Here we are en route to New Zealand, leaving Tahiti behind us, already nostalgic of the warm weather and turquoise waters of French Polynesia. Flying high over the Pacific Ocean we prepare mentally for the cold winter that awaits us in Queenstown. We have deliberately left the Northern Island out as we have Christchurch and the Vilmay family in sight. With only two weeks ahead of us we decided to fly to the Southern Island and spend our time there. After crossing the international date line (bye bye June 12) and stopping in Auckland for couple hours we flew over the snowy summits of the Southern Alps while the sun set. The vista through the window is incredible and the approach to Queenstown airport ranks definitely among the best.
We picked our rental car and went for a quick grocery shopping spree leaving with couple bottles of Pinot Noir from Central Otago. We just couldn’t resist. We have opted to stay in Queenstown for few days and have rented a small apartment overlooking Lake Wakatipu. We need to sit down and prepare the coming weeks and our outback trip in Australia. As expected temperatures are low but luckily we have an electrical blanket for the night and a good glass of wine to warm us up. Tomorrow is another day, time to rest.
The weather is overcast and we can’t really see the Remarkables mountain range across the lake. The forecast for the coming few days is not good, that will leave us time to think about our next steps. Nevertheless we go out for lunch in the cold and quiet Queenstown, the ski season has barely started and heavy snow falls have still to come.
The next day we drove to the Shotover river for a quick hike on the riverbanks before heading to Arrowtown, an old mining town that was bustling with gold diggers back in the 1860’s. There are many preserved buildings reminiscent of these golden days on Buckingham street and around, giving the town a real far-west vibe. We then looped back to Queenstown through Arthurs Point where the Shotover river gorge is particularly spectacular.
The weather the next day was clear and sunny and we decided to drive all the way to Glenorchy, a small town on the northern tip of Lake Wakatipu. The drive follows the shore. It is beautifully scenic with multiple places where one can stop to enjoy the amazing views across the lake and on to the summits of the southern Alps. Just after exiting Queenstown we made a little detour through the Ben Lomond scenic reserve. I love this place, we camped there few years back. The place is awesome with small lakes surrounded by yellow grass and snowy peaks in the distance. In winter the place is very quiet and you have it all for yourself, not minding the handful of ducks that swarm the lakes. One day we’ll climb the summit of Ben Lomond, the 360 degrees view up there must be beautiful.
Glenorchy is a very mellow town nestled on Lake Wakatipu at the edge of Mount Aspiring national park. Besides few cafes, restaurants and B&B’s you won’t find much there. The main attractions are the old steamship depot and the jetty. Both are witnesses to the time when residents of Glenorchy were dependent on steamers for transport and supplies. After a simple lunch and a walk by the lake, we headed back to Queenstown for our last night there.
After four relaxing days it was time to hit the road to Christchurch as we had few places en route where we wanted to visit. Our first stop was Wanaka just a bit over one hour drive from Queenstown. We decided to take the scenic route through the Crown range and Cardrona. The day was overcast, we had a bit of snow and ice at the pass and yet the views remained spectacular. I love these mountain roads where you go from passes to valleys to lakes, I never get tired of them. We stopped at the Cardrona Hotel for a morning coffee. Established in 1863, it is one the oldest hotel in New Zealand and is rumored to be the most photographed building in the country. From there we crossed sheep farms after sheep farms and finally reached Wanaka.
Queenstown is the outdoor capital of New Zealand but it is super touristy almost anytime of the year. I prefer the smaller and quieter Wanaka. You still have the same cafes and terrasses, simply less crowded. And if you like hiking or water sports you’ll find what you need there too. Before we called it a day, we went to that small corner of Lake Wanaka where you find that Wanaka tree. If Cardrona Hotel is the most photographed building in New Zealand, that tree is the most photographed in the country. Even some Chinese soon-to-be-married couples fly all the way to Wanaka for a picture of them and the tree. How romantic is that! At sunset, the pebble beach is a bit crowded and the tree is in the shade. I already plan to come back the next morning when everybody is still asleep and the light is better.
We came to Wanaka not for the tree but some serious hiking and that’s what we were about to do. You have a wide range of hikes in the area. We decided to climb Roy’s Peak. After a quick stop at the ranger office to see the conditions of the track especially when approaching the 1578m summit and a small detour to snap couple more photos of that Wanaka tree, we were starting our ascent. The climb is not technical at all, it just never offers any respite. The climb is a never ending 15% slope that challenged your tiny little muscles in your legs. But the views are breath-catching. Soon you overlook Roys Bay, Glendhu Bay and the rest of Lake Wanaka. We could see all the way to Mount Aspiring. It took us about three and a half hour to reach the summit. Of course we stopped en route for pictures, especially at the lookout some 30 minutes before the top. We didn’t know much about this place but it appears that in summer people can queue there for up to an hour to have their picture taken on the promontory. The view is indeed spectacular but damn 60 minutes for a picture, it’d better be good. The sad part of it is that most people don’t even bother climbing to the top once they have their precious photo to put on Instagram. What a mistake, the view from the summit is even better! Overall we had very little snow and ice on the track and after a good break at the summit we turned back. And after almost 6 hours of intense effort, we hit the road for Twizel leaving Wanaka behind us but our legs will not forget any time soon.
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