Normally I jump out of bed when the alarm goes, but this morning I decide to keep laying for a while. With the sea right behind me and green hills in front of me, it’s quite a peaceful place. I open the door of the camper to let the fresh air come in and stay in bed a bit longer. For a moment I’m wondering if I’ll stay here for a day, but I know myself well enough that I’m quite sure I’ll be traveling further again. I get dressed and make myself some coffee. It’s so windy here next to the ocean that I decide to have breakfast in the car.
I drive further South to a town called Bluff. There are only a couple of houses and businesses there, but what makes this place interesting to visit is that it’s the most South point of New Zealand (Stewart Island not included). I park at the edge of the town and do a stormy hike of about 45 minutes to the most south point. There is absolutely nothing there, just a hiking path next to the rocks and a few lookout points. The wind blows so hard that it’s challenging to stand straight and take some pictures. It’s a cool idea that Antarctica is on the other side of the ocean where I’m standing now. From here on the journey continues up North.
It starts to rain when I continue driving and so I decide to keep driving further. I make a quick stop at Mc Donalds for fast food and internet and then continue my road trip to the east coast. In the evening I arrive at another camping spot. This one isn’t as pretty as last night, but at least it’s free again, so that’s a good thing. It’s also close to the city Dunedin which I plan to visit tomorrow morning. Outside it’s storming now, the car is even moving a bit by the wind gusts, so I’m glad to be inside and that I can relax now. Some drives might be a bit too long for a day, but the good thing is that I’m a lot further now. I have three weeks left to travel and it’s still a long way back up North.