30th October - Heading towards Milford Sound

This morning we will continue driving. It is about 400 km from here to Milford Sound. It is 100 km as the crow flies! We set off in very humble weather. The first photo was just taken, 8 am local time. You wouldn't want to stay there...

We are now in Te Anau. It is still over 100 km away from Milford Sound. But this last stretch is described as particularly difficult and at the same time beautiful. It is therefore recommended to stop here and continue with a booked tour. So we checked in at a motel again, this time for three nights. By the way, there are almost only motels in this place Te Anau. Some of them are also in a wonderful location right on the lake. Ours is rather simple, but clean and about a kilometer away from the center.

It has been pouring rain throughout the trip here. Nevertheless, we did stop and take photos.

The route went through a wide area that reminded me of a Swiss mountain or even high mountain valley. Except for the very different vegetation. There was a lavender farm, olive groves and vineyards with wineries that indicated that New Zealand winemakers are probably among the wealthier ones in the country. In the vineyards, there were occasionally masts with three or four-arm propellers. This means that they are still dealing with frost during the important vegetation period here. What is regulated by helicopters at home, these propellers in the vineyards do here: they swirl the warm air in the higher layers down to combat the frost in the lower layers.

But unfortunately, there are no photos of all this, it was raining.

Another experience with road construction sites, of which we have already passed quite a few here: If only one lane is available, the traffic is not regulated by a traffic light. There is a person with a sign at each end. One side is red and carries the inscription 'STOP', the other is green and says 'Go'. The two are in contact via walkie-talkies. So the traffic is regulated by two people, who thereby have a job. In addition, they always greet every driver, really every one, with a friendly wave or the victory sign.

Driving here is generally very relaxed, without any aggression. At single-lane bridges, everyone always thanks each other with a brief hand signal, regardless of whether they had the right of way or not. Unthinkable in Germany.

Now we are curious about tomorrow and hope that we will have such good weather that we can at least experience part of the magnificent nature that can be seen in the many photos of Milford Sound.