Some Lake It Hot

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Tempting as it was to go and explore the last minute camping spot we tracked down late yesterday evening, it turned out to be a recreational reserve for fishing in particular which, being a vegetarian, is obviously not my thing. Instead we packed up once again and set off in search of a better location.

On the way, we passed through Te Anau which was pretty touristy but not in that tacky unpleasant way. I had left my toothbrush at the campsite in Invercargill so we popped into the little supermarket there to pick up a new one. In a neighbouring souvenir shop, we couldn't resist buying a couple of fingerpuppets (as you do) in the shape of a kiwi and a penguin. Did you know that New Zealand is home to several penguin colonies? Alas we've yet to see any :-(

As we made our way to Kingston along Route 6, we were dismayed to find nowhere free to camp the night. Just a little bit further up the road however, our luck suddenly changed. As a matter of course, we always check out the picnic areas as this is often the best place to find a free campsite and it was at only the second rest stop here that we found a little piece of paradise. The picnic area was clearly a regular stopover for campervans although there were no facilties at hand. What made the area so lovely was that just a short drive through the pine trees brought us out by the side of Lake Wakatipu with mountains rising up around us on all sides and the lake stretching as far as the eye could see. The view actually reminded us of the postcards we've seen of Milford Sound. Cool.

We spent the day lounging on the pebbly beach, listening to the lake waters lapping at the shore. The sun was beating down, glinting off the shiny flecks of silver and gold in the rocks at our feet. I've no idea what's in the rocks but it was a very pretty effect. In the distance was a view of the Devil's Staircase, a harshly ridged mountain that was so named because of how difficult it is to climb with its many jagged peaks. As Glynn dozed away the afternoon, I contented myself with skimming stones on the surface of the lake. The stones were all strangely flat and ideally suited for skimming and I wiled away the hours until my arm threatened to detach itself from my shoulder. I'm sure I will have got horrendously sunburnt but hey, who cares when the day turns out to be good for a change?

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Photos

Balloon Loop Reserve
How's this for a view to wake up to? This is Balloon Loop Recreational Reserve with the Fjordland mountains at the back :-)

Yeeha!
Glynn celebrates finding a great freebie campsite by chucking a load of stone in the air. As you do.

Beach Frog
The Fellowship of the Frog nestled in the trees by Lake Wakatipu. Those big cushions are our mattress by the way!

Set in Stone
True love, always.

Cheers
Beers on the beach - this is more like it!

Devil's Staircase
Looks like an evil climb for sure.

Beach Rocks
Unusual rocks from the beach at Lake Wakatipu.