Day 32 - Bus ride over the Haast Pass

The day started very early again, as the bus departed at 07:30 and I still had to cycle about 6 kilometers to get there. Fortunately, this time the bike also fit well on the bus. The bus driver was extremely friendly. One thing that I generally notice about bus drivers are the many, sometimes incomprehensible breaks. Every 45 minutes, they stop at some cafe or restaurant. That's why it took us around 6 hours. The positive thing is that the buses also make stops at sights. Here we passed a 42-meter-high waterfall, an impressive natural spectacle. I thought for a long time whether I wanted to continue from Wanaka, as it was only 2:00 p.m. But I'm not in a rush and Wanaka is beautifully situated at the end of Lake Wanaka with an impressive alpine panorama! Unfortunately, it is overcrowded with tourists, especially from the Asian area. On the way to the campsite, I got into a conversation with a young Japanese guy. He said that the travel guides and providers of package tours actively promote the region, which is why there are so many tourists. When I arrived at the campsite, I set up my tent and discovered a touring bike behind a hedge. I thought I had seen the bike before. So I went over to chat with the other cyclists. Suddenly, Bryan and Paula emerged from behind the hedge. What a funny coincidence that we meet again on a campsite after 8 days and around 450 kilometers. I cycled the Great Taste Trail with them for 1.5 days (see 'Day 23'). We had dinner together and decided to ride together for the next few days. Tomorrow we are heading towards Cromwell and then to the 'Otago Central Rail Trail', the first railway line in New Zealand that has now been converted into a cycling path.