Day 34.
I have noticed when dumping grey water that there is not much in the tank. A short inspection reveals that the hose from the drain to the tank is broken and looks to have been such for quite a while – most likely even before I picked up the camper. I drive to a mechanics in Ashburton who is specialized in campers. While they fix the broken parts I have a look around the city – very windy place. Shops are decorated for Christmas, but it does not feel right when walking around in rather sunny, warm, and light weather. I buy a new belt (maybe a bit late), but ever since the trek to Mount Everst Base Camp where I lost ~4-5kg, I have been using the very last hole, and it was even too loose around the waist.
I drive to the area south east of Christchurch where Akaroa is in the center. It’s really beautiful landscapes to overlook from the high elevation so I stop several places for just a few hundred meters further ahead to stop again where the view is just a bit better – this continues. It’s difficult to capture the atmosphere of landscapes – it never really becomes the same on a photo. I stop in the city center and walk along the promenade and back to the camper. For the drive back I go by the Scenic Tourist Road with again many spectacular views, but one also needs to keep an eye on the road here. It ‘only’ lacks mountains, white peaks, waterfalls, and rivers – but I have not yet seen a ‘picture’ where all is collected. This, one has to imagine or dream of – but Akaroa is for sure one of the most pretty areas. It’s difficult to pick a favorite, now when the trip is coming to an end – there have been so many, and also different landscapes, all characterized by the luxuriant and green (except the very west coast where the waves nicely hit the shore). Waterfalls is probably my favorite, but it has primarily been single waterfalls and else the area near Fiordland National Park. But here, there are no green hills – which also is a must-have for my favorite picture…you can not get everything, but have to enjoy the different pictures separately.
On my way to Christchurch the odometer just passes 5000km – roughly 1000km more than I expected from home. Likewise, the counter in the camera has also passed 5000, so there is quite a work in later sorting them.
