Destination: MIddle Earth

Because of the previously mentioned hangovers (moderate ones, mind you), we got on the road to Lake Tekapo a bit later today. We both were in need of some sort of savory food and a flat white the size of my head, so we went to a coffee shop some random person on the street had told us the day before was “The finest coffee shop in all of ChCh.” They weren’t lying. We split a breakfast burrito, got those coffees, and suddenly things were looking up (until we got to the rental car place of course, but I’ll skip reliving that story again). Finally settled into our non-shitbox car, Liza looked over and said “Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads.” JK, she actually said, “Destination: Middle Earth?” Indeed, all aboard.

Not too much to say about the drive. Our El Cheapo car has no cd player, so those days are past us sadly. We did have some great convos about how we would like to be proposed to (or not proposed to), what we’d want our wedding like, where we would honeymoon…you know, the kinds of things you talk about when you’ve already discussed what your grandkids will call you, and what your kids names will be. We made a couple stops along the way, one to take a picture with a giant fish in Rakaia, and one to buy some more cheese at cheese shop (for only $1.50, mind you). We rolled into Lake Tekapo at about 3 pm, and our only objective for the day was to get up to the winter center and do some curling.

#Fail. Again. Curling is only offered at specific times. I had to console Liza in my heaving bosom. Disappointed but undeterred, we bought a spa and slope package which gave us access to the 100 foot sledding slope and a hot (but young) Canadian who relocated to NZed to play rugby. Liza and I did several runs down the slope and I worked the ‘ol Steezy charm on our new friend. And then we walked away having failed to get his name, number, place to meet us, preferred number of children and where we should winter together in our twilight years. After an hour of sledding we hopped in the spa pools, with a view of the lake and mountain to boot, and had more life altering discussions (“boobs are weird.”).

The place we’re staying here in Tekapo is right on the lake, and kind of adorable. We were told we had the best room in the place, with the only unobstructed view of the mountain, and they weren’t lying. The lake itself is turquoise, caused by some chemical released in the water when glaciers moved through it eons ago. After our spa day, we made a little plate of cheese and meat, had some wine, and played card games while staring off at the scenery, wondering again how this had become my life.

Tekapo is an extremely quiet town, so, it being Sunday night, we made it our goal to get to a restaurant for dinner nice and early so as to be sure we actually could eat. After yet again being foiled in our quest for sushi (WTH) we grabbed a table at a place called Reflections. It was 7:30. We split a salmon & broccoli penne pasta with a garlic cream sauce and a bacon-wrapped filet with chicken pate and mashed potatoes drizzled in truffle oil. It was every bit as delicious as it sounds. We also split a bottle of Trinity Hill wine (one of the wineries we visited in Hawkes Bay) and soon realized we were the only people left in the restaurant, and our server had her backpack on just waiting for us to leave. Apparently they had actually closed 5 minutes after we arrived. Oh, New Zealand. After rushing out the door (at 9 pm, mind you), we found the only other place open on the strip, a pub which happened to be right next door. Liza got her Baileys on the rocks for dessert, I got to lose at more pokies. It was great. Came home, played some more cards, drank some more wine, made plans to get up early for a tramp, and went to bed. It’s now almost 9 am and she’s still asleep. But oh, what’s a girl to do.

Monday’s plan: get that tramp in (hopefully while it’s still sunny so WAKE UP LIZA!!!), swing into the salmon farm just up the road, take some pics of Mt. Cook in the distance (the highest point in the Southern hemisphere) and then get ourselves on to Queenstown. We might squeeze the walking tour/pub crawl in tonite, try yet again to have some sushi, and rest up for our day of skiing on Tuesday. Holla!

Additional notes:

-Liza’s favorite phrase is turning out to be “Okay, you were right.” I have been navigating both in car and on foot for us, and she never seems to believe my directions. Outside Martinborough, I said “we should have turned there,” and her response was, “What? No” (and surprise! We were!). That has become my new favorite phrase.

-Since it gets exhausting being right all the time, I’ve decided to relinquish most of the day-to-day decisions to her. For example, at the Pac ‘N Save

Liza: Should we get peanut butter with additional salt added

Stephanie: Sure

Liza: Really?

Stephanie: Okay, no.

-Seriously, WAKE UP!!!

-The little town where we stopped for cheese, Geraldine, apparently has quite a “crafting scene” according to Lonely Planet. Those two words would appear to contradict each other.

-All day today we keep getting wafts of the stench from the car. We haven’t been able to identify where it’s coming from…our clothes, our bags, our bodies. I decided last night we have actually ingested the stench and it’s our farts that smell like it. Just great.

-I have been instructed to write a north island wrap-up, which I will. But I’ve now spent two hours pecking away while Liza sleeps (WAKE UP) so I’ll save that for another time. She seriously said last night that she’s never slept past 10 a.m. in her life, and we’re about 45 minutes away from her breaking that (useless) record. Anyways, see you from Queenstown.