New Zealand | South Island | The End of the World

22.11.2017, 06:00 am: We set off to the South Island. The journey takes about 4 hours. It costs 210NZD (about 130€). The journey is worth every euro. Halfway through the journey, we drive through a massive labyrinth of islands, which are dipped into a gentle sea of mist and clouds. Incredibly beautiful... Mystical and quiet, they lie there, amidst the dark waters, which are only colored in a gentle red by the rising sun. Stefanie is already awake and Skyping with her family. Herbert is Skyping with anyone he can reach and is still walking up and down the railing.

07:00 am: We reach the port of Picton. The sun has already started the day and we go back to the ship's garage by lift. Slowly, we leave it and are warmly greeted on the South Island with a sign. So, the second adventure in New Zealand begins... the South side...

With barely 2 hours of sleep, Herbert drives the first 1-2 hours south, until he realizes that his eyelids are getting heavier and Stefanie is dozing off next to him. A quick stop and we continue merrily and funnily with coffee, GG (Erwin knows his stuff) breakfast, games, and loud music, until we finally arrive in 'Bulls' in the late afternoon and decide to catch up on some sleep for a night. We dine by the lake, recharge our batteries (literally), and let the evening fade away in a typical Kiwi bar. Then we finally fall into the long-awaited sleep.

Next day: fit. Breakfast and off to 'Franz Josef' - Glacier, which Herbert lovingly confuses with 'Heinz Fischer' - Glacier. We take the walk to the glacier tongue - impressive! - and visit a few waterfalls. Afterwards, we treat ourselves to a campsite with a breathtaking view and enjoy the evening. At this point, it must be said that the climate in New Zealand was playing crazy, with warm weather on the South Island and cool weather on the North Island. Ideal for us, though. In the early morning, we set off to an old gold mine shaft in the midst of the mountains. Apparently, we were the only ones who ventured into this experience, as those who climbed up did not dare to enter. The reason for this was probably the icy glacier water, about 20-30cm deep, flowing through the floor of the tunnel. But we (equipped like alpinists in the army) put on our hiking shoes on the backpack before the 500 meters long tunnel and proudly entered the pitch-black cave. Herbert actually wanted to turn around after the first few meters: 'If it collapses... that would be shit', he tried to convince Stefanie with an expert voice to turn back. But Stefanie, who seemed to have examined the architectural condition of the complex tunnel system in advance, crushed the doubts with the scientifically sound statement: 'Just go, don't be afraid...', and happily stepped further into disaster. Of course, Herbert had no choice but to follow her to support Stefanie in her starvation. :D haha... Joking aside: it was fantastic. Glowworms could soon be seen on the wet ceiling of the tunnel - which helped a little bit with the frozen feet, as well as a few short 'thawing phases' on higher rocks. When we finally arrived at the end, we warmed up with a cup of tea, let our feet thaw by the fire before a helicopter brought us back to the valley... (looooool)... Of course not - we trudged all the way back through the icy stream :D. Arrived - towel, thick socks & hiking shoes. Ahhhhh, that felt good.

We continued to Wanaka, where we bought the Lonely Planet travel guide for South-East-Asia, ate on the beach, and Herbert went for a swim. On the way, we rescued a fawn and received a free massage from the rough mountain road. Wonderful view included :). The next day, we did the dreamlike Rob Ray Glacier Walk with a >200 meter waterfall, glaciers, and suspension bridges. To our dismay, we had to go back the whole bumpy way. Herbert cursed the hopping and Stefanie's buttocks were already in pain. The only fun part: the view, as well as the sheep and cow herds, some of which stood in the middle of the road and stared at us in surprise.

We continued to Milford Sound, one of the most beautiful places on earth > let yourself be enchanted by the photos... Arriving at our overnight location, we met the only annoying creature in New Zealand: the common sandfly https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandfly we prefer mosquitoes. The boat trip through the up to 2000m high mountain walls of Milford Sound made up for everything... Dolphins, penguins, seals, and massive waterfalls (including a small shower from the freshly melted glacier water of the waterfall). A dream.

One night in 'Te Anau', then heading south, where we spent several days at 'Curio Bay' and Nugget Bay, fishing, observing penguins and seals, a lighthouse, etc. A pleasant change with enjoyment and peaceful camper life. At Lake Pukaki, we camped at one of the most beautiful places in New Zealand. In front of us, the glacier front of Mt.Cook, a turquoise-blue lake for swimming, stargazing, and rabbits that visited us, the highest hills far and wide. Pictures...

In Tzwitzel, we refueled water, petrol, and food, saw an opossum on a tree while fishing before heading to Mt.Cook. We enjoyed a fantastic walk to the approximately 3800m high giant, which ended in front of a glacier lake with ice floes. After that, we went to Tekapo, where we went swimming in the lake at a chilly 8-9° and then settled down in the middle of a flower landscape for the night. The moon (which by the way seems to wax and wane much faster in New Zealand and also seems to shine much brighter) gently illuminated the landscape and the surrounding mountains. Being 'self-contained' really paid off. Early in the morning, we were awakened by a herd of sheep, bleating and bleating (:D who understands?). Wonderful sight.

After breakfast, we spent the whole day in hot pools and sauna, while sorting out the remaining photos of New Zealand (about 4500 deleted) and then finally late in the evening, we made our way to our last destination 'Christchurch'. In doing so, we must draw a brief conclusion when it comes to cities > it's best to skip all cities when you have a camper. We visited the Kiwi Zoo and got to see our first Kiwi :), had a nice evening with a New Zealand family, and the next day (once again at 04:00 in the morning) we headed to the airport to face the painful fact: Adventure New Zealand completed.

4 weeks

5,000 kilometers

and a heartache as if someone were shooting an arrow through our chest;

New Zealand... with its forests and fields, with its pastures and sheep, with its people and voices, has captivated us;

we already miss it;

but we will come back, that's for sure;

Time slipped away from us like a glass of ice in the sun. Painful, but that's just the way it is.

We would like to conclude this report with two quotes:

1. 'All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.' LOTR

2. He aha te mea nui o te ao

He tangata, he tangata, he tangata

Enjoy the photos: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1r2cPnPof0CsSR4bsHyXqQvdrZvKkEC-E?usp=sharing

Errors on the right are deliberately chosen and soles are designed to train eyes and brain :)