Short post

To be frank, I'm a little burnt out from posting. Staying up late to finish my post last night and getting up earlyish the last few days It's worn me down a bit, and tomorrow we got a sorta busy day tomorrow as well. So, it's a bullet list tonight. don't get me wrong, it's still an amazing trip, but I need to calm down. Today: Walked around Te Anau town center and got a breakfast meat pie from a place called Mile's Pies as well as a hot chocolate. Walked back to the hotel we were staying in, finished our pies, packed our bags, and departed. We started by trying to do a few LOTR things. (Which, BTW Sarah is NOT a fan????? So only I am super keen on this stuff.) Went to Lake Manapouri - but we went to a LOTR walking thing. It was an unsealed road that ended abruptly at a barge. Saw a ghost orange truck, (I'll explain in a sec) On that same road, saw a mom and dad duck and 5 ducklings - I didn't want to run them over, but they kept just quacking in distress and then running into the middle of the road so we crawled along. Eventually one parent "distracted" us enough for other parent to heard the ducklings to safety. The LOTR pin stopped us before we got to the lake, so we pulled over. Considered going into the forest. Was deciding to at least see what was at the end of the road when an orange truck drives by. Glad the truck didn't get caught up in our duck shenanigans. We go to end of road. There is no orange truck. There have been no other roads connecting to this one. We're sure there's no other place for this truck to go, but it's gone. Curious. We enjoy the lake a bit, Sarah makes a call, and I take pictures. During a photo, I heard a gunshot. Hustle back to the car. Drive down the road - still no orange truck. I really really want to do at least a few minutes of the LOTR walk. Risk it for the biscuit. Walk through the Forest was beautiful - totally worth it. Start to leave. ORANGE TRUCK PULLS OUT FROM BEHIND US. We can only guess he parked off the road where we couldn't see him, but at least it was't a ghost. Drive down to Kepler to see another LOTR site. Drive North to Queenstown - few stops here and there along the last of the Southern Scenic Route (more LOTR sites!)

Stop at a place called the Coffee Bomb - great stop for a small bite. Go to Chard Farm and Winery which overlooks another LOTR site, and has some amazing Pinot Noirs. (the road to this winery is on some very sheer cliffs) Watched some people bungee jump. Visited Arrowtown (an old Gold mining town) Most things were closed by now

Get some chocolate from an offshoot of Queenstowns oldest chocolate shop. Weather starts to turn again (it rained this morning, a bit more, and then some more, with lots of sun in-between.) Head to Queenstown to check in. Check in. Walk to the Town Center and eat at Ferg's Burgers which HOLY MOLY that's like the best burger I've ever had Walk around some more Head back to pick our activities and go to bed. And now it is bedtime!