Tekapo - is this native-speak for "stunning scenery..."

It seems that I have finally discovered where they hide the winter in NZ; 

Lake Tekapo...

After extricating myself, almost kicking and screaming from perhaps the finest establishment in NZ that is the Albatross in Kaikoura, I left sunshine and 16 degrees and headed south for Tekapo. I arrived to yet more sunshine, but had gladly observed as the temperature gauge in the car dropped towards zero, only slowing as it reached 3 degrees. And with a welcome wind this most likely made the real temperature slip the other side of freezing... Hello Kiwi winter... My evening smokes became measured in seconds as opposed to minutes, and a pair of gloves were quickly found; $5 well spent.

After the Albatross I wasn't expecting much, and I roundly got what I expected little of. Ironic too, that the guitar in the lounge is a very well playing Ibanez when the inhabitants seem completely indifferent to whether I am playing guitar or farting...

But, with a sigh, I cannot expect to be greeted with bohemian revelry at each and every establishment, and have held conversation with a couple of people here... Hmmm... Kaikoura; how far is it really from here..?

My morning coffee - yes, again I was up before the fantail's fart - was enjoyed with a view of yet another crisp morning, replete with clear skies - Alpha Centauri (if my memory serves me correctly) gracing the skies just left of the Southern Cross, and the sky displaying colours my previous artist-existence would have fallen over backwards to create.

I froze my nose to see the lake shore at sunrise, returned to the hostel for a third coffee before buying a healthy 'square meal' breakfast of an English muffin (egg, ham and Kraft cheese slice..?) and a piece of beef lasagne (at least this was genuinely square!). Oh, and another coffee - moccachino of course - rounded up my healthy start-to-the-day, and I drove for Mt. Cook, with Mumford & Sons accompanying my trip...

As I drove on, Mr Mumford was duly ignored as the scenery unfolded before my eyes... I was grateful that the road was almost empty - the white lines were regularly criss-crossed as I gaped in awe at the views, and my gratitude extended to include cruise-control, or I might have found myself at the pleasure of the police as my right foot hit the floor in wonder and disbelief. I would say that 'wow' was replaced by a series of words even the Kiwi radio stations would 'bleep' out, as mountain ranges grew before my eyes, appearing round bends in the road as though I was entering the Sistine Chapel, my eyes feasting on Michaelangelo's masterpiece for the first time.

Breakfast was enjoyed at one such 'wow' place (most likely spelled '**** me sideways'):

FMS... ('wow' in english) isn't it amazing, eh...

Perhaps the greatest such wow moment was as Lake Pukaki revealed itself as I rounded a gentle sweeping bend in the road. As an aside, on my return journey I passed a car in the ditch on this very bend, and would not be surprised if they had too 'wowed' the view a little too much, and surprised themselves in the ditch. No apparent injuries, hence I allow myself to speculate.

The drive itself... well, can you handle any more 'wows' from me before the air turns bluer than the skies I saw... I will leave the expletives behind - they grace pretty much each and every corner I turned today - had I a swear-tin with me and upheld my honesty, I should now be able to stay in ***** hotels, or a higher likelihood would see me driving straight for Chez Albatross; who needs stars when you can have such a constellation of lively and remarkable souls...

Mt. Cook village resembled how I would imagine a showroom if IKEA started selling kit houses... "On your right the SALANDER chalet, or you can choose the BLOMQVIST hut if you like; it goes very well with the WENNERSTROM decking..." And, for 'wows' sake; could I buy a coffee there? No... At least IKEA feed me...

I swiftly departed towards the Tasman Glacier, and swiftly made my first, and only, fail of the day... Not by ignoring the advice to not take a hire car on unsealed icy roads without snow chains (you didn't really read that bit mum...) but by not finding Lake Tasman and the icebergs... Oh dear... I walked for about 30 minutes looking for the glacier, which I found..:

Yes, the dirty bit on the right really is a glacier...

...but I had forgotten that the lake just over the ridge is the lake I mistakenly thought was north of Tekapo, and where I planned to head later... Fail, yes... Epic fail..? You tell me, but most likely... I discovered my misgivings only on return to Tekapo, upon reading in my Lonely Planet and discovering I had been but a stones throw (even a dirty glacial one at that) from exactly where I now wanted to go... I lit the air with plenty of 'wows...'

