13/06/2018 - The last days on the South Island

The night at the free parking lot, in close proximity to the highway, was loud. In addition to the traffic noise, which was sometimes louder and sometimes quieter, there were apparently reasons for the motorists to honk every now and then. But that's not the only reason we were awakened from sleep. The cows on the neighboring pasture screamed loudly several times. We don't know the exact reasons, but the next morning we saw a little calf that wasn't there yesterday. Was it born last night!?
After having breakfast in the car, we planned to brush our teeth at the outdoor sink. This turned out to be more complicated than expected. The wind was blowing so strong early in the morning that the water jet didn't even reach the drain but hit the wall behind it. Shortly after that, the weather deteriorated and it started raining, so we sought refuge in the library in "Picton". After a new blog was online, we went to a paid campground to wash our dishes from the previous day.

The weather did not improve on the following day either. Although the winds gradually subsided, it rained continuously for 24 hours. On days like these, you are on the verge of despair. Because life in the car is not easy on rainy days - everything is, becomes, and stays wet. Even the locals had their problems - the persistent rain clearly annoyed them.
We used the time in the library to plan our upcoming stay in the New Zealand capital "Wellington".

The day finally brought the hoped-for break from the rain. So, we took everything out of the car, shook out the bed, spread out towels, stored food/cooking utensils, folded clothes, and tidied up; it felt so good!
After uploading a blog to the library for the third day in a row, we were in the process of packing our things. Unaware, an older man - speaking in German - approached us asking if we could help him with a small smartphone problem. The assistance turned into a long, exciting, and interesting conversation. Herbert is originally from Lübeck and emigrated to New Zealand 30 years ago. He had lived and worked in Wellington for a long time before moving to Picton a few years ago. He is now enjoying his retirement here and occasionally leads German tourist groups through New Zealand - for example, by sailboat. As a result, he has acquired a tremendous knowledge of the country, the culture, and especially the Maori. The latter is of particular interest to him. He is pleased that the indigenous people are now being recognized and included in politics!
We exchanged many stories and personal highlights of our journey so far - Herbert has also seen and experienced a lot. Before we parted ways, he invited us to stay in his driveway. We appreciated this offer but politely declined, as we will be taking an early ferry to the North Island tomorrow and didn't want to inconvenience him. After the two-hour, inspiring conversation, we left Herbert and Picton behind and returned to the free campground.