Christmas, New Year's Eve, and our breakup

Well, that didn't work out with the previous blog post. So here's another longer one (although not much has happened). After our little trip to Mount Cook, we unfortunately had bad weather quite often, but that didn't stop us from taking a little walk on the beach. Since we wanted to see the famous yellow-eyed penguins, our first stop was the Otago Peninsula, supposedly one of the best spots to see the nests and penguins... Well, we saw seals again, but unfortunately no penguins.

After that, we continued to Dunedin. A very beautiful city, its name ('Little Edinburgh') already hints at the architecture: Scottish. Many pubs and restaurants and so far the best clothes sales here! The next day, we visited a very nice farmers market with lots of delicious treats and fresh fruit. After that, we strolled around the city a bit and then drove to a freedom spot, to the Monkey Islands. A very beautiful long beach with broken and very interesting sandstone formations.

Afterwards, we continued to Manapouri, but unfortunately there wasn't much to see there as a lot was flooded. The next day, we did some shopping and refueling because now it was time for two days off civilization. Our next stop was Milford Sound! We made a stop at a campground because the road there is quite long and the weather was very bad (11 degrees and rain). But the next day, we were lucky with the weather and Milford Sound has a beautiful mountain backdrop that reminded me of a scene from Lord of the Rings. Kim went on a boat tour. I discovered during the last two boat tours that I unfortunately get a bit seasick, so I decided to skip it this time and instead hiked to two very beautiful lookout spots. And because the weather was so good, I was able to wear shorts and my new beloved Nikes again (that's how the Kiwis do it). Since it was still early in the day, we also went for a little hike up to Key Summit, which is very close to Milford Sound. Up there, it honestly looks like someone dropped you right in the middle of the LOTR movie set! Fangorn, the Dead Marshes, and the area where Faramir lives (I can't remember the exact name right now... East Gilliath?). Breathtaking... and the mountains were beautiful as well.

The next day, we drove towards Alexandra. There was a small reservoir nearby where we did another little hike (Flat Top Hills Reserve). The next morning, we continued towards Cromwell, where there was a very cute little market right in the old town. A bit further at a winery, I did a little wine tasting (for only $5!) and after the events of the day got a bit hectic (Kim decided to fly back home earlier), I spontaneously did a bungee jump... I don't think I'll do that again :D

The next day, we made a quick detour to Queenstown, which was the most crowded city so far. We also grabbed a bite to eat there. The next morning, we briefly visited Wanaka because we couldn't check into our motel until 2 pm... because it was Christmas (although it felt like a normal day)! We went shopping and had a small but fine Christmas dinner.

The next day, I drove Kim to the bus and honestly didn't do much afterwards, as one does on a holiday. The family who owns the motel invited me to their Christmas lunch, but I only joined later for a few drinks. I spent the next few days mostly with the family, as they took me everywhere and invited me. Such nice and funny people! I got a very good insight into Christmas traditions and the general Kiwi family life, it was unique. I was also able to stay there for an extra day and park my camper there, so I could sleep in it. The next two days, I spent in and around Alexandra and Cromwell, because after that, I continued my journey up the West Coast. I'm curious to see what will happen until then.

Happy New Year to all of you! I don't have any specific resolutions for the new year, but I have some advice for everyone reading this: if you ever get the chance to travel to this country, don't hesitate and do it! New Zealand is a unique country that has something to offer for every budget and every type of vacation. The people are incredibly open-minded and friendly, and I felt safe and welcome here from day one.

That's the New Year's message, until the next entry.