A new day. Some people who were involved in yesterday’s kiting permission ask how it was. Short and sweet! Everyone who hears the question immediately gets their camera out and shows me pictures. I must have put a nice splash of colour in Milford Sound. I keep asking around: Has anyone done it before me? No one has ever seen one.
We take the boat out onto Milford Sound early. If there had been anything going on at that time of day, I would have tried to top yesterday. Out with the boat, chat to the captain and then 15 kilometres downwinder to the entrance. But the wind didn’t arrive until much later. The captain was already in Regensburg, which gave me a great view from the bridge for a while.
Numerous waterfalls come down to the right and left, the mountains rise vertically up to 2000 metres directly from the sea. Bomb weather for the second time in two days. The sea lions lie lazily in the sun.
Back at the lodge, I pack up my stuff and head back. On the way: The Chasm. Wild water has eaten its way through soft rock in waterfalls. Keas scream in the forest, but unfortunately none come near me. A few minutes later, a burnt-out bus stands at the side of the road. At 105 kilometres, the nearest fire station was a little too far away. At Homer Saddel after the tunnel, gentian is even in bloom on a high alpine hiking trail. Bees are buzzing, crickets are barbecuing and the sun continues to beat down.
A short detour into the Hollyford Valley. After a nasty bend on the gravel track, I start to skid a little. But not as much as the Corolla, which almost ended up in the Hollyford River. It’s 2m off the track on a slope just before the river. After 8km of gravel, I arrive at Gunns Camp. An oddball. Lots of old memorabilia, a sign pointing the way to heaven and a hydrogen bomb in front of the museum.
The rest of the way back to Te Anau flies by pretty quickly. The wind at the northern end of the lake is blowing at around 40 knots. More white chops than water. Quickly back to the backpacker, stuff out and off to the lake. A Kiwi surfer gives me the start and takes a few more pictures. One more lake. I just can’t get any high jumps together with the Vegas. Hard edges, good wind, pull hard and fly back fast. Effect: one metre with luck. What’s wrong here? After an hour on the water, my kite feels like a jellyfish. The front tube must have taken a beating yesterday in Milford Sound.
A farmer is slaughtering sheep in the meadow next door. I ask whether it doesn’t cause psychological damage when sheep are slaughtered in the presence of their flock. A German woman says: “No, it means less release of stress hormones. Makes the meat better.”. I was actually referring to the little sheep that is mowing so comically in front of its mum’s carcass bleeding out from the tractor shovel.
The next morning I repair the front tube and a few small tears in the cloth of my kite. Waiting hard for the wind. Must be coming. I just realised earlier: my new car has the words “Super Windy” on the back.
Alex and Arian: New riddle for you. Today I found out that two scenes from The Lord of the Rings were also filmed at Lake Mavora, where I was the day before yesterday. Which picture and which scenes?
Frank Woelky, born in 1973. Kitesurfer since 1998. Since 2006, I have been combining kitesurfing and web design on trips lasting several months off the beaten track.