05/06/2018 - Membership renewal

Even though New Zealand is not as bureaucratic as Germany, paperwork cannot be avoided at the other side of the world, for example for insurance. - Our membership at AA (New Zealand's ADAC) expired at the end of May. Tourists only get a stripped-down, six-month version. But since an online extension was not possible and the next branch was in "Blenheim", we were forced to drive there without this coverage.

From "Kaikoura", we went for one night to "Marfells Beach". Throughout the entire trip, we were accompanied by heavy rain showers. The beach, however, welcomed us with sunshine and a rainbow. - Unbelievable? But these are typical weather changes in New Zealand. ;)
We set up our overnight accommodation and paid the overnight fee. Meanwhile, we spotted the next rain front approaching us. So we quickly set up the camping stove and prepared dinner. Just as the rain shower started, we disappeared into the car, enjoyed our noodle pan and watched exciting documentaries on our mobile phone.
Around 8:00 p.m., we crawled out of our comfortable nest. Under thousands of sparkling stars, we brushed our teeth. We grabbed our camera equipment and went to the beach. However, as soon as the tripod and the camera were set up, a thick layer of clouds moved in front of them, bringing light drizzle. In addition, we were attacked by countless flies, so we settled for two snapshots.

The next morning, our first destination was the "Farmers Market" in Blenheim. Baby spinach, cherry tomatoes, kiwis, and much more ended up in our shopping bag. Armed with these delicacies, nothing stood in the way of a longer stay in the city. Because it wasn't until the "Queens Birthday" (public holiday in New Zealand, first Monday in June) that the AA branch reopened its doors.

After a quiet day, where we did absolutely nothing, we left the campsite in the early hours of the morning today. We parked the car in a side alley and walked to the branch. After initial complications, determining which membership was suitable for us as tourists, the employee succeeded in finding the right one with the help of her colleague. And then everything happened quickly. We filled out the form, she took care of the computer work, and before we knew it, the contract was concluded and the membership was extended.
After this success, we took a closer look at the small town in the north of the South Island. We went up and down Blenheim. Past the shopping mile to a river that had surprisingly high water! We couldn't quite explain the situation, as it hadn't rained that much in the last few days!? A pedestrian bridge that usually crosses the river was hardly visible. Traffic signs, seating and bicycle paths along the riverbank were completely surrounded by water. So, we moved the planned lunch break by the river to an unflooded bench and analyzed the flow speed of the river.
With these impressions, we said goodbye to Blenheim. With restocked supplies, we drove to our next overnight location around noon - the "Nelson Lakes National Park". The park greeted us with high mountains and clear waters. On the way there, we stopped once to take some pictures. But before we reached today's campsite, we visited the visitor center in "Saint Arnaud". We booked ourselves in for the night and received a weather warning in addition to a lot of information material! A snowstorm is expected to hit the region tonight - with strong winds and snowfall down to the lowlands. Once again, we have chosen the best weather for camping.
When we arrived at the pitch, we followed our ritual: get an overview and inspect the facilities. The DOC campground at "Lake Rotoiti" surprised us with its equipment. For a total of €15 per night, the campsite offered, in addition to flush toilets, a shelter with a gas stove for cooking, and hot water for washing dishes.

With the uncertainty of whether we will actually experience snowfall for the first time tomorrow, we locked our car and went to sleep.