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Published: December 28th 2017
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8. The Surprise The situation presented the opportunity. The weather was perfect, the scenery was perfect, and the mood was perfect. I had to do it this morning right here! So off we drove, slowly across the private farm and stopping somewhere halfway to get up close with the herds of sheep. We had a couple of hiccups, getting chased off the grounds twice as we were deemed to be disturbing the farm animals, and getting our shoes and pants drenched in muddy waters. But nothing’s going to stop me from executing the plan! Finally, at the 3
rd try of stopping the car just by the gravel path, I asked her to wait a few steps away from the car, with the snow-capped mountains as backdrop and the herds of curious sheep as witnesses, I set up the tripod with my phone, got my first-person view GoPro ready, took out the photo album, the ring, and went down on one knee. “Will you marry me?” She sobbed and let out a soft “Of course!” The surprise worked, and this was the moment we will remember for the rest of our lives 😊
9. Farm stay and doing… nothing much From Lake Hawea, we looped through Wanaka before heading to our rest stop for the night. It was a pleasant stopover at Wanaka, where we found our shady patch (half in the sun and half under the tree, for if not, it would have been too cold/hot otherwise), and practically did nothing. It was a nice two hours staring out at the clear blue Wanaka lake, and people-watching, locals and tourists. It was good to know that we would be looping back to Wanaka in the second leg of our trip.
We headed onwards to Otago, Glenmac Farmstay: our home for the night. Though not exactly what we imagined a farmstay to be (think: wearing staw hats, milking cows, picking strawberries), this place sure had plenty of sheep, and hosts full of hospitality. The granny host let us milk a little lamb, and explained that October was the lambing season (it’s no wonder we got chased off the fileds earlier at Lake Haewa, as the owners feared we would scare the little lambs away!) The next morning, we ventured in the farm’s backyard, and were greeted by herds of sheep, slowly
making their way across the fields and doing their own thing. What a blessing to be able to live in a little farm and be parents to such simple-minded creatures.
(contributed by Steph)
10. Scenic Lake Tekapo We started the second leg of our trip with three other friends, JX, Cindy and Alvin, and set off from Christchurch in our giant of a caravan. First stop, we were headed for Lake Tekapo, home to the turquoise waters (impression based on Google images). Tekapo didn’t disappoint. We visited the renowned Church of the Good Shepard, Mount John Observatory, but the most enjoyable of all has got to be the Tekapo Hot Springs. Feeling truly relaxed and with our pores all-open, this place was not just instagrammable but also a huge relief for our aching bones, which were all numb from the long hours on the road. Perhaps, an alternate dream life would be to operate a Hot Springs in the middle of the mountains.
(contributed by Steph)
11. The photogenic drive and Hooker Valley Trek We continued en-route down south towards Mt Cook National Park. Besides Haast Pass, I think this
is my favorite drive during the entire road trip. Mountains after mountains, lakes after lakes, it’s as though our eyes will never get sick of incredulously picturesque panorama. An eye feast in every sense. We stopped by along the road (almost every campervan did!) and took photos after photos with the insane backdrop. After hours of driving, it’s time for some exercise as well, as we started on foot on the popular Hooker Valley Trek. The 4-hour return journey was extremely enjoyable, offering views of the retreating glacier mountains and the pristine Hooker Lake at the other end. If only we have this scenery (and of course weather) back in Singapore, I totally wouldn’t mind walking 4 hours every day!
12. Wanaka, the chosen retirement destination After Mt Cook, we are back at Wanaka, our chosen retirement destination (lol). The feeling being in the town centre, and relaxing by the Wanaka lake, is as Steph mentioned, soothing, comforting, one of peace and tranquility. Little wonder that we both agree that we can jolly well retire here next time! Spent the 2
nd half of the day cycling around the pristine lake, before heading to New World (again!)
to get food for a barbeque night. The night was particularly enjoyable, blasting music, sizzling pork steak on the grill, eating and drinking to our heart’s content, before enjoying the starry night sky in our campervan.
13. Adventures in the adventure capital of the world Besides the proposal, Skydiving was the one most-do on the to-do list, and we snatched at the opportunity at Queenstown, the adventure capital of the world. After a short stopover at tranquil Arrowtown, we reached the city populated by tourist and adventure shops in the town centre. We went into one, booked a slot with Skydive Paradise for the next day and then wandered off roaming the streets. Queenstown may be touristy, but still it has a certain charm, wowing locals and foreigners alike to relax by the lake, take in the fresh air and marvel at the incredible landscape surrounding the city. Over the 2 days, we did gondola, rode the luge, tried indoors go karting, got our hands dirty on the famously delicious Fergburger but nothing tops the feeling of literally flying. Driving through to Glenorchy, we reached the takeoff and landing zone. A small propeller plane, 3 dive
instructors, a humble-looking container block and a piece of flat grassland were all that’s needed for us to have a flight of a lifetime. We were surprisingly not nervous (it’s Steph’s 2
nd skydive) as we suited up, went into the plane and hooked ourselves to the dive masters we were to trust our lives with, as the plane took off, bringing us up close to the magnificent mountains. Then the time came, as my friends jumped, a pair at a time. I was last to go. Inch forward to the door, tuck the legs underneath, count off 3,2,1… poof! Just probably 2 seconds of G, and we reached terminal velocity. Spreading my wings out, I felt free, flying in the air, screaming my lungs out, not out of fear, but because at that moment I felt the best feeling ever. Almost an entire minute of flying like a bird before the chute opened and we slowly glided back to the starting point. Dang, if this is free (like duh), I would skydive over and over again.
14. Drive back to Reality After a somewhat underwhelming day in Milford Sound, we started our drive back to Christchurch
(& back to reality) on our last full day in the country. It took us through most of the places we’ve been to, stopping by Lake Pukaki for photo-stop, Lake Tekapo town for lunch, before having dinner at our favorite place in Christchurch – O.G.B (Old Government Building). There, we ate and drank, reminiscing about the stories during the trip. 2 weeks passed in a flash, and there’s so we’ve seen and experienced. New Zealand will hold a special place in my heart, with so many stories I could still share besides what’s listed above: getting chased by angry cows, almost endangering a baby lamb, losing my spectacles, and learning how to clear our human dump from the campervan. Normally I wouldn’t want to visit the same place a 2
nd time, but for New Zealand, even though it’s quite a distance away, we never know. Like what a British lady on the 1
st night told us: “Oh, be very careful that you are in NZ for 2 weeks. My husband and I were here for our honeymoon for a couple of weeks, and we ended up staying here for life” 😊
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