One of the nice things of sleeping in a bunk bed is that you can jump out of it when the alarm goes. That’s what I do again this morning and when I look outside I see that it’s a bright day. I decide that I won’t work today, but enjoy the nice weather and will go for a hike. After I’ve taken a shower, had breakfast and updated the blog, I go to the grocery store to get food to make a lunch package for during the hike.

A bit fed up I drive back to the hostel. I’ve probably mentioned it before, but New Zealand is really expensive, especially on the South Island. Gas and groceries cost a lot more than back home. I don’t like to think too much about money, but here you have no choice. Back at the hostel I meet with the friend I had planned to hike with, but he injured himself last night with going out, so I go alone.

I want to go to Glenorchy, to a place they call Paradise. It’s a beautiful drive next to the lake and mountains to get there. After about an hour I arrive. The weather is perfect, blue sky with a few clouds. I make myself a lunch as my Kiwi friend Chelsea taught me: buns with cheese, salad and fresh chicken and an apple cider. Especially outdoors, surrounded with mountains, it tastes very good. Then I drive a bit further to Routeburn Track. A multi-day hiking route of which I plan to do the first part. It starts with a path going uphill, more challenging than the hike of a couple of days ago. Already close to the start I meet a friendly couple from Australia. It’s nice to hear their accent, reminds me of some Australian friends back home. We talk while we hike and spend the rest of the day together. We take many pictures and hiking together is actually a lot easier. I think that’s my favorite part of traveling alone, you’ll meet so many nice people along your way. The hike is beautiful, following a river and passing many swing bridges and waterfalls. We also meet a really friendly couple from America and hang out with them for a while at the first hut at the half of our hike where we rest.

After a couple of hours hiking, at the end of the afternoon we’re back at the cars and say goodbye. I drive back to Queenstown, but suddenly start feeling sick. A headache and feeling queasy. I drive quickly back to the hostel and go straight to bed. It was a great day, but all I want to do now is sleep and rest for a while.