Tekapo: Pictures of a floating world

We leave the Lakes District for a few days in Lake Tekapo, in the Mackenzie district. On the way, we pass familiar tree ferns and New Zealand beech surrounding the road, then to more open grasslands of the Lindis Pass.

Lake Tekapo and Lake Punakaki are famous for their other-worldly turquoise colour.

Generating hydroelectric power, Lake Tekapo, like Queenstown, is a ski resort in winter, but still buzzing with summer tourists and backpackers in March. We had to wait ages for this few seconds gap in the tourists to get this shot below, and in true teacher style, Mike actually ‘herded’ a coachload of tourists down to where we were standing to stop them walking into the shot, saying “best photo from this place!”

Staying out late for the Dark Skies astronomy tour at Cowan’s observatory, we marvel at the Milky Way, spot the Southern cross, Jupiter, Mars and the odd nebula or two. One of those experiences you can’t really photograph, as the light from your camera affects your night vision and it takes ten minutes for your eyes to adjust again!

After getting back at 1am from the stargazing experience, I was in much need of my beauty sleep, so the sunrise photos the next day were taken by Mike (who normally isn’t a morning person!).

Aoraki Mt Cook

Mount Cook has changed a lot since we were here eight years ago, with motels and more eating places, not just the Hermitage hotel and the YHA. The treks now have new steps and even flushing toilets at the start of the walks!

Mike explores the DOC centre and I have a sobering read of the books of remembrance for all the climbers who have died on the mountain in tragic accidents (many were instructors). Each page retells the fateful events accompanied by a poignant photograph, and I recall a book by Rosie Thomas I recently read called White, about an ill-fated Everest expedition, and also the film ‘Sherpa’, which looks like it might be a dramatic and politically emotive movie.

Inside the DOC centre, I come across an apt quote from Bruce Jenkinson (1972) which sums up the feeling of this majestically beautiful but wild place,

” Lord, what a place. A huge inclined triangle of ice, brittle, featureless, cold and so high. Haunched to the sea and the incessant, ruthless wind”

Hanmer Springs

On the road to Hanmer we have a lunch stop at a little town called Oxford, with another lovely cafe and more gluten free cakes to sample!

We enjoy reading the local newsletter and of particular interest to Mike is the ‘Oxford Community Men’s Shed’ meetings among the local clubs and society listings!

The small spa town of Hanmer has an alpine village feel, reflected in the weatherboarded buildings and the surrounding forests.

Mike has his birthday treat with a long forest walk, then a few hours at the thermal pools. The Spa compex is a fantastic outdoor thermal retreat, with natural hot waters heated between 38 and 42 degrees, including aqua therapy pools. Aahhhh! Very relaxing!

After cooking at our hostel for a few evenings, we treat ourselves to a delicious ‘birthday’ curry at Malabar Asian fusion restaurant.

Many types of trees here, both coniferous and deciduous, with planting from Europe, Asia and the Americas, as well as native specimens. The forests were planted after the first world war, providing work for returning soldiers and local prisoners.

When it was too hot for walking we had a round of crazy golf and relaxed in our wonderful hostel, Hanmer Backpackers, run by Dutch and Japanese husband and wife Tristan and Yoko. Feeling more like a Swiss mountain chalet than a hostel, we are treated to freshly baked cakes each day, ground coffee and tea on tap, with plenty space for lounging around, and even twenty minutes each day on the professional massage chair!!

Chatting to a genuinely awesome Dutch couple in our hostel (they were camping of course), who are semi-retired and doing a seven year trip around the world, in their boat, spending their children’s inheritance, we suddenly felt a bit less awesome than we had previously, but nevertheless inspired!

See you soon, next stop Golden Bay and the Abel Tasman coast,

Mike and Kath X

 

Pioneer spirit

Leaving Queenstown, we drive up the ski area for amazing views from Coronet Peak over the Remarkables mountain range and the farmland in the valleys. A spectacular sight!

We stop off at the Cardrona Hotel for a restorative beverage on our drive from Queenstown, and take in the heritage buildings and beer garden, which was being prepared for an afternoon wedding.

Cardrona is the area where I take a Western style horse trek later in the week, on an Appaloosa horse called Cheesy and pretend I am Clint Eastwood for a while, being followed by inquisitive rabbits and falcons! The horses don’t have shoes, as they never go on the metalled roads. Being Appaloosa, they are very sure footed, and have a lovely smooth canter.