But - and a but which I firmly believe exonerates my fail (yes, I know it was rather epic) - the drive alone was more than worth it..:

View up the glacial valley towards Lake Tasman...

...and down towards Lake Pukaki.

Yes, it was snowing up there, a few flakes dusted my shoulders too...

Just the colour of Lake Pukaki was worth the drive...

So much blue between the sky and the lakes, I simply had to complement with orange...

Not in a long time have I enjoyed a drive so much. I recalled a journey undertaken to Flamingo Land theme park when I was perhaps 9-10 years old: I always remember the drive there lasting far longer than its ninety-odd minutes, yet the return seemingly passing in the blink of half an hour. This is effect of anticipation and amazement on the outward leg, compared with the reflection of the return, and I experienced such a drive back to Tekapo today. On the outward drive I marked off places to take photos as I drove back, but driving back I had to time and again undertake swift u-turns in the middle of the highway as these places came and went far sooner than anticipated.

I almost missed the turn off for Mt John just before Tekapo as I drove home, well, truth be told I almost missed remembering that there is a cafe up there, and following my complete lack of finding coffee for neither love nor money between Tekapo and Mt Cook and deeming this a genuine emergency I was perfectly within reason to perform a test-perfect emergency stop on highway 8. So, imagine my disappointed to discover that I am not allowed to smoke up top the mountain... Honestly, would my cigarette smoke really upset the clear skies around the observatory? Baffled, and still without coffee was I...

Another fabulous drive upwards was then graced with these view - bear in mind the camera lies its derrière off in trying to give a sense of scale here..:

Towards Mt Cook; my lack of playing tourist leads me to admitting not to know if it is even visible here...

This is pretty close to what the colour of the lake really is.

Once back in Tekapo I duly visited the Church of the Good Shephard:

Built from brick and oak, and if I remember rightly in 1935.

Lake Tekapo from inside the church.

Then returned to the peace and quiet (insert sad-face emoticon here, and decidedly avoid mentioning the Albat... Stop, now...) of the hostel. Sitting in the lounge I was only reminded of the hostel-that-shall-not-be-named when another previous guest of the Albatross (ok, I can now speak of it without tears...) came in; a Kiwi who had joined is in Kaikoura for one night only. I begged him to say how he managed to escape, and heard something about 'rugby' and 'favourite team playing' whilst he spoke, but my mind was recalling the tunes and words shared but a few nights ago... Goodness me, was it really that great...

I fed myself once more on pasta, tomato sauce and my latest discovered idea, borrowed from my little fishing sister: I grate a few carrots and cut up half a cabbage, keep this in a tupperware box in the fridge (or car boot in these alpine temperatures), then eat when hungry... This lasts a good few days, and with a bit of creativity (and ranch dressing) can become coleslaw, a sandwich accompaniment, or a fine side to my now ubiquitous pasta and tomato sauce.

Another day done, and another place visited. My time grows shorter, the miles becoming less... Tomorrow I head north once more, Christchurch in my sights, although the Banks peninsula is appealing to me... and I find myself searching the BBH website, desperately for a key word such as 'bohemian' or 'arty' or 'musical' in the hostel listings... I will find somewhere nice, I will meet more people. Of this I am certain... I make the effort - gone is my quiet side, the man who once desired a single room and peace - I was gifted my own room just last night as there were no dorm rooms left, but was no happy bunny... My own time was no fun, and I yearned for company and 'life...' but this is lacking somewhat here. Don't get me wrong, Tailor-made Tekapo really is a lovely hostel, but having touched the Golden Goose - or Golden Albatross - I am tainted by what once was... for those three brief yet so well filled days...

Enough of Albatrosses (Albatrii? Albatrodese?), my journey is onwards again...

I was rewarded for the cost of paying to reduce the insurance excess when a car in front chucked up a stone, perfectly aimed at the windscreen, leaving a telltale snowflake crack in my line of sight... Had this been my own car I would have found myself 'wowing' the air blue, but in all honesty my very first reaction was a smile which reflected $96 very well spent...

Tekapo and this area is simply stunning. The sky was so blue - turned bluer with my verbal amazement - the lakes amazing, the snow stunning, and I do not regret coming to see this part of the country... NZ continues to amaze me, I nothing but the greatest of ways...

Next, who knows...

Ciao for now...