On the way from Milford Sounds

On the way from Milford Sounds to Queenstown. For those familiar with the area: We have just left Te Anau behind and are now driving back on Route 94 to Kingston to stay there before Queenstown. I already know the route and it's straight, so I'll try writing while driving (which Helmut always does anyway, because on the left!). We have been freezing more here in spring-like Germany. Yesterday morning, for example, we had to scrape the van before we could start driving. That's where a BahnCard comes in handy!
We just spent two nights in the Fjordland at Milford Sounds. Everyone comes here to take a boat trip through one of the two accessible sounds. Well, there's also the option to casually paddle in a canoe for $350 a day. The Altenhofens, affected by the mass tourism in Chile, decided to skip this adventure with a thousand others and, as recommended by our new mountain friend Markus, went hiking in the mountains. I'll spare you the annoying part about the nasty little sandflies. (They're really sneaky, disguised as harmless fruit flies and not even announced by a loud buzzing like our mosquitoes. These abundant creatures bite anything that's not covered and cause nasty itchy spots!) Otherwise, it's really beautiful there. And if you stay away from the jetty and the landing strip (because you also have to fly over the area), you can find secluded, quiet spots. The first round was long and a little climbing, but was rewarded with a view of the fjord. The second led to a mountain lake, which lay there in the morning tranquility, accompanied only by bird chirping. I wish I could send you the video, it would be the perfect background for a relaxation CD.
Otherwise, I still feel like I'm on summer vacation. Well, the weather could be a little more predictable, always blue sky and sun, like it used to be. But other than that, New Zealand really is like one big national park. No matter where you go, it's beautiful! Whether on the south coast of the South Island on the long beaches, through the pastureland with a thousand sheep and farms, or in the mountains. Take all the beautiful things in Europe, I thought: the North Sea, the Mediterranean, the Alps, the fjords, okay, also the Swabian Alps, a bit of Scottish highlands,... and combine everything on 2 islands. Done! Very cleverly solved!
Okay, now I have to look outside again. Funny things always happen on the road here.