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Published: October 10th 2011
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Dunedin
The Octagon Where was I? oh yes, waiting for the bus...
We'd checked earlier with the information desk that our bus left from out the railway station with a somewhat distracted young lady. The coach was due to leave at @13:55 so when, at 13:50, there was still no sign we went back inside to double check. "oh" said the lady, "that coach doesn't leave from here, it goes from the depot 10 minutes from here" PANIC!!!!
Having ascertained which direction the coach depot was we raced outside to try and find it but to no avail. We then saw a window cleaner so we ran up to him and asked him if he knew the way. Now I'm not taking the micky or making light of the situation but the one person who you don't want to meet when asking for quick, clear and concise instructions is a bloke with a very bad stutter. Again, let me make it clear that I'm not taking the p*** but the poor bloke couldn't string a sentence together and our rapid fire questions in a Scottish and English accent wasn't helping the situation.
We were no nearer the bus depot and the time was 13:57.
Te Anau
Lake Te Anau The coach had gone.
George took control of the situation and suggested we head back to look for a taxi to get us ahead of the coach and meet it at the airport (where we'd been some 2 hours and $50 earlier) we ran down a side street and lo! there was a taxi. George rapped on the window (waking the cabby up making him jump) and asked if he could takes us to the airport pronto and get us there before 14:25 when the coach was due to leave. After much negotiation (and the promise of great riches should he succeed) he agreed to take us.
In we jumped and with great urgency (not) he gently pulled away. The next 20 (agonising) minutes was spent in the taxi with the driver regaling us about how good his diesel engine was "GET A MOVE ON" I screamed (from inside my head of course).
We arrived dead on 14:25, no sign of the coach (but $100 to a grateful cabby.)
We waited another 10 minutes and with all hope lost we were deciding what to do next when around the corner came our inter city coach! Huzzah! I hear you all
cry.
Well huzzah was what we shouted and one or two more expletives. Turns out he was 10 minutes late anyway so we gratefully and with much relief hopped onto the coach.
An hour and a half later at the rest stop the driver approached us and told us we were doubly lucky as he wasn't planning on stopping there as he had no one to (officially) pick up. There was, however, some body to drop off so he stopped anyway. PHEW!!
We arrived in Te Anau, on time, at 18:45 and found our hotel on the lakefront. A quick sorting out and then we headed into town to 'The Ranch' for a couple of quick beers. Te Anau is in the deep south of New Zealand and with country music blaring out it certainly felt like it. I could almost hear the duelling banjos!!
A very nice pizza followed then it was back to the hotel. We're being picked up from there @ 11:30 the next morning for our overnight cruise on Doubtful Sound.
Onwards and upwards!!
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