Monday, October 26, 2009

Day 10 Wanaka

We set off from Fox Glacier still buzzing about the day before. It was a trip that will stay with us forever (i think)..
We originally were only going to Haast but on reflection decided that there really was nothing at Haast so would would drive through to Wanaka. I had read that this was a firly spectacular part of the NZ trip..so we were ready for more ooing and aahing.


We set off and along the way came across a beach on the side of the road that had heaps of stones..and people had been stacking them..it was pretty impressive..Al took pictures and If I have one I will enclose it. We stopped at haast at the itag place (we may have been running short of touristy stuff NOT) and then headed off.


Such beautiful scenaery. Waterfalls everywhere and mountains and snow..and then..FLAT..so strange. We stoped for lunch at some dodgy place and listened to a weird conversation at the next table..this man reckoned you would have way more chance in a helicopter if the engine failed as opposed to a big jet..Personally I have seen the movies and I have so seen helicopters crash..round and round.. anyway the whole time I was thinking Kim would tell me to stop staring. It was true i was staring..couldn't beleive this man. All at the table were transfixed by him..Tosspot!!


Anyway after a pretty ordinary lunch we were off again. Saw the prettiest lake..but a huge change was rolling in and so windy. We later learnt that a tree had killed a man in Arrowtown (near Queenstown) We arrived in Wanaka and got a great room overlooking the snow covered mountains and the lake. We stayed at the moorings Wanaka  http://www.themoorings.co.nz/
then set out for a walk.
we had coffee then walked over to the lake and onto the jetty and Alan says theres Simon.. O my gosh the couple we had met on the wine tour were just there. They had only just called in. How random is that?? Even more random that Alan remembered their names. So a quick hello and they were off.

We organised to go out for dinner at the Botswana Butcher as the people at the hotel recommended it. We arrived wet and bedraggled and in our jeans ( which may have been getting a little stanky) As we walked in we knew that this may have been a place where a fresh set of clothes wouldn't have been a bad idea.
On checking the menu out I noticed the wine and said to Alan that maybe that bottle of wine wasn't 33.90 as there was no zero..YIKES.
The food was great but the steak just came with the steak. We shared a serve of beans and potato.. (the beans as a side of the day were $8) and a glass of their cheapest wine..An interesting night.
Then it was home and into yet another bed..and more heated flooring..It had turned bitterly cold..












The pictures are in random order but show
waterfalls,
 the very windy lake on our way to Wanaka
'Al trying to take pictures in the wind
another 1 laned bridge (a v long one)
Stone cairns
The view from our unit
sunrise from our unit

1 comment:

Phrog said...

Well, i`m undecided on the safest thing to be in during an engine failure, cause dependant on the height a Helicopter engine failure is quite survivable due to the Auto-Rotate that happens in a helicopter, however if you can restart a jet engine on a plane then a plane can cover quite a long way as a glider even a 747, interesting thought though.