the Doubtful Sounds
I find this of all adrenaline things we have done the hardest one to do. It goes against all instincts to jump off that bridge. But what has to be done, has to be done.
The 50m Kawarau bridge over a river gorge.
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s me falling like a stone.
And that jump finishes the NZ chapter. Ward is heading back to winter in Amsterdam and the main character of this blog is moving on to the Philippines for the last episode of this trip.
