Travelling Through Life

yay! We’re now officially husband & wife! Many thanks to EVERYONE who’s been sending love via comments here & emails!! We SO appreciate your support!!

See you all soon!

~mr&mrs 🙂

We’ve had quite a few people ask “when exactly is the ceremony?” and, we’re happy you want to share in our special “legal” moment!

Well, we’ve been doing lotsa private ceremonies (just the two of us) all around this beautiful island; however, the legal ceremony will be on Weds May 14, at 4pm (New Zealand time). Apparently, that’s midnite on Weds May 14 for you EST’ers. For everyone else, check this site out:

http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converted.html?iso=20140514T16&p1=22&p2=861

Just scroll down a bit to “Convert between other locations” and enter your spot.

Then, whenever May 14 @ 4pm NZT is for you, have a glass of your favorite beverage, think loving thoughts and toast to new beginnings and happiness, wherever you may be!

Mkl’s inside our favorite food store (yay for Countdown!), picking up some end-of-the-trip needs (coffee, of course! “milk”, nutella, maybe a brownie, and probably some bananas…) So, I thought I’d sit in the lot, enjoy the sunshine, and type up a post about driving in NZ (remember, I’m doing all the driving, he’s doing all the dumping/refilling/cooking/cleaning; we both do the diesel).

So, driving in NZ. Yes, they drive on the opposite side of the road, and, their drivers sit in the opposite side of the car (still in the front, tho!). I’ve been driving on the other side of the road for oh…20+ years, so there was a bit of an adjustment period. Fortunately, we had that private tour of Australia first, so I got to sit as a passenger and “feel” what it’s like to drive on the other side of the road, watching her moves, how she turned, and what to do at the MANY roundabouts. There are very FEW “lights”/intersections in NZ, almost all are actually “roundabouts”/circles and you enter them on the left over here and go clockwise around them, rather than entering toward the right and going counter-clockwise, as in the states.

Especially in the beginning, after every “turn”, I think to myself “stay LEFT”. So, turn right, STAY LEFT. Turn left, STAY LEFT. Approach roundabout, STAY LEFT. Etc. When other cars are on the road, this is a bit easier, as the direction they are driving in reminds you of the side of the road you should be on. When there are no other cars around, this becomes a bit more challenging.

This also applies to parking lots, (and, walking trails) – STAY LEFT.

Fortunately, Kiwis are quite good drivers, both considerate and generally, not aggressive. Also fortunate is the fact that camper vanning is SO popular here that they have arrows on most of the entrances to the roads indicating traffic direction. That’s VERY helpful, especially when there’s so many variables to consider (pedestrians, etc.)

Speaking of pedestrians, that’s different, too. I didn’t realize it, but apparently, I’d gotten into a habit with how I “crossed the road”. Look left, then right, then left, then right, then if clear, cross. The cars come from the opposite direction down here, which I wouldn’t have thought was a big deal for pedestrians, but it really does throw you off when you look left and it’s clear, but then you look right and see a car zooming toward you in the lane you are considering stepping into. Next time you walk across the road, think about the cars coming from the opposite direction than you’re used to and see how odd it feels. Or, maybe it’s just me 🙂

The other consideration when driving in NZ is safety on mountain roads full of wildlife, rock falls, mudslides, curves, curves, curves, tourists from all over the world, and lots of campervans! So far, on the highways, easily 75% of the vehicles are other campervans, and the remaining 25% is made up of mostly work trucks and a few kiwis. I think that the roads are mainly used for tourists and people preparing for tourists! Back to the curves, yeah, being from southern NJ, we rarely drive on mountain roads (well, except when travelling, that is!) Here, pretty much EVERY road is a mountain road! The speed limit goes from 100 km/hr to 15 km/hr and back again every few Km’s! And, you’re on the side of a mountain! Like, one edge drops down as a steep cliff and the other side shoots almost straight upward as a steep rockface! Reminds us of our time on the Amalfi Coast – the steering wheel just goes back and forth, back and forth as we hairpin left, then right, then left, then right… for kilometres and kilometres and kilometres…

But, it’s part of the fun, really!!

