23.12.2017: Mountains, the Blue Lagoon, and turquoise rivers

Before leaving Fox Village and heading north, we visit the Peak View Lookout with views of the New Zealand Alps, including Mount Cook. We manage to finish our photo session just in time as a large bus pulls into the parking lot and floods the viewpoint with hordes of tourists. Time to get out of here! Along the way, we find even better views and even see three skydivers gliding to the ground with parachutes.

Time to say goodbye to Glacierland. On our way to Okarito, we make a quick stop at Lake Mapourika for stone skipping. Eric's impressive throw impresses a group of Asians who immediately try their luck as well.

The charming coastal town of Okarito is located 10 km from the highway. Only a few bother to take the small detour, so it is wonderfully quiet here even on a sunny day like today in the high season. Since we still have quite a distance to cover and a few stops ahead, we decide to go for a 4.2 km walk (roundtrip). As always, when we leave our hiking poles in the car, the path turns out to be steep, causing any conversation to fade in the summer heat after a few minutes. How far can 2.1 km uphill be... The view compensates, as it often does, for the effort. Although the mountains are shrouded in clouds, the view of the lagoon is great. Afterwards, we visit Okarito Beach, where there are dozens of pebbles to snap, before we have to say goodbye to this relaxed place. Also, our stomachs are growling, and except for a café that only sells cookies, there is unfortunately nothing here for hungry mouths.

We pass Lake Wahapo, gobble up two burgers for lunch at a café in Whataroa, where we treat ourselves to a Hokey Pokey ice cream for dessert, and our journey continues.

The turquoise Whataroa River prompts us to make another brief stop at a small bay directly on the highway. The view is too beautiful to just register it briefly as we drive by.

The giant sandfly at the Bushmans Center in Pukekura, also located right on the highway, is next on my list. But the property is closed and up for sale, and the sandfly is gone. We take a peek inside through the window. The store is still neatly set up, the postcard display is well-stocked, and even on the website, I didn't read anything about the closure during my visit yesterday. It can't have been long since it closed, especially since the last Google review was given just a month ago. Too bad - another unchecked item on the sightseeing list.

The day is already quite advanced, but we must not miss the Hokitika Gorge. It is a real eye-catcher! Unfortunately, many others know that too, so we have to share it with numerous other visitors - on one hand, camera-wielding tourists and swimmers, and on the other hand (to our dismay) sandflies. The insect repellent with DEET is of course securely stowed away in the car. The turquoise color of the water is almost unnatural, and if the sandflies didn't attack our unprotected bare skin like vampires, we would have surely stayed a little longer and enjoyed the colorful sight.

We reach our hostel in Hokitika around 6:00 PM, where I stayed in 2013. We initially booked only one night and decided today spontaneously to spend Christmas here. However, the double room is already booked for tomorrow and Eric categorically refuses the eight-bed room, so I spend the evening searching for alternatives - unfortunately with little success. Due to lack of desire and the late hour, I postpone the accommodation problem until tomorrow morning and hope for a little Christmas miracle.