On your marks, campers, GO!

After the jet lag kicked us out of bed early on the second day in New Zealand, the adventure in New Zealand really begins today.

Since we don't want to live beyond our means on the first day, we take the bus to the camper rental. It quickly becomes clear: New Zealanders are not only laid-back and friendly, but also very helpful. Especially when it comes to correctly pronouncing the street names. They are often derived from the Maori language and are almost unpronounceable for Europeans (not just Germans!).

After an uncomplicated and short visit to the Jucy office (our car rental company), we are now proud renters of a campervan. Small for camper standards, but equipped with everything you need for a vacation in New Zealand (AND: with a DVD player).

Driving on the left side of the road is no problem for us, just like the weather, which is pretty nice compared to Germany. With temperatures of more than 20 degrees, our first stage leads us to Lake Tekapo, which is located inland. But before we can admire the incredibly blue water of the lake, we make a stop in the town of Geraldine. After a delicious coffee and a very relaxed and nice meeting with Sonja (Claudia's daughter), we continue to Tekapo. The first sight of the lake reminds us once again: vacation!! :) Clear blue water and the surrounding mountains make the lake the first absolute highlight of the trip. We have already picked out a campsite beforehand. It is only a few kilometers from Lake Tekapo, next to a small lake. Even more importantly, it is outside the range of tour buses. Equipped with only a simple toilet house and a sink, the campsite is also a good choice in terms of price. This factor may have also convinced the other tourists/Germans to choose this place for the night. But it gets really spooky when the Germans are from Brühl/Bonn, you know them, and suddenly they are standing next to you. Since we unfortunately couldn't get Kölsch to toast in all of Tekapo, we had to settle for a New Zealand beer.