I wake up thankful when it starts to get light, knowing that I didn’t get in trouble for camping next to the road. Immediately I realize that it’ll be sunrise soon, so I get dressed and run as fast as I can to the beach. Just in time to watch the sunrise as I arrive there. I didn’t even take the effort to put socks on, so I’m just standing there with my bare feet in my hiking boots enjoying the view. I know again that I am so a morning person. I love it how everything looks different in the morning, a new day full of opportunity.

After watching the sunrise for a while, I walk back to my car and drive to another touristic location, the Moeraki boulders. Some round rocks, shaped by nature, laying on a beach. It’s nice to see, though not super impressive, but there is a beautiful coffee place right next to the beach where I stop for a while to read a bit and try do some work, but the internet is not working. A table further there is a girl writing in her journal and I get my courage together and start a conversation with her. She’s been living in New Zealand for almost a year and we share our travel experiences. While we’re talking, also some people from the train trip yesterday walk by and I realize that this country isn’t so big after all.

I drive further and after about an hour find myself in a town where I’ve stopped before, about two and a half weeks ago. It’s the town with the restaurant with a fireplace. It’s nice to see a familiar place. I stop there again and where it was almost completely empty a couple of weeks ago, it’s quite crowded now. I drink a cup of coffee, update my blog and send out some e-mails for work. The fireplace isn’t on this time so I won’t stay for reading a book, but continue my journey to Wanaka.

In the evening I arrive in Wanaka, I decide to go for a bit more luxurious camping place this time. I didn’t have a shower for two days and so am happy to find a camping place with hot tubs and a sauna. That’s a welcome comfort I haven’t seen at a camping place here before. After relaxing for a while I make myself a simple dinner. There is a nice living room with fireplace, but it’s too crowded, many people and families with children, so after dinner I choose to go back to my own little space in the camper. In the evening I get some phone calls and messages from work, it stays challenging to combine working and traveling.