Blogs from Wanaka, South Island, New Zealand, Oceania

Bicycle ride from Lake Hawea to Lake Wanaka... simply stunning scenery. Approximately 35km travelled by mountain bike. Jana did great. Then in the evening there was an amphibious landing by the USA... nothing new there then.... read more

8am bus to Wanaka via a very steep series of switchbacks. Into next AirBNB accommodation dumped the bags and off up Mount Iron. A quiet Italian lunch then out to Stephenson's Island within Lake Wanaka on a cruise boat.... read more

Day 22: Haast to Wanaka, 152km. Life's a bitch and then you die. The Donkey woke up the next morning with Rain patiently waiting outside. Rain did not want to make the same mistake as last time (day 20) when he lost most of his contents while the Donkey was standing, waiting indoors, laughing, behind the safety of the sliding doors of his Top Ten holiday Park motel unit, till the worst was over. This time Rain timed it better, holding himself back, but he was bursting to overflowing so had to let go of some showers. The Donkey set of in a drizzle at 7.30 a.m. on the Haast Pass Highway with Wanaka his destination for the day. When Rain decided that the Donkey was far enough from Haast so that it was unlikely that ... read more

Last friday was friday the 13th and I'm not superstitious or anything but still... I hate days like these. So yeah I went to the Hauroko lake, the deepest lake in New Zealand and I did a hike that was the most exhausting track that I did so far. But I DID IT and as the sayings goes: the best view comes after the hardest climb! Beside that I drove to the Clifden limestone caves, where I saw glow worms for the first time! On sunday I spontaneously decided to hike to the first hut from the Kepler Track. I have to admit that it was quite exhausting to go up especially as I had an extra weight because of my backpack. Additionaly, the weather conditions weren't the best. However I was very proud of myself ... read more

Na een mooie zonsopkomst op het strand van Westport rijden we naar de zeeleeuwenkolonie van Cape Foulwind. Hier zonnen en zwemmen tientallen zeeleeuwen op en tussen de rotsen. Sommigen zijn erg fanatiek, maar de meeste liggen lui op de rotsen te zonnen. We rijden terug naar de Hoofdweg en zakken langs de kust af naar het zuiden. De kust wordt steeds grilliger en de weg slingert zich langs diepe kliffen. De branding beukt ook steeds heviger op de kust. Het lijkt een beetje op de kust van Californië. Bij Punaki stoppen we bij de panckacke rocks. Hier zijn gedurende millennia door water en wind laagjes uit het zandsteen geletwn, waardoor het net pannenkoeken lijken die op elkaar gestapeld zijn. We spotten een mooie blauw/grijze aalscholver. Onder ons beukt het zeewater door een paar natuurlijke doorgangen zich ... read more