8.12.2017: Experience fireflies up close

We made the right choice with our excursion to Milford Sound yesterday, because today the sky looks exactly as I expect it in Fjordland - cloudy, but at least it is not raining.

We start our day with a boat tour on Lake Te Anau (which is almost black today), included in the glowworm cave tour. Fortunately, the boat is quite big, otherwise the waves would have been more noticeable and my seasickness might have been a problem. There are also two babies and many children on board. Since glowworms only glow in silence, we join a group consisting exclusively of adults. We are the first ones and are allowed to enter the cave (crouched down, because the entrance is low) - unfortunately, photos are not allowed. It is only a short walk on a narrow bridge past crystal clear pools of water to a mini boat dock. From here, we go into complete darkness with a small boat until thousands of glowworms appear above and beside us like a Milky Way. A fantastic sight - although it cannot compete with the famous glowworm caves in Waitomo, but at least with the freely accessible Waipu Caves, which I visited last year. We dock again much too quickly and the next group gets on board. On the way back through the cave, we pass a waterfall whose thunder echoes loudly from the walls. Back in daylight, we are treated to a hot drink and learn about the lifecycle of the glowworms before we return to the boat.

Arriving in Te Anau, it is time for lunch, so we go to a snack bar and order a deep-fried hot dog on a skewer and a burger. Then we stroll through the city center and Eric buys a hiking stick at an outdoor store.

In the evening, we pick up the requested backpack for him from the rental station. The lady is obviously stressed because the store is full of people and lets Eric choose from three copies without checking the fit herself. She forgot that we have already paid for it, and she charged too little for the additionally rented dishes (pot, bowls, cups). The backpack is actually too big for Eric (75+10 liters, mine has 45+10 liters) and unfortunately, it was not cleaned either. We could have accepted the crumbs and empty Snickers wrappers, but not the sweat smell of the previous temporary owners. But we don't have an alternative - he will have to endure it. We make our breakfast sandwiches, prepare lunch for the next day, and pack the backpacks. Although Eric has similar equipment to me, his backpack is much heavier than mine.

We go to bed a little earlier than usual and try to really appreciate the last night in the warm hostel room on a comfortable mattress.