Speaking of fun, I’m REALLY enjoying driving Beethoven! He’s a Fiat Diesel something-or-other and he purrs like a lion in the wild, scrambles up and down steep grades with confidence (usually), and grips the road like a tree frog, hanging on when needed and zooming along when the rare straightaway presents itself. In addition to the daily challenge of driving in NZ, I’ve gotten a few chances to express my driving skillz – from backing out of a muddy riverbed and up a narrow, steep hill, to ascending a windy, steep, limited-access mountain road up to the summit, to navigating tight parking lots, camping spots, and picnic areas. It feels good when the guys have that look of awe and “driving respect” when they realize it’s a “girl” that just gracefully got out of that tight spot that they figured for sure we’d be stuck in. 🙂

Well, mkl has returned from his adventure in the Countdown and it’s time to plan our next stop. Gotta run!

Just curious. We’ve gotten a few comments from immediate family and friends, but we’re wondering who all’s reading our posts.

If you’re reading them, comment with a hi or hello (or more) on one of the posts. We’ll read and then approve them, so if you wanna post something private for just us to read, let us know and we’ll just read it ourselves, and not share it with the world, if you prefer that. 🙂

Thanks for reading – we’re enjoying sharing our amazing journey with you!

2:30am – wake up. 2:35am – go back to sleep. 5:30am wake up again – this time, stay up, do a little bit of trip research, and get ready for the day. Mkl made Pancake Sundaes with the leftover pancakes from before, topped with Nutella and Vegan Coconut Ice Cream (sooo good!) He’d planned to make them for dessert the night before, but we skipped it, since we went to bed so early. And, hey, we’re on our “Ceremoon” in New Zealand, so if we wanna have Pancake Sundaes for breakfast, well, then, that’s what we’re gonna have. After breakfast, we packed up and were back on the road in short order (BEST thing about having an RV!!). We were heading to Lake Matheson to check out the reflection on Reflection Island, and had read that the best time was 8:30-9am on a clear, calm day – which it totally was!

The drive was about 30-40 minutes of astounding beauty – seriously, how is it so gorgeous EVERYWHERE!?!?! This morning, the newly-risen sun was warming the landscape and was just beginning to burn off select, exposed areas of the morning dew. The fog was delicately placed between layers of trees and mountains, drifting along crevices in the hillsides and across various stretches of road. Cattle roamed lazily in numerous fields along our route, seemingly oblivious to the beautiful scenery surrounding them, while at the same time, adding to the charm of the view. We didn’t want it to end, but we really wanted to see what Lake Matheson’s Reflection Island had to offer.

We finally arrived, to find other tourists with the same idea. We trekked around the beautiful jungle-rain forest path, opting for the shortcut, but still being wowed by a plethora of sights along the way:

These are how all the walkways look in New Zealand. Cool and functional!

Within 40 minutes, we had arrived at Reflection Island (which was actually a very small, 3-4 person platform, built off of a stairway, and over the Lake). Of course, it just happens to be placed in possibly the most accessibly scenic spot on Lake Matheson – great for us photo-snapping travelers! Aside from one slightly annoying cloud, the weather was PERFECT for this opportunity – yay! I snapped a bunch of photos (then, I realized my camera was on the total wrong setting, so I fixed it and snapped a bunch more).

Mkl took a bunch, and then I took a bunch of other travelers, and then they took a few of us…

This is what happens when someone else takes our photo… It looks like we’re in front of a video wall or something.

We even got to know one couple quite a bit (a teacher and an engineer from Barcelona – who’ve travelled all over the world, enjoy the south of France on a motorcycle, lived in Malaysia for a few years, and who plan to tour the USA on a Harley!) We kept “meeting up” with them along the path. How adorable are they??

Before we knew it, we were all back at the café & gift shop! They got some lunch on their own, and we got some snacks and a functional souvenir for mkl, and then the two of us were on our way, yet again!

Shot from the parking lot, next to the gift shop. See the white peaks above? That’s Mount Tasman (left) and Mount Cook (right). Mount Tasman looks bigger because it’s closer. Also starring: Camper Van Beethoven

Our plan was to make the 2.5 hour drive to Hokitika, check out the Gorge, and camp in the free carpark there for two nights. The drive was breathtaking, both for its beauty, as well as its potential danger.

We passed many kilometers of storm-damaged landscape on the way in – mkl had learned from a female semi-professional netball player, on our flight from Australia to NZ, that the area was recently hit by several powerful cyclones). All of the mudslide areas, toppled trees, and uprooted plants made me quite nervous for the stability of the ground, ie: roads, walkways, etc. There were, afterall, many places on the road with “danger” indications, rock-clearing work, and “missing” chunks of land.

