Day 12, Lake Pukaki to Lake Tekapo, 60km.

The rain cleared overnight and I was woken by the sunrise at 6.30am. The smell of my coffee mingled with the stench of my neighbour's night poos. The campers on both sides of my tent had shit in the open and just left it there when they departed at dawn.

There was a toilet about 100m away, so I don't understand why. So weird and disgusting.

Anyway, I got on the road and saw Mt Cook clear and cold in the distance. 

I took drinking water from the canal and added a chemical purification tablet because my water filter is broken. I need to buy a new filter, hopefully in Christchurch.

It was a hot day and I drank about 5 litres. Got sunburned despite putting on sunblock two or three times.

Lake Pukaki was a most shocking blue from the suspended rock dust.

I found a bluetooth speaker on the side of the road, still in working order although the case was cracked. I tested it and enjoyed some K-pop for a while.

Not sure what I'll do with a free bluetooth speaker; I do not need more weight to drag around.

The Alps To Ocean cycle trail I am following is very good riding. Smooth packed gravel winding through the landscape, and most importantly away from cars.

Alongside the canal the road is closed to cars, so it is NZ's largest cycleway. Marvelous! It's glorious to have two lanes of tarseal and absolutely no cars.

The canal was not flowing because they were doing some maintenance on the Tekapo B station intake. So the water level was really high in the canal, even submerging tussock and grass on the banks.

A coffee break beside the canal.

I passed the Tekapo A power station and it was all silent, no water flowing. It was strange to see it all shut down.

Then I checked into the Tekapo campground, a most horrible dusty place with no shade and tents crammed together. The kitchens were overcrowded and the shower had a timer for 6 minutes of hot water before it went cold. Do not stay there.

But they had a lot of wild rabbits which were cute and almost tame.

Sunset from the campsite.

I used earplugs to sleep because it was a noisy campground.