Chapter 20: Closing the year

30/12/2019

Trying to find a boring place!

Initially I was planning to go to the Rhythm & Alps festival in Wanaka, the largest Drum & Bass festival in the Southern Island. This would be an awesome opportunity to celebrate the transition from 2019 into 2020. The headliners is Wilkinson, a DJ that stole my hart with his set at T-in the park (Festival in Schotland, 2014). It was early on the day so the tent was only half full but the atmosphere was static!

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOTB1hocZy4). Redoing this experience would be awesome, however, due to my tinnitus I decided to not go to this loud and banging party. Yet, this left my options limited, since the period of Christmas and New Years almost all the accommodations are sold or are crazy expensive. Eventually I find some accommodation in Dunedin, the large University City on the East coast. For the students its summer holiday so the city will be most likely empty, hence the reason why I could still find something to sleep.

After my continental breakfast in the Ecocamp, I make my way towards Dunedin. Normally I would have hiked the first part of the Routeburn track but unfortunately my rental car does not allow me to drive on the gravel road towards the start of the track (literally mentioned in the hiking brochure at the Ecocamp). Already having 2 chips in the windowscreen and a slightly broken ‘wieldop’, I have to

pass on getting there. Since Dunedin is located far far away, I will have a long day of driving ahead so better start going. A quick stop in Queenstown for supplies and I am on the road. My first stop will be Alexandria to fuel up Sparky#04. (Queenstown is the most expensive in terms of everything so I try to avoid fueling up here). The highway crosses various interesting places such as vineyards for wine, fruit farms (raspberries, abricots and cherries) and a long long blue river that invites people to do some watersports. (The next day I read in the local newspaper a thief had jumped into this river therefore I was surrounded by gazzilion police cars on my way to Dunedin).

I don’t know how and I don’t know when but my GPS must have taken a small road close to Alexandra when passing the village. Its not only until my fuel gauge shows 60 km left in the tank that I find out I missed my stop for fuelling. Damn, in these hills fuel is the only thing I need. The moment I stop to check the closest fuel station, I

don’t even have a cellphone signal too check my GPS. Fuckedy fuck fuck. Luckily I downloaded the offline Google map so there is a nearby town, 25 km from my current location. Fingers crossed I make it without trouble so I focus my attention on driving as ‘eco’-friendly as possible! Pfiew, my car did not die down and it’s the first time I am happy to see the 2.29$/liter sign of the petrol station in Roxbourgh. The gentle old guy comes out of his small shop and fills up my car completely. In all the drama I forgot to have some lunch. Luckily the best hot Pies in all of New Zealand, only 500m away at Jimmies Pies. I grab two new flavors (next time avoid the ones with mushrooms though) and I am ready to continue my roadtrip.

Not soon later I make it back to the SH1 highway. You literally can go from one side of the New Zealand (North) to the other side (South) on the SH1 but my way is the highway to Dunedin. Arriving in this city is not very spectacular, since I have left the scenic route behind a

long time ago. This city is known for its chocolate factory and university while on the peninsula you can find two types of penguins, the yellow-eyed penguin and the blue penguin, the smallest one in the world, which is unique to New Zealand. However, the highest chance to see them is late in the evening, when the sun sets down, and the penguins come ashore. I arrive late at my accommodation, some student lodge at the university. Everything is rather high-tech here, with entrance batches that get you all the different locations in the building. My room is 504, all the way to the top. A simple, single student bedroom which looks like so much fun if you have to study! But that is not for tonight, since I need to get some sleep for new years eve tomorrow.

Regards,

Steven