Threatening skies

Less threatening skies over a beautiful river (yes, it was actually that color)

Pretty much status quo, but still…yikes.When we arrived at Hokitika Gorge, the skies looked threatening; however, Hokitika was on my “must see” list, so, onward we pressed. Guided and reassured by mkl, we headed along the trail to the Gorge. First, was a viewing platform overlooking the waterway – beautiful! Then, we crossed a swing bridge spanning the waterway – so cool! Then, we tramped to the rocks and scrambled as close to the water as we felt comfortable, and took a ton of photos!

What’s so special about this area, you ask? Well, the main attraction is the water – it’s a pure, turquoise/aqua/tiffany blue opaque color. It is so beautiful, words cannot even describe it!

A terrible photo showing the science (geology) behind how this happens – basically, it’s due to mineral-rich glacier dust!

All-too-soon, the sandflies (major nuisance here) began swarming, so we had to get going. It was probably good thing, as we may have stayed there all day, it was so peaceful and awe-inspiring, and we had the WHOLE place to ourselves!

Back at Beethoven, we reassessed our plan to stay the night in the carpark at the gorge. It was still daylight (surprisingly) and the weather was good for driving, so I decided that we should head onward toward the next recommended camping spot. A few hours later, we were pulling into a picnic area off the highway, that faced a gorgeous stretch of beach.

The sun was just setting over the water (well, behind the clouds, anyway) and it was a serene scene. That is, until I contemplated sleeping on the side of the highway for the night (like, literally, five feet from the two-lane, 100 km/hr road). Hmmm… the ocean waves crashing in the background…tractor-trailers banging along the highway in the foreground…hoping they stay on track (and awake!). Nah, I decided again to continue onward and find a better spot for sleeping.

Although it was beautiful on the left, the highway is just to the right of our camper.

Just a few kilometres down the road, we reached the park where the Punakaiki (Pancake) Rocks were, which was our next planned stop. It was pretty much dark at this time, so we went in search of a place to sleep and found the local Beach Camp to be open and available. We booked a spot for the night – it was right on the beach, and FAR from the highway! Plus, we had electricity and water! The campground was peaceful, sparsely populated, and had some great amenities, including a huge drying room, a sizable and well-equipped kitchen, and a few neat little sitting/working/game-playing nooks, heated by an old wood stove. (none of which we utilized, but they looked decent!).

There was no wi-fi or phone signal at our camp, so after mkl made dinner (Ricotta Basil Ravioli with Chunky Pesto Sauce – and I enjoyed a glass of red wine that was a gift from a friendly Kiwi), he laid down on the bed for a pre-sleep nap and I stayed up a wee bit longer to draft the next post for the blog. Within the hour, I was falling asleep at the laptop yet again, so I mustered enough energy to wash up and then I crawled into bed, amidst the sound of nearby crashing waves and the occasional birdsong.

Today started with a yummy “RV-made” breakfast of gluten-free buttermilk pancakes, topped with ghee and nutella.


We then checked out of our Wanaka Holiday Park spot, got a hot tip on a local scenic stop, filled up the tank with diesel (just under $100!), and headed back on the road, toward the West Coast. The scenery was SPECTACULAR!! Mountains, lakes, rivers, fields…changing every few miles, like one of those “Relaxation DVDs”.

As you can see, we stopped on the side of the road a bunch of times for “photo opp’s”, as well as a stop by the Holiday Park-recommended “Blue Pools”, where we walked a bit into the rainforest, crossed a swingbridge over a beautiful river, and enjoyed the scenery of some pretty cool Blue Pools (and some man-made rock formations, too!).

Thanks for the info on the sandfies!

Back in the van and on the road again, we were planning to pass Haast’s Pass before dark, as our Holiday Park tipper told us that they close the pass once the sun goes down and no one gets in or out of town until morning. Apparently, due to the rains, there was a pretty major (and tragic) rock slide recently, so the Pass is closed at dark for safety, as well as maintenance. We experienced a bit of this, firsthand, as we approached a coned-off area of the pass.

