(started typing 16:00/4pm)
I will start before I came down to south island the 15th of march. .
In Auckland Something had happened with my shuttle booking so It didnt come… luckily I caught a taki and it took me there in 20 minutes. for 45 nzd tho. But it was worth it cause I was very stressed out.
When I arrived to Chch airport I had 2 or so hours til the bus would come… I spent some expensive minutes on the internet and then I bought an expensive flavourless chocolate cake. 30 minutes before the bus was due I went outside, it was very sunny and there was a nice breeze so I regretted not having gone out earlier. When the busdriver asked me for money I had only 20 out of 35(cause most my money had gone to that taxi in auckland) .. I asked him if I couldnt get off somewhere on the way to get money. He said I could do it in Temuka when we stopped for lunch/dinner/tea. In Temuka I did my bets to get out money. I even ran 3 blocks (2 km or so) to a gas station but noone could give me money. In the place they could my card didnt work. I talked to the busdriver and he said he would stop by an ATM machine in Timaru and if it didnt work there ”there wasnt more he could do” = I’d have to get off in Timaru.
This wouldnt have been a true disaster, only that I didnt have the phone number to the people I could have stayed with there so it would have taken me a while to get there. Fortunately the ATM machine gave me money so I could pay the driver. I have never seen anyone look so relieved as he did when he saw I got money.
My friend (lets call him G) picked me up when I reached Dunedin and once again I was amazed by the temperature difference. Its so much colder here.
The next day we had brunch/lunch on the lawn in the sun. Very Nice. Warm. He had to go to university so I was left alone. I stayed on the lawn enjoying the sun for a very long time… realizing it may be the last sun I see in New Zealand. When I went inside Marika (flatmate of G’s) asked if I wanted to go with her to the beach. I had nothing better to do so I said ’Why not’. It was very nice on the beach.. windy but not cold. The water tho was VERY Cold.
The next day, thursday, we started our trip around the south island, First we went to bluff (just because I wanted to be able to point on a map and say that I have been there) there was nothing but a harbour tho. First night we spent in Te Anau. The town was very nice. Located by a still lake. LOTS of hotels and ”No Vacancy” signs… Also they had a road called ”Wong Way” which we found amusing. Nice motel but expensive breakfast. After the first night we went to Milford sound. There we went on a boat trip which was awesome, I want to go back in late spring to see all the waterfalls created from the snow melting.
Only bad thing there was the sandflies… they kept attacking G so I stayed clear of him… Evil of me but .,. I wanted to survive… I got one bite while he got at least 10… Feel a bit guilty about that.. but he could have fetched his sweater from the car… Mmm…
Off to Mt Cook day three, and although we didn’t get there, we enjoyed a rather luxurious stay at a hotel in Twizel, we survived the locals and a delightful dinner at a semi italian restayrant. We got to Mt Cook on Sunday morning, we stayed there for about 30 minutes, because it was covered in fog.
After that we went back to Dunedin with a stop at his parents place in Timaru.
I have seen some of the magic of new zealand now and I will upload an album of it soon.