Something is always going on...

Hello everyone,

I'm back again. Sorry for not getting in touch last night, but you know how it is. Sometimes in the evening, you just don't feel like doing anything. That's how I felt yesterday.

The day started well, and the cold that has been bothering me since the beginning of this week is getting better. However, I wanted to have a quiet day at home since the weather was not looking particularly good. You can imagine my surprise when I left my room and saw a bright blue sky. So much for my quiet day. After my morning cleaning, I briefly spoke with Penny, who recommended me to go to Lake Ohau because it is supposed to be beautiful there.

As it goes when you're expecting a quiet day and then decide to do something nice, the day turns out great. Well, at least most of the time...

After a 20-minute drive, I arrived at the lake, and I have to admit: Penny wasn't exaggerating, the scenery was really beautiful. However, there isn't much to do at this lake. A small sleepy town that I drove through in 5 minutes, as well as a hotel with a terrace that probably has a nice view. There is also a ski resort that can be reached from there, but I didn't go up there either. Instead, I drove along one of the gravel roads that are so common here, to a campground where I had my lunch break. On the way there, a very woolly flock of sheep crossed my path. The view was really nice. Then I wanted to take a walk along the lake, but after a few meters, my path was blocked by a fence. There was an open gate, but I decided to walk back to the car. On my way, I saw a sign for a hiking trail. My path led me to this trail, where I decided to put on my hiking gear and go for a hike. The first 600m of the trail were uphill. Then I came across another hiking and biking trail that wound along the mountain and apparently has a lookout point 7km away. However, I quickly decided not to walk that far because I had to come back, and since it was already 2 PM, I didn't have much daylight left. So I just started walking with the goal of at least taking a one-hour walk because fresh air and exercise are good for a cold, as they say. After a good hour, I arrived at a river and decided to turn around there. I had already reached my self-set goal anyway. I probably don't need to mention again that the view during this walk was great. The view of the lake, framed by the snow-capped mountains, made me stop and take photos on the way there and back.

After a good two hours and a little over 5 km of walking, I reached my car again. Although it was such a beautiful sunny day, I didn't encounter a single soul during this time. At the car, I decided to slowly drive back home and stop somewhere to take sunset photos. So I did. I stopped at a nice spot on the road back to the highway, enjoyed the view, listened to an audio play, and waited for the sunset. After about 20 minutes, I got out of the car for the first time and realized that my lights were still on. Oops. Well. It was getting cold, but I stayed in the car to wait for the sunset. In between, I got out of the car from time to time to take some photos in the changing light conditions. And then the moment came, the sun disappeared. However, the expected color effects did not materialize. Damn. Well, back to the car and back home. But no chance. Some might have guessed it already. The 20 minutes of leaving the lights on without the engine running didn't do my battery any good, and my car didn't start anymore. Oh man. I was so mad at myself. Fortunately, Mom and I joined the New Zealand AA at the beginning of this whole adventure. So I called them directly and explained my problem. The friendly lady said it would take between 15 and 60 minutes, but they weren't very busy at the moment. That gave me hope that someone would be able to help me soon because it was getting colder and colder in the car. After over 30 minutes, the gentleman called to ask what exactly was wrong with my car, and he would now come over. Ahhhhh. Well, as it goes, he arrived after 60 minutes and started my car for me. Of course, I first turned my heater on full blast, and slowly we made our way home. Slowly, so that my battery could recharge as best as possible. Because I should drive for at least 30 minutes. Exactly what you want to do in a moment like this when you're already completely frozen and just want to go home.

But I made it. I drove to the campground in a little over 30 minutes and went straight to my room and stood in front of my little electric heater. As a special exception, I also ate in the room because it was just too cold to be in the other rooms. After that, I went straight to bed. That's why I'm writing to you today.

Despite the unpleasant ending, I had a beautiful day, and my cold didn't get much worse, but it didn't do it any good either, which is why I'm spending a quiet and relaxed day in bed today. However, I will soon gather the energy to go shopping and go to Lake Tekapo again to visit the Mt. John Observatory and enjoy the view from this observatory and hopefully take some beautiful sunset photos today. This time, I will definitely check if my lights are off.

I wish you all a nice day.

See you soon,

Jessi