New Zealand - The Southern Lakes Area

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They say the town of Wanaka is a great alternative to busy Queenstown...

I arrived via the scenic Haast Pass from the West Coast, and decided to stay a few nights in this tranquil village by the lake. The area reminded me of a mellow version of Lake Chelan back in Washington State. Lots of outdoor recreation, including hiking, boating, camping and skiing in the winter.

I drove up into the mountains about an hour away from town, and took a 3-hr hike to view the Rob Roy Glacier. On the way there, I drove through lush green hills and pastures. It started raining hard during my hike, and on the way back, waterfalls appeared where they weren't just a few hours before and I had to ford eight creeks that gave me a bit of an adrenaline rush (okay, it wasn't like bungee jumping, but good enough for me). Oh, and a herd of cows crossed the road in front of me, which added the excitement for the day.

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Photos

Lake Hawea & Lake Wanaka in the distance
As seen from my scenic flight over the Southern Alps

Blue Pools
Located in the Haast Pass, which is the route between the West Coast and Wanaka.

The turquoise blue river water gets its color from particles of mica and other minerals in the glacial water that reflect the sunlight.

Rob Roy Glacier
1-hour drive from Wanaka and 3-hr RT hike. Halfway there, it started to rain hard. I could still see the glacier through the clouds, though.

Waterfalls and Kea birds
Kea are the only alpine parrots in the world and they're native to New Zealand.

View from the hostel where I stayed
"Wanaka Bakpakas"
Shared bunkrooms for under NZ$30
Private room with ensuite for under NZ$70

Shared kitchen
We could cook our own food here with their dishes and utensils, refrigerators, oven, cooktops and BBQ.

Shared Lounge
Great way to meet other travelers. They also provide two internet computers to use for NZ$6/hour, where I posted a couple of blog entries.