The two road-workers informed us that others were doing maintenance ahead and we’d have to wait 20-30 minutes (in our vehicle) before we could continue onward. We were the only vehicle there at that point, so I chatted a bit with the construction guys as mkl made an impromptu lunch in the RV (hummus, cucumber, and avocado on whole meal bread – so good!) During the wait, many more cars pulled up, as did a couple from England who were on bicycles. Ahead, we could see the workers high up on the rock faces, tethered to some semblance of safety, pushing, pulling, prying, and kicking rocks and debris down the steep cliff, onto the road below. Boom! Bang! One after the other. At this point, I was glad we were “held back” and in the “safe zone” (sometimes, it still did feel a bit too close, however!). After a while, the guys upstairs gave the word to the guys on the street, and they let the cars pass. We were the FIRST ones! I felt like the first guy to ride the roller-coaster after they set it up, or the first to drive over a brand-new bridge – yikes! The guys must have done a good job, however, as all was well for our ‘first pass’.

Within a few kilometers, we approached another scenic stopping point (as recommended by one of the road crew guys), so we hopped out of Beethoven, in order to get some shots. Along the way, we saw the biking couple, so we stopped to chat with them a bit. They have been on their bikes for EIGHT MONTHS!! Yes, EIGHT MONTHS!! They have travelled to places all over the world (including riding their bikes from NYC to San Francisco – for charity). We exchanged contact info and congratulations and continued on our ways.

Oh, and the waterfall we walked to after that was pretty cool, too!

We soon reached the coast and got a few brief glimpses of the sea as we wound up and down mountains, around cliffs, and through more outstanding scenery.

Taking this curve (on what felt like a 45-degree decline) in an RV was scary enough, I can’t imagine doing it on a bicycle! And, these curves were all over the island!

We happened upon Knights Point (right on the coast) as the sun was setting over the Tasman Sea. We shared the spot with just one other car of touring kids who were as excited as we were about the sunset and capturing the moment in photographs.

Once the sun dropped behind the clouds on the horizon, we drove onward to explore more of the coast and find a place to sleep for the night.

This is a verrrry long, unlit, single-lane bridge. Yes, at night.

Our handy Wildernessts book led us to a spot at Copland Track which was fairly secluded, but for one other camping couple, and a few empty cars (presumably, trekkers who were on the trail).

The entrance to the camping area. The directions simply said “pull off the road, open the gate” with no other specifics. We are verrrry fortunate we found this as it was not lit and very easy to pass by.

We parked and prepared to pack it in for the night. I walked around the area a bit and met our neighbor, Richard, an older (but very youthful) gentleman who’d been a pilot his whole life and owned a plane touring company out of Lake Tekapo. I told him about the flight we took and he asked about the pilot and the owner and when I told him about Frank who sold his house to buy a touring plane, Richard said he did pretty much the same thing! Must be a popular career choice around here (there are a LOT of scenic flight companies, that’s for sure!)

Meanwhile, mkl was inside preparing our dinner, Moroccan Chickpeas over Organic Brown Basmati Rice, seasoned with smoke and a salty-spice mixture (both from the mall!). We had no wi-fi or phone service and although we had planned to do some “work” after dinner, we both were so exhausted, that we simply went straight to bed!

Woke up well before 6am today (again), but this time, maybe it was due in part to “Disneyland Syndrome” (this is maria’s long-time, self-coined term for when there’s something exciting to do the next day and you just can’t sleep, in anticipation for the fun — kinda like a kid the day before he goes to Disneyland — the idea was so good that they made a commercial about it, too).

Anyway, we got up, made breakfast, secured Beethoven’s cabin for take-off, dumped the tanks (no incidents, this time!), and headed back to the airport for our day of flightseeing (and, boat-touring). There, we met Frank, the owner, and Nick, our pilot. He was very laid-back and friendly, which helped calm our nerves as the 6 tourists and one pilot crawled (literally!) into the little cessna plane. Within a few moments, we were strapped in, safety-informed, and speeding down the runway and up into the air. Take-off was smooth and exciting. The flight was only 40 minutes, but it held for us a lifetime of breathtaking views. We flew past Mt. Aspiring (Tititea) – at 9,950 feet, it’s NZ’s highest mountain outside of the Mt. Cook region. The area surrounding it is considered the Southern Alps and all the mountains are snow-capped, with “powdered-sugar-like” snow throughout the mid-section, and just below the tree-line, lush evergreens stacked down to the base. Nick, our pilot, also pointed out several glaciers, glacial lakes, and popular heli-skiing spots (it was cool to hear this through the big airplane headphones, as well as being able to catch some occasional “air chatter” from other pilots in the area). Nick also gave us plenty of quiet time to contemplate the beauty surrounding us, soundtracked by the whirring of the engine as we gently glided toward Milford Sound, passing one outstandingly scenic view after another.

