Ever Southward

We’re on a tighter schedule now and can afford just one overnight stop before getting to Te Anau which will be the starting point for our walk on the Milford Track. Passing through Queenstown naturally en route we decide not to try to squeeze in the bungy jumps I’m keen to do, we’ll do them on the return route up North, but we decide to call in and check if we need to book ahead just in case. Karahau bridge is alongside the road into town so I get my first peak at the “home” of bungy as this is the home of the first commercial bungy site in the world. As we arrive a guy makes his leap and is unceremoniously dunked up to his waist in the river, ripping his t-shirt off in the process. Hmmmm… not sure I want my t-shirt whipping off in front of a crowd of spectators. We’re assured that we can book just a day in advance so don’t book anything, leaving us a bit more flexibility for after we’ve completed the walk.

A quick browse round town and a stock up on supplies for the walk and we head back off, trying to get a little further south to make the journey the next day shorter. We’re hoping to free camp along the lake somewhere but there isn’t anywhere you can leave the road so we opt to stay at a campsite in Kingston on the southern tip of the lake. The camp kitchen is a focal point for socialising and we get into some good conversation with a few kiwis holidaying themselves from elsewhere on the South Island. There is a notable North/South divide between people living in NZ and they seem delighted that we have opted to just see the South Island, telling us we haven’t missed much by not venturing up North. As would most probably be the case for us back home, they haven’t seen half of what we have already seen of their own island and are keen for reviews so they can even plan their next trips away. Funny how we never take the chance to explore what is on our own doorstep.