Author: Silke

Our night in the hostel was short. After a small breakfast Melina and I went to the bus station.Melina explored the Ben Lomond Horse Trek on horseback today. Directly on Moke Lake, a 20-minute drive from Queenstown is a riding stable where we had booked a ride over the internet. Super service, the guides picked us up by car in the city and brought us back. On a private guide tour, the sweet Appaloosa mare Alisha with Melina is 1.5 h up and down, ridden through rivers and valleys.

The weather was fantastic. (Lucky, because yesterday all rides had been cancelled due to bad weather). I went for a walk by the lake.

Back in Queenstown, we enjoyed a "Fergburger" deluxe and tofu, New Zealand's most popular burger restaurant. For this you had to queue about 30 min. But it also tasted great. We sat down in the harbour for a while and watched the jet boats before the men gave us up with the camper, who had been repaired in the meantime. Again "on the road" we drove the Haast Pass and overnight today at a campsite – the Haast Lodge & Motor Park.

Silke

Since our camper will not be repaired until Monday, we had to split up today. Reiner and Janik stayed in Te Anau and are waiting for the repair. You use the day for research, shopping etc. Te Anau is also a nice place, has only rained a bit! Since we have an appointment for tomorrow in Queenstown, Melina and I have already gone there with the 17:00 bus. We got two beds in six-bed rooms in a hostel. Unfortunately different rooms, but for one night it will probably go. At least there was nice weather here! We were eating pizza at "the London".

Silke

In the early morning we started to Milford Sound to get places for the 9:00 am cruise through the fjord landscape. On the ship there was a breakfast buffet, which we booked with us. The weather was rainy at first, but then cleared up a bit. There were an extremely large number of sand flies on land. Autan and the mosquito from Vietnam did not work. The Cruise was great. We drove out and back to the sea at high rock walls, rushing waterfalls, and a seal colony. The whole thing took about 1h45min.

Back on the road we made stops at The Chasm Waterfall and Mirror Lake. At the Homer tunnel we met again the funny, this time rather wet Kea parrots. And then came a bird out of the bushes, which looked like a kiwi bird.

But was none, but a wealyan. At 3:45 p.m. Then suddenly the "Red Lights" flashed in the dashboard. The van was difficult to drive to the side. The V-belt tensioner was broken. Wendekreisen, our landlord, has sent a breakdown service to us, which has towed us back to Te Anau about 30 km.

Must probably take half the car apart to repair it. Actually, we wanted to get to Queenstown today. Now we have to change our plans and stay in Te Anau.

Silke

This morning Janik jumped out of a plane at an altitude of 12,000 feet! The weather was great ?? ! He enjoyed it a lot! I had rather mixed feelings.

Then we started towards Milford Sound. We have seen beautiful waterfalls and panoramic views! Funny I found the cheeky parrots/keas in a parking lot in front of the Homer Tunnel! They flew on the car roofs and annoyed the Touris! In Milford Sound there was no possibility to camp! The only official campsite was totally overcrowded! So we had to drive the serpentines and tunnels back about 32 km back! We have landed on a sweet historical campsite! Gunn's Camp! On Lower Hollyford Road! There is even a museum with all sorts of things of the previous owners e.B saddles and washing bags and found objects from the tunnel construction as well as guest books from 1950 and hunting trophies. The shower water is heated in the wood-burning oven!

Silke

Today we moved to the village of Wanaka on a larger camping ground. We did a bit of research and went swimming in the lake. The lake is large, with beautiful waves and fresh water!

We ate salad. In the evening I regained the overall tour in the Carcassonne. Gaukler 131, Silke 117, Janik 114, Melina 104, Reiner56.

Silke

Because of the sand flies we had breakfast in the camper this morning. Then we went to Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park. We walked the Hooker Valley Trail, which leads in about 3h to Hooker Lake, from where you have a great view of Mount Cook ( 3724 m ). Since it was very rainy, we unfortunately did not have them. The hiking trail is very well developed, and leads over several suspension bridges. On the slopes you can see the ice melting. The glacial streams become ripping streams. Beautiful flowers grow on the meadows. In good weather certainly dreamlike.

In any case, we got really wet. On the way back I found a portmonaie in the toilet. We handed this over at the Visitor Center.

Back on the road and in the sunshine we discovered Lindis Pass, a lookout point at the roadside, where you could hike a good bit steeply. We had a phenomenal view.

Arriving in Wanaka tonight we are again on a DOC camping ground on the main road. We were shopping for a short time and tonight there were wraps with beans.

Silke

We had a very nice first day in 2019. Today, nature has completely inspired us. Every few kilometers there was a new great photo motif. The water shining blue and turquoise, the flowers at the side of the road purple, pink and pink, the mountain peaks in the distance,… .

At noon we started in Christchurch after we slept and had breakfast. Weatherwise, everything was right again today. Beautiful sunshine, slightly windy, at about 23 degrees. Just right for travel.

We have a fantastic place above Lake Pukaki. Today there was spaghetti with tomato sauce for dinner, with either feta cheese or tuna. Overlooking the lake and a wonderful sunset at 21:24. After that I lost again at the Carcassonne. Janik 130 points, Reiner 107 points, Melina 105 points and I 99 points. Reiner has taken the lead in the ranking.

Silke

Happy New Year 2019 !!!

In beautiful sunshine in Amberley we went swimming in the sea before breakfast. The way to Christchurch led briefly past a shopping center.At the campsite in Christchurch we grilled deliciously. I tinted my hair. Melina brought me my coloration and Janik has already compared my hair color to a lucky cat.In the evening it started to rain, so that we all walked through the streets with hoods. We are by bus to Hagley Park. There were still a bunch of Germans and a Swiss on the bus. The bus driver drove an extra lap first and passed our stop again.After the disembarking we walked about 45 min and then did not come to a bar, because one girl of the other Germans was only 17. So we're right in the park. There was a great stage with live band. A few stalls with fries and sweetstuff sands and soft drinks (no alcohol!). The band played until 0:00 a.m. and announced the countdown. Then there was a nice fireworks display.

After that, everyone had to leave the park quickly. We walked in the rain to the campsite. All shops and petrol stations on our "home" which were still open did not sell beer or wine.

So we experienced a rather short, wet and sober but funny New Year's Eve in New Zealand.

We wish you all a happy and healthy New Year 2019!

Silke