Storms, Stars and Songs.

Our journey North towards the Fjordlands was tempered by the knowledge that a severe storm would be hitting that area by nightfall. The Crowded House song title 'Four seasons in One Day' is appropriate to NZ as the weather can change so much. Watching the weather is a greater trait than even in England and there are really good apps you can get for this. Viewing these have become part of our morning ritual (as long as we have a signal) as on some occasions the change in weather has made us change our plans.

Arriving in Te'Anau we managed to get ourselves set on a gravel pitch just before the rain arrived. The location was next to the play area, not where we would normally go , but as the heaven's opened for the next two day's no one went out to play anyway. We spent our time doing admin, and getting soaked each time we ventured out. I am perfecting the soggy wet feet feel in my sandals.

Finally the clouds broke and we took this as an opportunity to move to another site in the site with views of the beautiful lake. Whilst we dried out we made the most of this change in weather by doing some necessary washing and later going into town followed by a short walk by lake. However the cold wind defeated us, that and the lakeside path ending.

Next day was a trip to Milford Sound. We had been advised to be very careful of the road, this advice being emphasised by stories of recent fatalities and accidents, but the most dangerous thing we found was the number of tourists in the area. Really, I know how big LOR was but can you imagine the view when you top a hill and see coaches of tourists out taking photo's of scenery, normally selfies, where Gandalf and Shadowfax rode across the plain. I promise you we rode by pretty quickly.

The next big tourist attraction was the mirror lakes. sadly this is no longer a simple roadside view, but an orchestrated walkway. Change isn't always for the best. On the day we stopped the wind meant that there was no reflections, only ripples, but the camera's still kept clicking by the coachload.

As you will expect all of these coaches ended up at the Sound, but luckily not on the boat we were on. A number of companies operate from here and each has a boat going out on the hour, or so. Unfortunately this is what you have to accept when going to such places, despite wishing otherwise.

Because of the rain the waterfalls were in full flood, a spectacular sight to see. Our Nature Cruise traversed to the start of the Tasman Sea and back. On the way we saw a few seals, but in the main the trip was about the Sound itself and the natural geology and fauna. Oh, and the waterfalls one of which the Captain took us under. We were offered rain mac's so that we could experience the cool alpine spray. Bobby sacrificed herself and volunteered to keep the camera dry. An enjoyable, but orchestrated, trip.

Next day we decided to head for Mount Cook, the highest peak in NZ. Our journey included some wine and cheese tastings and a stopover. However when we finally arrived at Mount Cook it was raining there, despite the journey being hot and dry, and so we decided to cut our losses by having lunch at the Hermitage Hotel, which has stunning views of Mount Cook, but not on that day. We bedded in for the night at a sight further down the valley. Imagine our pleasure next morning when we woke to blue skies and a view of Mount Cook. Next hour was retracing our steps to get the best view of the Mt. And what a view it was! Particularly across the blue waters of Lake Pokaki.

Next destination was Lake Tekapo. The minerals washed down from the surrounding hills makes all the water in this area a deep aqua blue, and this was again the case here. Our campsite was by the side of the Lake which we had views of from our pitch. A short distance away was the stargazing centre, our destination tonight, and the reason for our drive.

Lake Tekapa is in one of the few Dark Sky Reserves, which heavily regulates light pollution, even to the extent that the town's lights are subdued. This means that it is one of the best places to watch the stars from. So that evening, in the dark, we arrived at the centre for a guided tour of the southern heavens. And they were

unbelievably clear. Our guide was very knowledgeable and pointed out things using a laser pen, which she was licensed to use there as it was a no fly area.

The Milky Way could be seen quite clearly, as could the International spacestation and other satellites, with the naked eye. There were 3 high powered telescopes which were used to see a nebula and other sights. The evening was finished by floating on hammocks in a hot pool (the venue was also a spa by day) gazing up at the stars and counting the number of 'shooting stars' you could see. I think the most was nine. Unfortunately my attempts to photograph the sky that night were in vain.

Our next destination was Wanaka which is by the side of a lake by the same name. We initially stayed a few Kilometers outside of the town in another lakeside site for a few peaceful days and then moved in so that we could be closer to the site of Tuki, the festival we were going to on the other side of town. Luckily the good weather stayed and the sun beat down on us. Amazing how it lifts everyone's spirits. Even ours.

Tuki was a day music festival of New Zealand bands and artists in a rural location just outside Wanaka, overlooking the Lake. There were two stages, one in a small wooded area which featured solo,

mostly acoustic artists, whilst the main stage was in the central arena. lt was run like a very large festival, but in reality was a small family friendly event. Most of the tickets appeared to have been bought by groups of local's, either family or friends, who were meeting up for the day. Gave the whole event a very relaxed feel. The blue skies and high temperature also helped with this. We had a great day, relaxing and listening to some great music. Another unforgettable experience.

The next day was cloudy and the temperature dropped so, for a change, we decided to visit the local cinema to watch 3 Billboards etc. We had heard that it was eclectic and we were not disappointed. Tickets were purchased from the foyer cafe, a nice laid back place, no box office for them. The seating in the small cinema was on a mixture of standard cinema seat's, luxury ones, armchairs, sofa's and the backseat in a Morris minor that was on one side of the stalls. There was an interval (which was at a climatic point in the film, with Bobby in tears) when freshly baked cookie's were available from the cafe. The warm double chocolate one helped prepare Bobby for the 2nd half. A wonderfully different experience at the end of our stay in this lakeside town.