Dunedin, Te Anau and the Fjordland

Our journey for four starts with a drive to Dunedin. Sitting in a car with people we already know is a completely new experience after hitchhiking. On the way, we stop at a penguin and seal spot, but only a few sleepy seals can be seen, the penguins are probably still on vacation.

Our Airbnb in Dunedin is quite remote, but we have a nice view of the Peninsula.

We stroll through the city center, visit a few shops, and enjoy a delicious meal. We like the Scottish influence in the cityscape, it looks different here again.

We dedicate our second day to an extensive sightseeing tour. First, we walk up to a historic family estate, where a charming older tour guide takes us through the rooms with original furnishings and interior design. We enjoy the warm sunshine in the British-looking garden before heading back to the city center.

Here, there is a beautiful historic train station building, the university (only half historic), and many seagulls that are always waiting for crumbs to fall somewhere. In the afternoon, we discover a small café with delicious ginger and chocolate brownies and extremely good coffee.

We let the city pass us by and stroll from one alley to the next...

After Christchurch and Dunedin, it's time for nature! This fits perfectly because our next destination is Te Anau, a small town surrounded by mountains and lakes, not far from the famous Milford Sounds, the Fjordland.

We settle into our small apartment near the lake, which is luxurious for us after poorly equipped hostels and cold Airbnbs, even though it is located in the middle of a campsite. We immediately use the kitchen to prepare a feast for everyone, along with a glass of wine from Marlborough.

But now it's finally time for hiking again, so out of bed and into the brand-new or well-worn hiking boots. Today, the Kepler Track is on the agenda. We wind our way up the narrow path through dense, mossy forest, everything here seems enchanted. We hike until the fairy-tale forest opens up to a vast (foggy) valley. We don't even have to take care of our physical well-being ourselves because a friendly tour guide we meet along the way seems to have too much provisions and gives us delicious muffins, sandwiches, and granola bars. Such a nice bunch of people here!

At the top of the mountain, we continue walking to the viewpoint, which we can actually only recognize by the sign that says 'dramatic landscape'. Behind the sign, we see a dense wall of fog. We think that is also very dramatic. But not a big deal, the Kepler Track had some very beautiful panoramas and landscapes for us even with the meager weather. Highly recommended!

The next morning, we head to Milford Sounds because we also want to explore the Fjordland, this time by water. The 'Maiden of Milford' is waiting for us, a little boat with a sun deck. Will we see the sun today? Yes! We are very lucky with the weather and set off on the winding road. In between, we make a stop at the 'Mirror Lake', which unfortunately does not live up to its name today due to the wind. Still, it's a beautiful landscape!

In Milford Sounds, we are greeted by bright sunshine. We have a meal at the café next to the boat pier, and then we board the 'Maiden of Milford'. From the sun deck, we have a great view of the fjord and its inhabitants, including numerous seagulls and seals. In the distance, on the Tasman Sea, we spot a cruise ship that makes our maiden look like a nutshell. During the ride, the boat captain's catchy comments can be heard repeatedly as he casually sits behind the steering wheel and is certainly not older than us.

Back on solid ground, we board our four-wheeled vehicle again and make our way back to Te Anau. Here too, we make several stops because the picturesque landscape simply does not allow us to just drive past it. Along the way, we get to know some cheeky birds, the Keas. The curious parrots inspect us and our car closely and examine the car roof for any detachable or possibly edible parts. After mutual scrutiny, we continue the return journey and return to our apartment, where Sebastian and Lisa take over the cooking.