ah... lake tekapo.  i will remember you fondly, and not just because i was finally rid of my crazypants tagalong. 

i pulled over to check out the town and ended up staying for 2 days because it was just stunning.  i set up my tent overlooking the water that is a beautifully unnatural shade of blue.  unfortunately it was super far from the bathrooms, but this proved to be a problem only in the mornings. 

yesterday i went for a morning hike that turned out to be almost a half-day excursion because i had to keep stopping to take photos.  the walk was from the lake to the summit of the hill that surrounds it, topped with a little cafe that served awesome breakfasts.  exactly what you want after a good workout.  the rest of the day was spent doing laundry, internetting, attempting and failing to make a proper gourmet lunch in army-style cookware, and generally putzing around the lake. 

well, that is until this group of motorcyclists in their mid-50s (with one super hot aussie adonis in his 30s, natch.  no lie, when i walked up he was sunning himself on the back of his bike like a cat and i might have tripped a little at the sight.) pitched their tents next to mine and invited me to come drink a few beers with them, which turned into pizza and beers in town, which turned into us drinking copious amounts of frangelico/whiskey/mango vodka around our potable stoves to keep warm until sometime around 2am.  sitting around and bullshitting with those guys was one of the best times ive had thus far in this country.  they were absolute riots and music snobs.  i totally appreciate that.

why frangelico and mango vodka?  i have no idea but i couldnt stop laughing at this scene of tough bikers sipping their drinks with shaved chocolate in them. 

this morning found me groggy and with a mouth that tasted of sweet, sweet frangie, but pretty well off considering.  then it was off for mt. cook.  the drive took a little longer than i expected, but you really cant complain when you have these incredible views.  when i arrived and saw all the snow and glaciers, i quickly realized that i am seriously lacking in the camping gear department.  my sleeping bag is barely warm enough for lowland adventure, let alone mountainous tramping with near-freezing temps.  so i checked into one of the hostels here and laid down for a quick cat nap that lasted 3 hours. 

i spent the afternoon perusing the base camps for hiking and did a little walking and sightseeing myself; planning for tomorrow.

now if youll excuse me, my internet time is almost up and i must drink my 4th liter of water before a seriously, seriously needed shower.