Just when we thought it couldn’t possibly get any more beautiful (or cool!), Nick guided the plane into a confident landing on a small air strip, which, but for one other plane, we had completely to ourselves.

The group of six (4 americans touring with 2 australians), was then led by foot into a lush rainforest which surrounded a tidal basin at the base of Milford Sound, in Fjordland National Park. Nick gave us info along the way, here too, and it’s interesting to read info on-line about it, as well. The rainforest trek led us to jaw-dropping views of Mitre Peak, the most-photographed peak in New Zealand (not sure how they quantify that, but I know *I* took almost 700 pictures, AND a few brief videos!) We then boarded a boat for a heady cruise around the sound. We saw the steep cliffs up-close, several seals basking in the sun, a half pod of dolphins, and some of the most spectacular scenery ever. Like seriously, ever. After the boat tour, we walked back through the rainforest, to the airstrip, boarded the plane and enjoyed a very scenic flight back to “home”. Nick took us on a more southerly route so we could see some different scenery. The mountains we passed were sheer rock, glistening, shiny black at severe angles, almost perpendicular to the ground. Their tops covered in a coating of pure white, only accentuated by the occasional deep crack, exposing bright turquoise hues within. Again, Nick pointed out notable peaks, glaciers, valleys, rivers, pools, heli-skiing spots, and shared a bit of geologic and explorers’ history. He also showed us the areas where much of the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies were filmed.

The pictures don’t do the scenery justice, by any means. Regardless, we do plan to post a few in the coming days!

I’d be more descriptive, but it’s after 8pm, and again, falling asleep at the laptop… might add more later (it was a FULL day!)

The weather was getting chilly, the sun was setting, and the fog was rolling back in as we headed on down (and up, and down, and up, and down…) the road to Wanaka. We were planning to take the Flightseeing/Boat tour the next day so we wanted to stay local for the night. We had two possible destinations planned. One was an abandoned hotel parking lot where we could camp the night, for free. The other was an established Holiday Park where we could camp the night for a fee (but also have electricity). Since the old hotel was first on our journey, we decided to check it out. Unfortunately, it was so old that the sign was gone and we couldn’t find the spot. It didn’t help that the road we were on was narrow, dark, curvy, high-speed, and on the side of a mountain, with a plethora of “falling rocks” signs. It was surely not the ideal place for slowly scooting along, or worse, turning big’ole Beethoven around (possibly twice). So, off to check out the Holiday Park we went.

This is an important aside…while it was only about 7:30pm at this point, New Zealand has this weird “everything seems MUCH later than it really is” thing. We’re not sure if it’s like this year-round, but we’ve found that most things kinda start shutting down around 5 or 6pm, and by 7 or 8pm it really feels like 11 or 12midnight – we’ve experienced this every night so far.  We keep having those “wow, it must be so late” moments when you realize it’s not really “late” at all. Yes, there may be a “jet lag” factor, but since our schedules vary so much in the states, we didn’t think it would have a major effect on us. What’s also weird is that we’ve been waking up around 5:30am every morning (before sunrise, and in silent areas). Oh, and speaking of sunrise….sunrise here is around 7:45am and sunset is around 5:30pm – just about 10 hours of daylight. And, driving at night is both: more challenging, and less awe-inspiring. Oh, and most “explouring” activities need to be done during the day, as well.

Ok, back to last night…before we found the Holiday Park, we passed the airport, so we pulled in, to make sure we knew where to go in the morning (didn’t want to miss our flight!). We then spoke with the very friendly, Aggie, at the Holiday Park and headed in the park’s direction. We took an “afterhours” packet from the box, headed to our site, and set-up camp. And, yes, having an RV is awesome! Setting up camp consists of: turning on the LP/Propane, plugging in the electrical cord, and hanging the window shades. Within minutes of parking, the place is warm, private, and mkl is busy preparing dinner. Yay!

Speaking of dinner, mkl made Smoked Garlic Marinated Grilled Tofu Fillets dressed with Thick Peanut Sauce and laid over a bed of Moroccan Quinoa. Yum, delicious!!

Then, we went to bed. Full bellies, satisfying day, and anticipation for tomorrow…

Spent morning at scenic Lake Tekapo (including a somewhat harrowing ascent UP a steep mountain to an observatory, only to find the pinnacle enshrouded in clouds). Fortunately, the anxiety of the ride up made us stay a while to chill out a bit and, within an hour or so, the clouds separated and the views (albeit slightly still obscured) were AMAZING!!! Pics coming soon.

