Wanaka, New Year's Eve, Queenstown

30/12 car/ Aspiring Hut
Gernot wanted to do the Cascade Saddle Route and I thought it was too hard, so we decided that he should go alone. Since verything was fully booked in Queenstown, Wanaka and everywhere else, I stayed in the car for three nights. The road in to Raspberry Flat where the track started was a real back-country road, which meant you had to cross several fords to get there. Gernot went up to the hut, and I drove to Coronet Pass where I slept in the car at night. In the middle of the night a car drove in to the huge parkingplace and shone the lights on all three cars that were parked there. Then another car came from the other direction, they talked, and then both drove off together. Probalby carthieves looking for unattended cars, but they couldn't steal one there since there were people sleeping in all the cars.

31/12 car at Lake sylvan Doc camp / Dart Hut
Gernot crossed the Cascade Saddle for 9 hours with a family from New Zealand. I went to Arrowtown and walked the River walk, then to Queenstown, where it was confirmed everything was full, so I drove out into the wilderness and stayed at Lake Sylvan which was beautiful. Not actually by the lake, but by the Route burn river so you could wash yourself. I walked to the lake and then ran back when I got lost in the forest.

1/1 2008 car in Reese Valley / Hut
Gernot crossed the Reese Saddle and then down the Reese Valley.
I walked to Diamond Lake, where I fell into a mud patch and got all muddy and had to wash it all off in the river. Then to Glenorchy and round the Glenorchy Lagoon. Then I drove up the Reese Valley to find Muddy Creek carpark where I was pciking up Gernot the next day. Unfortunately I missed the carpark and drove on, and then the road got really, really bad and I lost the front bumper in a very steep downhill hole. Then I got to the Reese River and realised I had gone too far, but stayed there anyway to wait for Gernot.

2/1 Aspen Lodge, Queenstown
Gernot arrived around 12.30 and we drove back out after having completely removed the front bumper. We went for a swim in Lake Wakatipu at Glenorchy. Very cold. I had booked the room in Queenstown without having seen it, but we were very lucky, it turned out to be one of the best placed we have stayed. Almoist our own bathroom, the kitchen and lunge next door.

3/1 -"-
Looked at Queenstown. Went up with the gondola to the Skyline complex where there is a great view of the town and Lake Wakatipu. We also tried the Luge, which I thought was a little scary. You go on a downhill track in a little carlike thing, using gravity as speed. We met the two German girls that we had seen several times before since Abel Tasman, Adina and Evelyn. In the evening we went for drinks at chicos bar to meet them, but we missed them.

4/1 -"-
Walk around town, Gernot went all the way to Frankton and I turned back after about half the wat as my foot started hurting again. I went to "the Foot Clinic", a shoe shop, where they tested my feet and told me a put too much weight on the big toe, which is why it hurts. So I have to buy new runningshoes that are very expensive, but I didn't. In the evening be watched Titanic with some Australians and Gernot then went out with them for a few beers.

5/1 -"-
Drive to Lake Hayes, not so pretty, but we went for a swim. Then the riverwalk in Arrowtown again, I forgot my camera on the riverbank and realised it when we were almost back in Queenstown, but at least I got it back.

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