Blogs from Wanaka, South Island, New Zealand, Oceania - page 3

I chose to go to Wanaka instead of to the party/ski town, Queenstown, but found that there isn't much reason to go to Wanaka in the winter unless you ski or if you have the proper equipment to summit Mt. Roy in snow. I'd already been told that so it was no surprise. The lake is nice but Tekapo is far better. I did a trail run along the lake for some nice views and then decided to get out of there the next day. I forgot to take any photos there.... read more

We are in an area of New Zealand known as Central Otago. The country is not divided into states, but rather districts or regions (I asked a New Zealander for the proper term and he didn't really know, so I suppose it's not that important.). We are in the central part of, "Otago". This area is mountainous and littered with natural lakes. We are staying in a town called Wanaka on the southern edge of an enormous (I mean 26 miles long by 6 miles wide huge) freshwater lake, surprisingly known as - you guessed it - Lake Wanaka. We were lucky to find a B&B where we have the entire top floor of a house to ourselves, including an expansive deck that looks out to the lake. It's so pretty. The hosts are very kind ... read more

Left our laundry drying this morning and walked into Arrowtown, the prettiest town we have come across and the place we have felt most at home in. Have come back here again as its so lovely, we've even found the perfect river for Honey and Milo and Rebecca has made herself known in an amazing furniture shop where they design their own pieces, including a gorgeous curved sofa! Really bizarre sitting in the spring sunshine drinking coffee next to flowering daffodils, lupins and aquilegia whilst hearing talk of getting ready for Christmas. Freya went panning for gold and soon found her fortune. Later that morning took the Cardrona Alpine Pass over the mountain North towards Wanaka. Really twisty mountain roads with huge drops- time for Stuart to drive! Although the views made it worth it. Lake ... read more

Vandaag gaan we voor een ‘Ruben’-dag. Dit wil zeggen dat we de eerder natuurlijke route opgaan. De route van Haast naar Wanaka is zonder meer PRACHTIG. Een route vol watervallen, blue pools (zien er azuurblauw uit door het water van de lokale glaciers) en een hele resem wandelingen met prachtige zichten. Lunch aan het meer, zonder ook maar een ziel in de buurt, er is iets voor te zeggen. Om af te sluiten hebben we een grote wandeling aangegaan naar een prachtig uitzicht over Wanaka. Met we, bedoel ik dat ik een stukje gedaan heb, gelukkig was met mijn vorderingen en ben gaan uitrusten in de camper. Ruben heeft heel de wandeling gedaan, helemaal tot de top. Soms is samen op reis gaan ook even apart dingen doen... :) Omdat in dit geval de foto’s meer ... read more

October 7 & 8 - I spent two and a half weeks in Australia mostly in shorts and a t-shirt and never got so much as a scratch! Australia! Where there are more things that can kill you than anywhere on the planet! I did see a poisonous snake, a crocodile and one spider, but they all seemed totally disinterested in me. But in New Zealand, while covered head to toe in several layers of clothing with only my hands and face peeking out, I got five bites on my hands from these nasty little sand flies. Itchy, painful bites that I slathered with itch cream to no effect and kept me up at night. Several days later, I noticed my hand was quite red and swollen around one of the bites. So I checked with ... read more