With new-found courage, and a bit of faith, we descended back down the very steep and narrow, two-way, 4km road. Safe and sound at the bottom, we stopped along the lake for a home-made lunch in the camper (I say, “we should name this thing…”. mkl suggests “Willy”, I think that might just work – you read it here, first, people!). Wait, mkl just suggested “Beethoven”…and I didn’t get it, but then he explained it to me… Did you get it? Post your answer in the comments!

next: a stop at the Church of the Good Shephard and then a short drive to Lake Pukaki (no relation to the “wallet” incident of yesterday), and then we’re off to Wanaka! We’ve just contacted a flightseeing company for a booking tomorrow morning, but haven’t heard back yet.

Check our blog in a day or two to see ‘where in the world is maria&michael”!

~m&m

Woke up 5am (again!)

Cold and dark outside.

Switched on RV heater while still cuddled up in bed (yay, modern comforts!)

Checked some emails and edited a blog post. (see note above)

Mkl made yummy breakfast of nutella oatmeal and nutella gluten-free, organic toast.

Sun came up. OMG – GORGEOUSNESS just outside the window!!

Still in bed. Yummy food, wi-fi & mini-laptop, cozy, beautiful scenery, sounds of nature.

All is good in the world.

Will post more later, after we snap some pics of this beautiful scene 🙂

Wow! So much has happened since our last post!!

We picked up our beautiful RV (took a while to learn all the “ins and outs”, literally, there’s important stuff to know all over this thing!). Then, we went to the mall (yes, the mall) and visited the grocery store and a discount warehouse store for extra supplies. A bunch of stuff happened, but the main lesson here is: malls in NZ close at 6pm. Yes, crazy, right?!?!

Since we still had business in Christchurch (and the mall was now closed), we found a place to “park” for the night. It was a cozy little spot in Lyttleton Harbour, in a near-abandoned parking lot, sandwiched between a cliff (“falling rocks!” signs all over), and a row of old shipping containers. The place was buzzing with old salts and younger guys in well-worn peacoats, and had that charming “seaside harbour / industrial port/ scary movie / scooby-doo episode” feel to it. It was worth it in the AM, though, with spectacular views!

After a picture-taking session with my new lens, we packed up and “shipped out” for another trip to the mall for a few returns, a quick alteration on my skirt, and to pick up some forget-me-not items, and then (due to a happy GPS mis-direct) a drive to a recommended “produce place/cafe”, a stop at the registrar to fill out some preliminary paperwork, and then back to the RV rental place to exchange our wonky GPS.

We decided to head to Lake Tekapo for the night, which was about 2.5 hours away – we would just make it in before dark, perfect. About 3 kilometres into the trip, we decided to stop at a dump station and um,  evacuate the tanks, just so we wouldn’t be carrying any extra crap (sorry, had to).

Here’s where it gets good: michael, amazing guy that he is, has agreed to do all the dumping / water filling for us while on the trip (I’m doing all the driving and logistics). He’s just about done, when I hear him yell in disbelief. I poke my head out the window, expecting him to be covered in excrement, and was happy to see he wasn’t! But, then he told me that his “wallet” slipped out of his pocket and down the drain. yep, License, credit cards, debit, etc. all down the crapper. I moved to action and made a few calls and got a variety of answers from, reportedly, the same office (“no one can help you”; “someone can help you, for $500”, etc). As an aside, this is further proof that when calling customer service, and your fist person won’t/can’t help you, talk to someone else. Keep  going until you’re satisfied with the answer. Ok, I’m going off-topic. We (and a very kind and helpful stranger), tried our best to retrieve it, to no avail. So, after much deliberation, we decided to leave it and move on with the trip. We still had his passport and cash, and the cards are all replaceable (maria has the originals, anyway), so no use crying over spilled milk, when there’s so much more to see, right?

We then drove to Lake Tekapo, found a spot to “park”, briefly met our neighbors, ate some leftover pasta and yummy toast, maria took a bunch of pictures (the area is renowned for their night sky!), and off to bed we went.

Well, except for maria who stayed up a bit to post this blog.

Oh, and check the weather. Maria found out that it’s going to be a night of snow-showers. We’re parked on a slope, near a river bed. Looking forward to waking up to beautiful scenery!

(edited for grammatical errors and clarification – was nodding off when written, so not quite perfect)