It was like been in the Switzerland, with snow and swirling mist on the Alps, giving it a thrilling chilly countenance.

Where had we come from?

We left Invercargill and were travelling to the town of Te Anau. If you check out the map, Te Anua is near the bottom and on the west side of New Zealand’s south island.

 

As we traveled I took photos from our moving car, of the passing scenery.

Arriving in Te Anau:

Because we were a bit too early to take possession of our booked chalets, we crossed the road and parked under the trees, which were close to the shores of Lake Te Anau, to wait our turn.  

Considering it was lunch time, we made a picnic of the food stored in the boot of one of our cars. When the rain started to threaten we packed up and decided to checked-in with the chalets. 

Our chalet:

I really liked the chalet that was allotted to my husband and myself. It had a happy feel about it, even though it was small. Perhaps because it was cosily decorated with two lovely biggish windows that let the light in and gave you surrounding views.  

It held a double bed and side tables opposite the entrance door. On one side of the door, were open shelves for clothing and luggage. And on the other side there was a wall unit desk and a kettle.  

We made hot drinks with the kettle. And I used the desk later, to catch up and transfer my photos from my camera to my laptop. 

With the fine rain having stopped, we took the chance to… 

Exploring along the lakeside:

Everyone rushed off, leaving me to take a slower causal walk, taking my time to photographs. I really enjoyed this time to myself, to soak-in the serene beauty of the scene all around me. 

I watched the gulls and birds doing their thing and took note of the little things. Like how the moss and different types of grasses grew between and over the off-white and grey stones. 

It’s fun to check the different fora and flora of a country. Here things were so different to the rest of New Zealand, perhaps because it’s closer to the South Pole, and near the fjord land reserve area and snow-capped mountains. 

Here are some photos I took of the Lake:

 

Here is an oil painting I did of Lake Te Anua.

 

Notice how the water seeps out from the higher ground. Some places there was more water running down and into the lake than others. This seepage is what must create the moss. 

There may seem a lot of white in this painting. But you can’t avoid it, because of the reflection of the mist upon the water and glistering water on the stones.

Photos don't always do justice to paintings!

• In the painting the mist over the mountains looks rough, but I had gradated and subtly blended the colours!
• In the original there isn't any golden yellow in the upper sky. That was caused by a shadow, while taking a photo of the oil painting! 

The round-up of the day:

At last I caught up with the rest of our party, and walked back together to our lodgings via a pathway alongside the tarred road.  

We were all in a happy mood and soon were enjoying a braai. That’s a South African name for cooked meat on a fire. The family had brought their own portable braai box with us. 

We gathered round the fire and had a lovely social time together that evening. It was like been home from home with everyone laughing, talking and sharing.  

Then putting everything away, we took time out to shower at the provided ablution block. It was some distance from our chalets, over very stony ground. Not so pleasant, especially when you’re half-awake and have a need, in the middle of the cold dark night! 

Warning: 

When travelling, before leaving your shower cubicle, you need to check to see you have gathered all your personal stuff. For example, if you leave your shampoo bottle, there are too many people lodging in holiday resorts to know who it really belongs to.  

That is what happened with my husband. It wasn’t there when he returned straight away. It had vanished and there was nothing he could do about it! 

To Bed and to dream

The next day we would be on our way to Milford Sounds and take a tour of the fjords in a huge touring boat. The whole adventure there and back was so exciting and profound.  

Now… that, you will hear more about in my next few New Zealand blogs.