HLM -Chapter 1131 Surprised Backpackers (Part 4)

This time, when they came back to Sunset Town, they had naturally done some research on the town through travel websites in advance. However, since they felt they had been to Sunset Town before, they thought they were already familiar with it, so they only skimmed through the information without studying it carefully.

It wasn’t until they spoke with the female server that they realized just how much the town had changed. Compared to the last time they visited, Sunset Town had grown so much that it could now be called Sunset City.

The changes were significant—they felt both familiar and strange at the same time.

After saying goodbye to the friendly server, they first stopped by a street-side newsstand to pick up a travel guide. The guide was comprehensive, not just offering fishing tips but also recommendations for dining, lodging, and even including a beautifully detailed map.

While studying the guide, they drove toward the lake.

If Du Zewen were driving, he would introduce Lake Hawai to his girlfriend: “This lake is beautiful. In New Zealand, it’s nicknamed the ‘Heavenly Pool of the South Island.’ That alone tells you how gorgeous it is.”

“Don’t be fooled by the lake’s shimmering surface and the free-roaming aquatic life,” he continued. “Beneath the water lies an endless series of volcanic craters.”

Song Jiali nodded. “I know that. The lakeside hot springs of Lake Hawai are also formed this way, right?”

With the lake’s rise in tourism, the discovery of hot springs, and the finding of freshwater corals, many geologists and freshwater experts began studying it.

It is now generally recognized that Lake Hawai was formed by a series of volcanic eruptions that occurred over twenty thousand years ago.

“There’s also a theory that the lake was created by a massive, single volcanic eruption about five thousand years ago. It was so violent that even on the Chinese mainland, the sun was obscured by the ash clouds,” Du Zewen added.

“When we last came, Lake Hawai was beautiful but lonely. It wasn’t a professional tourist destination yet. Unlike now, there’s a highway that goes directly there, and you can drive there easily. Back then, the lakeside didn’t have these natural landscapes, Maori culture, or supporting facilities.”

Zheng Anjing flipped through the guide and said, “I guess we won’t have time to climb the mountain this afternoon. Just the lakeside facilities alone are enough for us to enjoy.”

“First, we can take a steamboat ride to experience 19th-century lakeside life, then check out the freshwater corals. After that, we’ll go fishing and catch some shrimp—it’s important, as it affects our dinner.”

“Also, in the evening, when it gets cold, we can soak in the hot springs. They even have stone-grilled beef there, though it’s expensive, so maybe we’ll skip that.”

“At night, there’s usually a small party by the lakeside almost every evening. We can grab some late-night snacks there. If we’re interested, we can try the jet skis, or run along the lakeside track. At the end of the track, there’s the starlight wormhole…”

When she mentioned the wormhole, Xu Tao sighed, “We won’t be able to see that. I checked online, and the waiting list is already booked a quarter of a year in advance.”

“Are there any scalper tickets?” Song Jiali asked, tempted by the fame of the starlight wormhole.

Xu Tao shook his head. “No. First, Sunset Town strictly regulates this. Second, scalping isn’t popular in New Zealand—you can’t use connections or backdoors to get tickets.”

The steamboat tickets were cheap—ten dollars each, giving them plenty of time on the lake. They each bought a ticket, and as the boat’s whistle blew, the vessel set off.

Onboard, there were various drinks and snacks available for purchase, which was how the boat made extra money.

Seeing that the first drink was half-price, each of the four bought a cup. Even at half-price, it was only five dollars for a large cup. But the drinks were made from spring water and tasted excellent. After finishing, Xu Tao smacked his lips and said, “This is pretty good. Should we get another cup?”

Zheng Anjing looked at him eagerly and nodded vigorously: “Get another cup.”

This time, it wasn’t half-price—forty dollars for four cups.

As the weather warmed and the sunlight grew stronger, the lake temperature rose, accelerating the growth of the freshwater corals and expanding their habitat significantly.

With the sunlight penetrating the water better, the underwater corals became clearly visible. They were indeed stunning—vivid, colorful, and dazzling even through the thick lake water.

Zheng Anjing couldn’t stop taking photos with her camera, clicking away continuously.

After an hour on the lake, Zheng Anjing began transferring the photos from the SD card, while Song Jiali busied herself organizing her social media posts. The pictures she uploaded were almost going viral among her friends.

“What next? Go back on the boat?” Xu Tao asked, still eager.

Du Zewen shook his head. “No. Getting on the boat is easy, but refusing their drinks is hard. I’m afraid we’d become the first group of people to go bankrupt just from taking a boat ride.”

Hearing this, the other three laughed.

“The sun’s so nice. Let’s walk around the lake,” Zheng Anjing suggested.

The lakeshore of Lake Hawai was very gentle, the scenery beautiful, and the air fresh. Even just walking slowly by the lake was incredibly pleasant.

The lakeside path was specially made with cork, providing a soft buffer. Even heavy runners wouldn’t experience joint pain from impact.

Walking northeast led to the starlight wormhole, while heading northwest took them to the start of the forest. There was a large area of primeval forest, shrubs, and grassland, suitable for experienced hikers or hunters.

As they walked, they reached the forest start point, where a sign read: Mountain area—weak Wi-Fi, poor mobile signal. Please travel in groups. Rescue phone: …

Looking back, Zheng Anjing exclaimed in surprise, “We’ve walked so far? Why don’t we just start climbing the mountain? We’ll sweat a lot, and then we can soak in the hot springs. Wouldn’t that be perfect?”

Song Jiali nodded. “Yes, we brought enough food anyway. Let’s climb.”

At the end of the path was a tent rental shop, fully stocked and reasonably priced. Besides tents, they also rented fully enclosed stoves.

When they paid, the manager kept emphasizing: “Be very careful with the fire! Don’t start a wildfire, or you won’t be able to get out!”

Du Zewen signed the liability form. “Don’t worry. We’ve used this type of stove before—for heating and cooking only. We won’t misuse it, and nothing will go wrong.”

The manager nodded. “Good luck. Also, you might encounter wild boars this season. Don’t worry. As long as you don’t provoke them, they won’t attack. There’s plenty of food up there.”

One employee added, “Or you could rent a dog or a white yak to help with the climb. The dog can protect you, and the yak can carry your gear and also offer protection—they’re very strong.”