Te Araroa, Day 104

In the morning, we walk towards the end of town to hitch a ride to Lake Tekapo. There is already a guy trying to hitch. We walk further. Even though he is "first in line," I believe we have good chances. And we do! Soon, a campervan passes him and stops for us. A New Zealand couple takes us on board. They are returning home to Riverton from a holiday. They own a farm there and a private hut near the Te Araroa. They give us their contact details to call them in case we wanted to stay in that hut.

They drop us off in the center of Lake Tekapo. Before walking a kilometer to the Holiday Park, we take a break at the lake. The energy of the place feels strange. The mountains around the lake are completely bare, as if someone shaved all the trees off. The town itself seems to exist solely for tourists, and there are plenty of them. We buy some things at the supermarket and walk to the Holiday Park. While setting up the tents, the sun emerges with its piercing rays, and we retreat to a table and bench in the shade by the lake.

In the evening, I walk back to the supermarket to get a frozen pizza for my dinner. Before going to sleep I observe lots of rabbits close to the tent. They look cute, but they are a plague in New Zealand.