Fiordland National Park & Otago | Week 17 | 22.01-28.01.24

On Monday we continued to Te Anau at Lake Te Anau where we camped.

On Tuesday we took a trip to a cave where we could see glowworms.

On Wednesday we continued to Fiordland National Park. On the way there we made a short stop at Mirror Lake. On Thursday we hiked part of the Routeburn Track to Key Summit, a viewpoint of the valley and a mountain lake.

Since we camped relatively far south and close to Antarctica, as well as in the mountain valleys, it was really cold at night, down to 4 degrees.

On Friday morning we set off for Milford Sound, a fiordland located north of the campsite. The drive there felt like a drive to the end of the world. In rain and fog, over mountains and valleys, and through an old tunnel, we finally arrived at Milford Sound. From here, there is no road further. There, we took a 2-hour boat trip through the fjords with many waterfalls. On the way back, we stopped at 2 waterfalls.

Then we went back to Queenstown where we spent 1 night.

On Saturday we did laundry and went shopping. Then we continued to Wanaka and camped in Lindis Valley.

On Sunday we went back to Diamond Lake via Wanaka. Unfortunately, it was raining here so we didn't do our little hike. Instead, we headed to the east coast (about 3 hours drive). We then went to the campsite near Ormeau.

In general, the distances here are relatively short compared to Australia, so you can make good progress. After 2 weeks in New Zealand, I can say that there are many sheep, cows, mountains, and lakes here. The villages are usually 50km apart, with a lot of nature in between.