← PreviousHikes and unique experiences in the heart of New Zealand: Lake Tekapo and Mount CookWaking up, over breakfast, we reckoned there wasn't much point going back to France. We'd be just as powerless by her side, and by the time we got to Marseille she'd probably already be out. No, we'd carry on with this trip and try to make the most of it. Two hundred kilometres on Route 6, then a hundred or so on Route 94, and there we were in Te Anau. Sitting on the edge of Fiordland National Park, the town is the perfect gateway to a whole wild area renowned for its hiking routes and spectacular landscapes. Tourists streamed through, of course, either to go tramping (multi-day hikes) or to visit the prestigious Milford Sound.
The sun was already high when we arrived, and after dropping our bags at the backpackers, we set about slowly exploring the area. We rested, taking a day off activities like Tour de France riders between long stages. We actually enjoyed these rest days; we were learning to take our time and no longer feel obliged to maximise every moment trying to see and do everything. In our eight-bed room we fell asleep early so we could wake at 7, as we wanted to avoid as many tourists as possible on the road to the fjords.
That was a good call until we were caught up by the coaches full of Chinese tourists. The only way to avoid them was to set off on hikes. So we started a three-hour walk to Key Summit, a viewpoint overlooking the whole valley. Unfortunately, clouds were starting to cling to the top, and the higher we climbed, the thicker the mist. We turned back a hundred metres from the end because we couldn't see a thing any more. We came down disappointed to have missed the view and walked two hours for not much. Never mind, another time. We wolfed down pâté sandwiches at a viewpoint and set off on another big hike.
It was rated three hours return, and people online warned it was difficult. And indeed, we had to navigate between rocks, huge branches, slippery roots and a really steep slope. We moved on in silence, completely crushed by the heat under the trees of this dense forest. After an hour and a half of slow progress, we finally came to a gap in the vegetation. Before us lay the most beautiful lake we'd ever seen, ringed by immense mountains. Photos won't do the place justice, but it was truly sublime. We were lucky enough to have blue sky, and even though we hadn't brought swimsuits, we went for a swim anyway.
The water was cool but not freezing, and we didn't want to miss the chance to swim somewhere so spectacular. We cooled off and took countless photos. The walk had been hard, but the reward was well worth the price. The return was no easier, even though it was downhill. We had to be careful not to slip on the huge wet roots and slippery stones. Halfway, we met a very friendly Frenchman about to turn back, worn out by the difficult terrain. After a pleasant chat, we convinced him it was worth it. In all, the round trip took close to the three hours indicated. We then took our time heading for our last activity of the day. We'd booked a fjord cruise to admire one of New Zealand's most beautiful landscapes from the water.
We'd chosen the 5:15 pm departure because it was the last of the day. That way we were sure not to have too many people on the boat and, above all, no other boats to spoil the view. The cruise lasted two hours with a meal included (fish and chips, of course) and went through the fjords of Milford Sound. For the second time that day, no photo could do justice to the grandeur and majesty of the place. The mountains were 700 metres high, birds skimmed low over the water and the sun flooded the bay with evening light. We stood utterly awestruck on the boat's top deck. The main attraction of the cruise was Stirling Falls. At 151 metres high, it's three times taller than Niagara Falls and roughly as tall as the Empire State Building.
Yet surrounded by these gigantic mountains, it looked really tiny. The captain took us right underneath, and the crew invited anyone who wanted to stand on the bow to enjoy it. Being big kids at heart, of course we went, and we ended up soaked from head to toe but with smiles on our faces. We even saw a double rainbow in the waterfall. The cruise ended and we were back on dry land. The drive back was peaceful, and we enjoyed the scenery to our heart's content. At the hostel, we spent part of the evening chatting with an American, a Swiss man, a Finnish woman and a Dutch woman. The debate was about pineapple on pizza, which soon drifted to the cultural differences between the United States and Europe. We went to bed around midnight while our friends for the night were getting ready to go swimming in the lake next to the hostel.