12/12/2017: Surprising farewell from our 'Alexa'

Today is a big step for us. It is 173 km from Te Anau to Queenstown. Since I didn't feel like dealing with hostels before the Routeburn Track, this is at the top of the list after returning Eric's stinky backpack. I knew it wouldn't be easy to find something spontaneously during peak season, but I didn't imagine that I would end up calling 12 hostels. Well, two of them were available, but they were 50 km away from the actual destination, one of which had no kitchen and the other was too expensive. Just when we were about to give up hope, after almost an hour of research and phone calls, I made one last attempt and actually managed to snag a double room in Queenstown. Woo hoo!

In the late morning, we set off, covering a good amount of kilometers and arriving in the small town of Garston just in time for lunch. We both treat ourselves to a burger from a food truck. Yum!

About 50 km before Queenstown, we reach Lake Wakatipu and stop along the way for photos. Eventually, we turn right onto the road to Remarkables Ski Resort. We didn't come to ski, but the view of Queenstown, the mountains, and the milky blue Shotover River along the extremely winding (fortunately now paved) road at dizzying heights is well worth the detour. We don't go all the way to the top, instead turning around at about halfway.

As we head into the city, we find ourselves in slow-moving traffic due to bridge construction. The old bridge, which will be replaced in the near future, is indeed in adventurely poor condition and reminiscent of an Indiana Jones film.

Next, we make an involuntary but planned stop at our car rental company, Apex. Originally just to exchange the defective GPS, but now the small crack in the windshield has expanded into a U shape about 30 cm long. The employee tells us that we can't continue driving with it and asks us to fill up the tank and return the car. Done and done. Luckily, we filled up in Te Anau in the morning for 2.12 NZD, because in Queenstown, the fuel costs 7 cents more. Then it's back to the depot. Said employee brings a silver Toyota Corolla after a rather long search. When looking at the photos of the damage, we notice a sharp crack in the windshield. The employee consults a mechanic, and after a brief inspection, it is determined that this car isn't going anywhere (except to the workshop). The new GPS, which we had tested beforehand, also doesn't work and needs to be replaced again. Next, they try to foist a red Toyota Yaris on us, but Eric shakes his head at the small size of the trunk. Again, the employee disappears for minutes on end, apparently growing more desperate, only to return with a red Toyota Corolla. We immediately inspect the windshield, which has a small stone chip. The Apexer gets out and says right away, "I saw it, I'll have it checked." The mechanic gives his "OK" because the spot has been taped up and can't continue to crack, but during the paperwork, it becomes clear that the car (for whatever reason) has been classified in a higher class and the employee therefore can't let us take it. Finally, we end up with a dark gray Toyota Corolla (again, without parking assist), which has 147,600 km on the clock and which I quickly name Cory. After over an hour, we finally have a new means of transportation, including a working GPS, which the employee is visibly happy about. Last but not least, I bring up the issue of the GPS again, which we paid for but haven't been able to use so far. The employee checks my rental agreement and is surprised by the unusually low daily rate that I pay for the rental car and the GPS (2 NZD instead of 10 NZD). Maybe it's because this is already my third long-term rental with Apex. I paid 168 NZD for the GPS for almost three months, but I haven't been able to use it for 18 days. The Apex employee generously reimburses me 100 NZD and explains this by referring to the troubles we have had so far. When we finally leave the premises, not much of our afternoon is left.

After settling into our hostel (the dirtiest one so far, with a low comfort factor), we stroll through Queenstown's lively city center and have our dinner at the Asian restaurant in the shopping mall. We have dumplings.