• Fairlie, Tekapo & Mount Cook

    February 1 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Nachem Motatapu Track hani mir vorgno e chlini pause rund um Tekapo zmache und s schöne wätter zgniesse. Churzfristigi unterkünft in Tekapo si leider sehr tüür gsi, wäge däm hani zwei nächt in Fairlie und eini in Tekapo verbrocht.

    Dr ersti tag in Fairlie hani mit zmörgele und wösch mache verbrocht. Im Laundromat bini mit zwei männer is gspröch cho wo sich als psitzer und manager vo mim hotel usegstellt het. Ganz spontan hani denn dr räscht vom tag mit ihne verbrocht. Si hei mi ufne schwumm im lake tekapo iglade. Erfrüschend und wunderschön isches gsi i däm blaue gletscherwassersee (und nid mol soo chalt wie erwartet).

    Zum zweite mol bini vo mine wanderstöck separiert worde. Die si nämlich mit dr Natalie uf Christchurch gfahre. Glücklicherwiis isch dr Seán grad per zuefall a däm tag via Christchurch in richtig Tekapo gfahre! Was e ganz e spontani widervereinigung mitem Seán und mine wanderstöck ermöglicht het.

    Dr Seán und ig hei denn am nöchste tag e usflug zum Mount Cook gmacht. Es isch e sunnige klare tag gsi mit bester sicht ufe Mount Cook die ganzi fahrt über. Mir hei e chline spaziergang zum Tasman gletschersee mit blick ufe gletscher gmacht und si no is visitor center vom Mount Cook Village.

    Zobe hämer e Stärnebeobachtigstour buecht. D region isch ebe gschützt vor liechtverschmutzig und es het mehreri observatorie. D lag so südlich uf dr ärdchugele und die trocheni lag im Mackensie Basin isch ab 1965 e wichtig gsi zum d stärnecharte wo nume vo dr südliche halbchugele cha gseh wärde z zeichne und z erforsche. Dr ganz tag hets perfekt usgseh für d tour. Und denn öpe e stund vorhär si d wulche cho... schlussändlich hämer denn e tour dinne gmacht. Was aber au sehr spannend gsi isch.

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    After the Motatapu Track, I planned to take a short break around Tekapo and enjoy the beautiful weather. Short-notice accommodation in Tekapo itself was unfortunately very expensive, so I spent two nights in Fairlie and one night in Tekapo.

    I spent my first day in Fairlie having a slow morning and doing laundry. At the laundromat, I got chatting with two men who turned out to be the owner and the manager of my hotel. Completely spontaneously, I ended up spending the rest of the day with them. They invited me to go for a swim in Lake Tekapo — refreshing and absolutely beautiful in that turquoise glacial lake (and not nearly as cold as I had expected).

    For the second time, I was separated from my trekking poles — this time because they had travelled back to Christchurch with Natalie. Luckily, Seán happened to be driving through Christchurch toward Tekapo that very day! This led to a wonderfully spontaneous reunion with both Seán and my trekking poles.

    The next day, Seán and I took a trip to Mount Cook. It was a sunny, crystal-clear day with perfect views of Mount Cook the entire drive. We did a short walk to the Tasman Glacier Lake with views of the glacier and also visited the Mount Cook Village visitor centre.

    That evening, we had booked a stargazing tour. The region is protected from light pollution and is home to several observatories. Because of its southern location on the globe and the dry conditions of the Mackenzie Basin, it has been an important site since 1965 for mapping and studying stars that are only visible from the Southern Hemisphere. The whole day had looked perfect for the tour — and then, about an hour before it started, the clouds rolled in. In the end, we did an indoor tour instead, which turned out to be very interesting as well.
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