My Trip To Doubtful Sound (Part II)

Was too lazy to write nowadays, I am not sure why, as I travelled more, the tendency to write is lesser. One thing that kills this momentum was because of the poor wifi system in most hotel or motels, or the need to purchase for usage of wifi kills the desire to write spontaneously, after each event.

But visiting this place, I would like to record this down, was so meaningful to me. In my earlier write up, I mentioned that I was driving on my birthday, though taxing, it was also very emotional for me, for throughout the journey, many things happened, and many memories/past pictures cropped up, one after another playing in my mind.
You have the earlier incident, where I was affected by the gravel road incident, my hand was hurt, car was affected a bit, my worry of petrol running low, with no petrol station in sight (but I found one, for sure, and a blessing for me, and the fact that I have another 200kms to drive before I reach my hotel at lake Manapouri and in order to get my key, was also a worrying factor, but finally all was perfect, and everything was solved. I got the petrol station, I arrived to my motel safely, got my key, made myself a simple cup noodle (yes, my birthday dinner), and that  was where I met three friends from Germany, and they were the one offering me the beer,  and wishing me well with my Birthday, before the nite ends. So, it was a good ending for my birthday, and also a day to remember me driving that far and being alone throughout the journey.
As I was driving, I cried a few times, I am not sure why....many memories came back....many things come into my mind and it was also a very soulful driving, like empty space and also the open environment makes you think you are driving to another world, a lot of things Buddhism says.....really makes you see a lot of things. And throughout the driving course, I only played one song, that is 大悲咒by Chyi.....cool isn't it? I think I need this to let me at the same time, meditate a bit.....being in touched with Buddhism even more......being alone, being really on my own.

The picture taken when I arrived Lake Manapouri and when i first woke up and stare out from my Window, the full view from my Window......it was so touching, you just cannot describe the feeling of this.

And it was more exciting when the journey to Doubtful sound starts, I shed tear another time. It is again, so soulful, besides beautiful views and sceneries.

Doubtful sound, You know, it was quite lucky for me to get the final ticket for 11th February tour date, as it was the last ticket for this departure, at 8am. If I did not make my booking earlier, I could have missed this chance, and also seeing Doubtful sound, all my tiredness of driving more than 12 hours, and close to 600Kms, were all worth it (please take note that 600KMs here are referring to driving in normal trunk road, as they do not have motorway or highway like what we usually have in Asia here). And maximum speed you can drive is 100 KM/HR and when you come across a city or a town, you have to reduce the speed to 70KM then to 50KM, before you are allowed to go back to 100KM speed limit.
I wish to come back here one more time in near future....hopefully.

Please take note that during this trip, we were lucky to see sea lions and also dolphins.....

This trip, in short so meaningful and so memorable.
I will remember this place for the rest of my life...............and I really fall in love with NZ, deeply in love with NZ this time around.


Choong