In the clutches of the South Island

This headline can definitely be interpreted ambiguously after our last week. First literally, but also metaphorically, the South Island always has surprises in store and often requires a change of thinking and courage. But what do we mean by that?

In our last blog, we said goodbye to you with stormy greetings. Cyclone Fehi passed over New Zealand. While we were safely sheltered and dry, the storm raged outside. The rain fell horizontally, first the power went out, then a giant trampoline crashed into a window of the holiday park. We followed the news and unfortunately the cyclone caused more damage to the island than the New Zealanders had expected. The coastal towns were hit by so-called "Kingtides" - these are floods caused by extremely high tides, which were created by the storm and a "super moon" this month.

Now we were waiting in the town of Fox Glacier. From here you can visit an impressive glacier, a so-called "Mirror Lake" (the mountains are reflected in the water) and a great beach.

After the cyclone had moved further east, damage assessment was carried out in the town. Power supply and telephone/internet service were completely disrupted. But the biggest problem was the damage to the highway that connects the entire west coast and serves as the only road. Both sides (north and south) were closed due to fallen trees, landslides, and floods. It was strongly advised not to leave the town. People who had left on the day of the cyclone got stuck between the damaged areas and had to be rescued. We only learned many of these details afterwards. We were confident that we would be able to continue the next day. In the town, a large magnetic board was set up with the latest information on road closures. There was only the alternative of going north or south to continue - both "closed". And so we initially looked every 2 hours to see what was happening - NOTHING!

As if in defiance, the weather was now beautiful, but we couldn't do anything. All hiking trails were closed, access to the beach was closed, the only movement possible was between the information board, the grocery shop, and the holiday park. The saleswoman in the shop was also excited, no more supplies, power via emergency generator, bread and wine (staple foods) were sold out. The offered ice cream in the holiday park was given away, as it couldn't be kept cool anymore. What worked were helicopter flights to the glacier, but we didn't do that because of our budget.

Well, in the end we spent 3 days in Fox Glacier. This time was necessary to make the road passable. The staff at the holiday park did everything to make our stay pleasant. But when we left, the park had to be closed to assess the damage and power was still not available. We wished them all the best and hope that everyday life can return quickly.

We also had to rethink, because out of the 8 days of car rental, 3 days had passed without us using it. On 03.02. we left Fox Glacier, on 06.02. we had to return the car in Queenstown in the morning. And we still wanted to see so much! We drove south along the west coast towards Wanaka. The drive was sensational, great weather, magnificent views of rivers and lakes. Hard to believe what happened here. But then we also passed the landslides, which were cleared away by heavy machinery. You don't want to see rocks tumbling down. We believe that we have never experienced such a force of nature. Oh yes - we also picked up a hitchhiker from France - giving back some of the luck we had already had in this area.

We reached Wanaka in the evening, of course - a holiday park😁.

Effectively, we still had 2 days to reach hard-to-reach places by car.

We chose the Mount Cook Village and Lake Tekapo. So we got up early and left. Luckily, we had the campsite right at the exit barrier in the holiday park🤔, so we didn't waste any time.

All alone on the road, we enjoyed the scenery, visited a lavender field, and after 3.5 hours reached Mount Cook, the highest mountain in New Zealand at 3,724 meters. So we still had to hike to Mount Cook. There is a beautiful, easy valley walk that ends with a super view of Mount Cook, the glacier in front of it, and the glacier lake. The only drawback of easy walks is that they are done by very many hikers (walkers). We joined an international crowd of excursionists, with the Asian contingent being in the majority. And while we set off in hiking shoes and functional jackets, there were also sandals, haute couture, and slipper-like slippers at the start. Crazy!!! The trail was varied with three suspension bridges and impressive views, and after 4 hours we happily reached our car. We still wanted to go to Lake Tekapo to spend the night there and explore it the next day. The challenge: the town was fully booked, we didn't even get a grassy spot to pitch our tent. Camping in the surrounding area was strictly forbidden. Our mood was a bit clouded when we saw the many vacationers (Asians) who obviously had a roof over their heads and were now going out for a delicious dinner at the restaurant.

Rethinking again! The next campsite was where we had just come from. So 50 km back and to a "free" campsite, without toilets, without water, but very beautifully situated in the forest. We had everything with us and at the end of the day a roof over our heads. We decided to ignore Lake Tekapo and return to Wanaka in the morning. There is also a great lake and plenty to explore here.

After all this excitement, we returned our car in Queenstown yesterday (there was no station in Wanaka), booked ourselves in for 4 days in Wanaka, and now want to calmly consider what's next.

Well, honestly, we already know what's next, but we want to keep it a surprise for now.

Today, we climbed a summit called "Roys Peak" at a height of 1,576 meters. Great views of Lake Wanaka, guaranteed sunburn, and a mountaineering feeling. Tomorrow there is some organization to be done and Susi really wants to take another swim in Lake Wanaka. Oh, and for those who don't know him yet...., we have also seen and photographed the famous Lake Wanaka tree (when we could finally catch a clear view among all the enthusiastic Asian vacationers😉) We really like them, but sometimes there are too many with too much space demand😂).

We will leave Wanaka on Friday. The weather forecast is very good, so we have the best conditions to continue south. Stay tuned!

Cheers

Susi and Andreas