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Today we went to Akaroa after a nice breakfast. There was a short tank and shopping top in Christchurch.

A beautiful summer day. In the Akaroa bay we went swimming in the sea. Janik and Reiner made Salto from the bathing island, Melina and I tested the swimming noodle.

We sleep on a campervan square right next to the harbour. There was spaghetti with cheese and tomato sauce and colorful salad. Today Melina won at the Carcassonne.

Silke

At our DOC campsite – Goldsborough Campsite, there were tame Wekas. They walked between the tents and campers in the early morning and ate bread crumbs out of their hands. After a "Poor Knight" breakfast we started a nice hike through the gold digging area. A few people have actually been looking for gold! The "German Gully Pack Track" and Goff's Track pass a riverbed, through a jungle forest, a mountain and some old gold mines.

After that we drove a few hours towards Timaru. On the way we drank coffee in a whimsical hotel at the train station in Otira. There, Gollum sat on the roof. There were groomed animals, old machines, a high wheel, artfully painted toilet bowls, and much more to marvel at.

Back on the coast we quickly fried something for dinner and then watched the local little blue penguins go. Unfortunately, very few couples breed here on the beach this summer. We could see a penguin coming in and a young penguin came to the barrier rope. I was horrified at how little respect some people have for the needs of small wildlife. There were two guides (nice older ladies) who pay attention to the animals and ask people to be quiet, keep their distance and take pictures without flashing, but some don't care at all. The little penguin has hurt us quite a bit. Perhaps it would be better if even more large-scale closures were to be made. Our current campsite is again a Top 10 Holiday Park.

Silke

In super summer weather we explored today the beautiful west coast of the South Island. After our night on the Haast River we drove towards the glacier along the coastal Highway 6. The Tasmanian Sea also offers wonderful viewpoints and great beaches. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to bathe. Our first track took us up to 450 m to the Fox Glacier. You can look at the ice, waterfalls and an ice cave from an elevated vantage point.

Our second track (20 km = about 1 h from the Fox) was the Franz Josef Glacier Walk and led to the spectacular viewpoint of this glacier of the same name. You can only get into the ice by helicopter, because the eternal ice unfortunately breaks due to climate change and the way on foot would be too dangerous. The helicopter buzz erupts a bit while hiking. Every day the glacier melts by 1.5 m to 7 m. Signs indicate the former limits of the ice with annual data, which have frightening dimensions.

Dinner we had with a view of the Tasman Sea at sunset in Hokitika. Our current campground is not far away in a forest.

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