I wake up to loud barking, get up to see what’s going on and find it’s just a duck with her kids in the lake below. Lake Pukaki is completely flat, no wind and clear blue sky. I can see Mt. Cook directly from my tent. Is he mocking me?
Today, I will have to decide whether I’m actually going over to the West Coast or if I follow Hilary’s invitation to Oamaru and then go south towards Dunedin.
Going along the Alps to Ocean cycle trail along the lake is nice, with great views on the mountains. At the end of the lake the trail crosses the road and goes first downhill through a young pine forest, then onto a beautiful steppe-like flat to Twizel.
A2O from Twizel to Omarama takes a detour to some lakes, so I decide to take the direct route via the highway. A major mistake, as traffic is very dense. In Omarama, fed up with so many cars, I decide to turn east and follow A2O to the sea. One kilometre later I turn around again because the headwind is worse than any traffic, especially on gravel. Alea iacta est.
I start up Lindis Pass, much less traffic here, all the while looking for a potential place to camp. That proves difficult as almost the whole of New Zealand is fenced off like a high-security prison. I go over the pass around 20.30 and see the mountains around me lit by a beautiful sunset light.
Rolling downhill, I finally find a suitable campspot at sunset. It’s close to the road but hidden behind some lupine bushes.
