24.12.18 Along the South Coast to Manapouri - Christmas Eve in New Zealand once again

Monday 24th December 2018

The sun is shining as I head west at 10.00am. I'm following a smaller road that runs closer to the coast than the larger SH99. This leads me on a very narrow gravel road to Cozy Nook, a small collection of about four colorful wooden houses that remind me a lot of Canada. From here, you can see Solander Island and Centre Island, possibly even Stewart Island - either way, it's a beautiful view. The road ends at a sandy area where 2, 3 freedom campers are having their breakfast. The wind is blowing from a cloudless sky and there's no way I can do without my fleece jacket today. I follow the gravel path back to the road and turn west. Just behind Pahia and about 10km before Tuatapere (emphasis on the 2nd "a"), there's the McCracken's Rest viewpoint overlooking the expansive Te Waewae Bay. From up here, you can sometimes see whales and frequently dolphins. I do my best, but all I can see is a lot of water, powerful waves, and enormous amounts of driftwood on the wide beach of this incredibly 27km long bay. At the western end, I can see the snow-covered peaks of the Southern Alps in Fiordland National Park. That's where my route is taking me. The view is incredibly amazing, so I settle down in the sun, write in my diary, and enjoy the fact that the wind isn't blowing so much at my picnic table.

I pass through Tuatapere, the so-called "Sausage capital of New Zealand". What a title! The town has a Main Road and almost all the shops along it are closed, abandoned, or empty. Maybe sausage production isn't as brilliant as they claim? My route now takes me towards Clifden, where a few years ago I walked across the historic suspension bridge, so today I just take a photo of the parallel road. It's afternoon when I come along Blackmount, where a gravel road leads to Lake Monowai. Maybe it's worth a detour? So I turn off and follow this road for about 8km, but it takes a bend to the left and leads to the foothills rather than the mountains, which I find less exciting, as the lake probably won't be situated in a comparably stunning setting. So I turn carefully (memories of my maneuver with a camper of the same size in Tasmania bring beads of sweat to my forehead every time I turn on gravel) and return to SH99, now heading north. I reach my campground at 3.30pm, still enjoying the beautiful sun. The campground is small and very cozy. The owner is really nice and the people are relaxed. However, two huge motorhomes park next to me and loud Saxon phrases can be heard from them. So I set off and walk first to the boat dock where I have to be at 8am tomorrow morning to start the Doubtful Sound tour. It's a wonderful short walking trail through a shady forest with moss-rich ground and tall old trees - it smells wonderful! After checking that it only takes me about 12 minutes to walk, I know I don't have to leave the campground before 7.45am tomorrow. The tourist information, which is also located at the dock, tells me that the 10.30am departure doesn't have any different route and is only $50 more expensive because it can be taken when the tour buses from Te Anau arrive at that time. OK, so I stick with my 8am reservation and walk back and continue along the Lake Manapouri through the beautiful forest below the campground. People are even swimming in the lake, especially at Frasers Beach, although the water temperature is definitely not 20°C.

Now it's time for me to prepare my Christmas meal at the campground! I brought a red tablecloth with matching napkins from Germany. And of course, candles, although I have my electric candle from Ikea on because of the wind. So I set the table outside on the dining table of my camper. I use the pack of honey mustard potato salad and plate it. The Saxons opposite me have already put on their Santa Claus hats and turned on a mini Christmas tree with colorful lights. I'm amused by them and enjoy a bottle of Merlot before treating myself to half a piece of cheesecake that was waiting in the fridge. I notice that I now have 4 bites on my feet - because I'm currently sitting with sandals on in the sun. But it's still the West Coast and the sandflies are on the march. So I use the Bushman cream and also the sunscreen with insect repellent.

The sun sets here at around 9.30pm, so the candlelight isn't very effective. So I finish my frugal meal and go back into the beautiful forest behind the campground, sit on a bench, and look at Lake Manapouri and the sunlit mountains in front of me until the sun sinks behind the peaks and everything is bathed in a dreamlike red-orange light.

It's getting chilly at the campground now, so I retreat into my camper and sleep somehow poorly.