Te Anau

I began this morning by meeting up with Gaia and Sophie and going to Tunnel Beach. I haven’t been there since July and it was very nice to be able to be in a t-shirt and shorts instead of my winter attire. The ground was also dry so I was not slipping and sliding all over the place. Because of the dry ground, the walk both ways also seemed and probably was much shorter.

Sophie and I on the big rock.

Look closely and you can see where the tunnel leads to

At around 1:00 Sophie drove us to the bus station where we boarded our bus to Te Anau. The bus ride was about 5 hours long with a few short breaks in between. As usual, the views were stunning. When we arrived in Te Anau, Gaia and I stopped at Real Journeys to book our Milford Sound and glowworms excursion.

Te Anau is a tiny tiny town next to a river. I thought that Queenstown was small (which it is) but Te Anau is even smaller. There is one main road with a few shops and some restaurants and a couple of hotels and hostels. It is beautiful though, and I imagine it is a great place to have a very relaxing vacation by the lake.

Upon checking in at our hostel and putting our things down, we set out for the grocery store, which was barely a 10 minute walk away. We bought some dinner supplies and came back and made beef and veggie risotto. We then ate on the porch overlooking the lake.

While I enjoyed visiting Australia and saw many interesting things, I am glad to be back in New Zealand. I miss everyone that has already gone home, but there are things such as Tunnel Beach, and the lake, and the mountains and beaches in New Zealand that makes me want to stay for longer. Luckily, the sun rises really early and does not set until 10pm, so that gives me more time each day.