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In Late, Out Early from Te'Anau
Apr. 11th, 2024 12:41 pmNew Zealand Travelog #12
Te'Anau, NZ - Thu, 11 Apr 2024, 6:30am
We arrived in late last night at our hotel in Te'Anau after a long day road-tripping through The Catlins. Well, at just past 9pm it wasn't technically all that late, but as (a) sunset was almost 3 hours earlier and (b) most things in small-town South Island shut for the night long before then, it sure felt late. Even the staff at our hotel hung up the "Office Closed" sign and went home at 8pm. It's a good thing we called ahead around 6 to let them know we'd be in closer to 9. They left our room key— and yes, it's an old-fashioned metal key— in an envelope in a box at the front door.
I'm glad I was able to get settled for bed by 10pm as I had my alarm set for 6 this morning. Oddly my body decided by 4am that I'd had enough sleep. On the whole I didn't mind having an extra hour or two of quiet time this morning. That's because we need to leave for a day trip across the Doubtful Sound in Fiordlands National Park. The boat departs at 7:30, registration is at 7, so we want to be rolling at 6:40am— just a few minutes from now.
So, here we are ready to leave when it's still dark outside, after getting in last night well after dark. What about our room? Well, we sprang for a room with a lake view. How good it is, I can't be sure. It's been too dark the whole time we've been here to view it. 😓 Oh, and it's raining. Still. Yay.
Te'Anau, NZ - Thu, 11 Apr 2024, 6:30am
We arrived in late last night at our hotel in Te'Anau after a long day road-tripping through The Catlins. Well, at just past 9pm it wasn't technically all that late, but as (a) sunset was almost 3 hours earlier and (b) most things in small-town South Island shut for the night long before then, it sure felt late. Even the staff at our hotel hung up the "Office Closed" sign and went home at 8pm. It's a good thing we called ahead around 6 to let them know we'd be in closer to 9. They left our room key— and yes, it's an old-fashioned metal key— in an envelope in a box at the front door.
I'm glad I was able to get settled for bed by 10pm as I had my alarm set for 6 this morning. Oddly my body decided by 4am that I'd had enough sleep. On the whole I didn't mind having an extra hour or two of quiet time this morning. That's because we need to leave for a day trip across the Doubtful Sound in Fiordlands National Park. The boat departs at 7:30, registration is at 7, so we want to be rolling at 6:40am— just a few minutes from now.
So, here we are ready to leave when it's still dark outside, after getting in last night well after dark. What about our room? Well, we sprang for a room with a lake view. How good it is, I can't be sure. It's been too dark the whole time we've been here to view it. 😓 Oh, and it's raining. Still. Yay.
