Day 20. Lake Pukaki via Methven. The day we met crazy Rick.

Opted to motor south today to see some of the country's bigger mountains. Little to say about the drive, lots of scenery, loads of sheep and a quick pit-stop at Methven to take on supplies and sample the local pies.

9 out of 10 for the pastry but only a 6 for the lack lustre filling. Steak for Wend, Mince for me.

We'd hoped to make Lake Tekapo our base for a couple of days but were a tad underwhelmed with the campsite so pushed on to the much quieter Lake Pukaki. That's what's brill about the van; you just keep going until somewhere suitably gorgeous comes along.

This was our first stab at proper wilderness camping - no toilets, showers or electricity, but no neighbours or fee - and it was lush.

We managed to find a spot beneath some trees right by the water's edge with an uninterupted view of Mount Cook on the other side of the lake (a big lake mind, so New Zealand's tallest mountain was still fairly small on the horizon).

Actually, when I say no fee, we did end up slipping a few bob to a chancer by the name of Rick who told us it was his life's ambition to plant indigenous flora all along the shoreline and that he needed donations from campers to help make his dream come true.

It all seemed plausable and very worthy, until he blew it by adding that he was a gun-runner for the PLO and was on the run from Israeli secret police.