Finding our turangawaewae

Lake Wanaka is New Zealand’s fourth largest lake, and sparkling on the edge of town, provides a great stepping stone for exploring Mount Aspiring national park. With active glaciers, hanging valleys and the Southern Alps, it feels like Switzerland, though the alpine flora is unique to New Zealand, and the tree ferns a bit of a contrast!

Wanaka itself is our favourite town so far! As the Maori say, it is our ‘turangawaewae’ (our place to stand). Smaller and less cosmopolitan than Queenstown, attracting a slightly older demographic, but not too big, we have everything we need in this Goldilocks town – organic local food, great bars and restaurants, lovely lakeside walks and even a retro cinema.

The Paradiso Cinema is a true retro experience, appropriate for our viewing of Brooklyn, set in 1950s New York, with a variety of sofas, airplane and bus seats to choose from, and an interval with freshly baked (and gf) cookies to munch on!

For a mind-bending experience we visit Puzzling World, get lost in the maze and have fun in the illusion rooms and the Ames forced perspective room, and experience some of the illusion techniques used in the LOTR trilogy.

Plenty great food here, from pulled pork burgers at Alivate, to an authentic curry at The Spice Room, though we are predominantly self catering of course! Really!

Exploring Mount Aspiring national park is a must, and we take in the walk to Rob Roy glacier, which included a hairy drive through several fords along yet another back country gravel road through the Matukituki valley. Our white car is looking rather beige now….

More clear water and awesome scenery on our cycle ride by Lake Wanaka along the Outlet Track. A few bruises but worth it!

On our journey to Lake Tekapo, we stop off at the lavender farm to stock up on muscle rub for our feet! Much needed after all that tramping!

So, with fond memories, we leave Wanaka behind and head for Lake Tekapo and Mount Cook….and leave you with a thought from the back of a car…..

Mike and Kath x

 

 

 

 

 

 

The big smoke

Queenstown feels like a buzzing cosmopolitan town, with Chinese New Year celebrations in full swing and coach loads of tourists exploring the ‘honeypots’ of the Southland.

The town itself still has a certain charm, with the SS Earnslaw steam ship running sailings across Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables mountain range framing the sky. As long as we avoid the permanent queues for the famous Black Angus Fergburgers, there are great places to eat and sit back and enjoy the ambiance after a day adventuring in accessible wilderness!

 

Four seasons in one week

It is true what they say about the ever-changing weather here in New Zealand, though the odd rainy day is a good excuse for catching up on washing, a spot of yoga at Nadi Wellness Centre, going to the cinema, vineyard touring or just general touristy browsing in the shops. We heard on the news there have been new earthquakes in Christchurch and Invercargill, so are just grateful we are not affected here!

Golden moments

Great fun for a few days meeting up with Mike’s sister Cathryn and husband Adrian, who are here for a few weeks to celebrate Cathryn’s fiftieth birthday, and we ate great food and had a visit to the charming gold mining town of Arrowtown.

Activity capital of New Zealand!

Queenstown is famous for being the adventure capital for all things thrilling, and indeed it is here on the Shotover River that the first bungee jump was made. Feeling we are a bit old for the skydiving and bungeeing (is that even a word?), we entertain ourselves with less risky activities. I enjoy some horse riding in Glenorchy, which was more like ‘horse surfing’ due to the constant horizontal rain, though did see a bit of the Lord of the Rings (LOTR) scenery….wading through rivers was a ‘first’ for me, and did feel as though we were floating away at times!

 

Mike took the more sedate option of winery touring, and think had a more ‘dry’ experience than me, weather wise that is!

We both braved the rain again for a jet boat ride up Dart River, and enjoyed an afternoon at the local cinema watching the award winning The Revenant (did put me off riding for a bit, after that scene involving a horse, a tree and a cliff!).

Lots of Awesome people running in trainers with a small bottle of water strapped to their backs, whilst we are tramping around Moke Lake with a full day pack feeling not quite Awesome enough yet……

Awesomeness training!

Because we’re worth it!

What better way to relax after a long days tramping than to sit back in a hot tub and pick out the Southern Cross in the night sky and treat ourselves to more yummy food?

So we have had a varied two weeks here in Queenstown, and do feel like we are becoming a bit more fit with our outdoor adventures……picked up our new hire car and off to Wanaka next to explore the Lakes District and more of Mount Aspiring National Park.