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March 18, 2005
Stopover at Tekapo
(Day 29) "I need to do laundry before we leave." We were back in Queenstown after driving back from Te Anau the night before.
"Why don't you just do laundry at our next stop?" Don suggested. We would be spending the next two days making our way north to Christchurch.
"I've got nothing to wear." All my clothes had been turned inside out and worn twice already. "I'm gonna stink to high heaven."
"We'll just keep a window open."
Fair enough. I gave all my clothes the sniff test, and picked out a set that stunk the least. Half an hour later, we had checked out and were on the road.
Having already seen the best of New Zealand, everything we passed seemed plain and ordinary. I kept reminding myself that the landscape was actually quite remarkable, but I couldn't help blankly staring at the sky.
"Get your camera ready! Get your camera ready!"
I snapped back to attention and looked ahead. I missed my opportunity last time; I wasn't about to do the same again.
"Did you get it?"
I don't know how New Zealand does it, but the lakes in the country must be among the most beautiful in the world. We passed Mt Cook blending in with the clouds. Around 3:00pm, we arrived at Lake Tekapo, perfect place to stop and spend the night. The name Tekapo is actually derived from the Maori phrase for sleeping mat, suggesting it has always been a popular stopover point.
The first hostel we stopped at was full for the night, but we were informed that a new hostel had recently opened down the street. Not yet in any of the guidebooks, there were plenty of beds available. We checked in, unpacked, and the first thing I did before going outside to enjoy the day?
Laundry.
Thanks to everyone for their support and comments! Knowing people are reading keeps me motivated to continue the updates!
Posted by markyiin at March 18, 2005 12:27 AM
Comments
Uh, Mark, I think we talked to you once already about the sheep pictures. I'm starting to worry...
Gorgeous landscapes. Kinda weird that there are no trees, though. Is it arid in that part of New Zealand?
Posted by: Anonymous at March 18, 2005 12:20 PM
the "lakes" picture is so gorgeous I half expected mermaids to be jumping out of the glittering water. the sheep crossing was also pretty neat...next time you should cut off some of their wool (is that what sheep have over their skin??) for a souvenir!
Posted by: Michelle at March 18, 2005 12:58 PM
WHOA. Sheep. They look HUGE. FUNNY that I'm reading this post while I am doing LAUNDRY. lol I've waited way too long. I kept thinkin, I'll do it when I run out of things to wear. Apparently, I had more clothes than I thought. Now, I am suffering the consequences -- staying up till probably 6 a.m. to go through 4 to 5 loads of laundry, which doesn't quite include my bed sheets, etc. Ahhh! lol Yes, this is the excitement of my so-called life. -=oD -GEM
Posted by: GEM at April 11, 2005 07:28 AM