There we sat at the airport in Christchurch, being treated like two criminals. Bibi and I were taken to separate interview rooms and questioned about our origin and our plans in New Zealand. After a total of two hours of trembling and worrying about our fate, we received the relieving news. We were allowed to reenter. We took a two-hour nap and then completed the final preparations for our upcoming tour of the South Island with my brother Karli and his girlfriend Lisa. In the evening, I finally saw them again after six months. Karli and Lisa arrived in Christchurch by Intercity bus. I noticed the insane grin on Karli's face as soon as he got off the bus. I won't forget that quickly. We hugged each other and shed a tear or two of joy.
Immediately after our arrival, we started right away. The suitcases were carefully loaded into the car and we headed west, where we enjoyed a snack in the dark at freezing temperatures. After a rather cold night, we wanted to drive to the west the next morning via Arthur's Pass. Unfortunately, the only gas station in the area was out of fuel for the day. That was a nasty joke. After a short hike, we went from house to house asking for gasoline. No one could help us. A family from Christchurch who was traveling by boat noticed us and came to our rescue. They separated the hose and siphoned gas into our water jug.
We were relieved and continued our journey. We ended the day with a campfire and spaghetti. The next day, we raced through Hokitika and continued to Franz Josef Glacier, where we hiked through a stony mountain range with waterfalls and reached the famous Franz Josef Glacier.Right next to the glacier, we checked into a campsite and grilled Chilean hotdogs with tomato, corn, and sweet chili sauce. Man, that was delicious. After a freezing night, we warmed up the next morning with Karl's homemade pancakes. That was a breakfast. We drove along the west coast and made a short stop at Lake Matherson. A short trail led to an indescribable mirrored lake.The weather that day was perfect. We enjoyed a fantastic view of the snow-covered Fox Glacier while sipping coffee. We had to make a fairly long drive that day because we wanted to climb Roy's Peak in Wanaka the next day. And so we did. After a cool night at a remote campsite, we jumped out of bed early in the morning. Despite thorough planning, we still started our day hike somewhat unprepared. The three-hour steep ascent made us sweat a lot. After a few breaks, we finally reached our destination. It should be mentioned honestly that we skipped the last one-hour climb to the summit. Nevertheless, the ascent was worth it. We were blown away by the stunning 180-degree view. The landscape looked like it was drawn. The contours of the mountains were gigantic.As tough as the ascent was, so was the descent. It put a strain on our knees. Totally exhausted, we reached the valley again and continued our tour to the popular Wanaka Tree. Tourists crowded around the indescribable tree in the middle of the lake. A pianist provided a good atmosphere with his mobile piano.The next day, we headed to Queenstown, where we treated ourselves to the famous Fergburger. There were crowds of people in front of the restaurant and we even waited an hour. We also bought some souvenirs, strolled through the beautiful city, and then headed to a campsite that was already on the way to Milford Sound. It took a total of 4 hours from Queenstown to the famous fjordland. That was a long journey. The next day, we took the ferry that led through the breathtaking fjord. I had never seen anything like it in my life. The fjord was formed by the movements of the glaciers during the ice ages and is surrounded by huge rock walls.The highest peak is Mitre Peak with 1692 meters. Gigantic waterfalls shoot down the rock walls into the sea.Seals are rolling on the boulders and dolphins frolic in the water. It was a wonderful day. We gladly took the 4-hour return trip. We spent the night at an old train station, marked as a free campsite, and enjoyed a good coffee in a bakery next to the station the next day. That day, we drove to Dunedin, the second-largest city on the South Island, located on the east coast. Of course, we visited the steepest residential street in the world. Steps replaced the steep sidewalk. As expected, we encountered a bunch of Asians there, taking pictures of every detail of the magnificent street. We ended the evening with delicious spring rolls. The next day, we visited the famous Tunnel Beach. A 10-minute walk led to the beach. Gigantic masses of water shot through a huge rock wall and splashed up the walls with great force.We first thought that was the tunnel. But no. What awaited us then really amazed us. A small 20-meter long tunnel led from the huge rock to a hidden beach below. It was incredible. We once again wondered how nature created these wonders. We drove north along the east coast. Our next attraction was Paua Shell Beach. It was a true Paua Shell paradise. You didn't have to search for long. The unique shells could be found everywhere. While searching for the most beautiful shells, we had to face a few "obstacles". Sea lions and seals were sunbathing in the reddish-brown sand.The beach was closed at three o'clock in the afternoon because the penguins were supposed to come ashore to feed their babies. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see the famous yellow-eyed penguins. After our successful Paua Shell loot, we headed to a secret tip recommended by our great "Campermate" app. And it was really amazing. At dusk, dozens of little blue penguins waddled out of the sea, crossed the underpass, and then disappeared into a tin building. They spend the night there. If you were quiet and careful, you could observe the little penguins wonderfully. They were so cute 😊. After a cool night at a "surprisingly" free campsite, we took it easy the next day.Because we simply didn't feel like doing anything, we spent the whole day at the campsite, playing UNO and telling stories. We cooked delicious spaghetti carbonara and went to bed early. The next day, my brother and his girlfriend left. It was strange because we wouldn't see each other again for another half year. At the airport, we hugged each other once more and shed a tear or two of farewell. Now Bibi and I were on our own again. I'll tell you what we're up to next in my next blog, which won't take as long as this one :P PROMISED!!! See you soon!
