New Zealand Trip Report, Twenty-Four Hours 9: Wanaka, Twenty-Four Hours 10: Te Anau

DAY 9, February 26 , 2017, Sunday:

YHA PURPLE COW, WANAKA:

Wanaka YHA Purple Cow, was our dwelling for two nights, February 25 together with 26... such a relief after a few ane nighters... hither on at that topographic point were no to a greater extent than ane nighters! Had been arriving at unopen to destinations inward the eve or fifty-fifty at 9pm together with hence checking out early on morning... cooking inward the communal kitchens together with using the fridges at that topographic point for storage. The amenities had been cracking but alongside all the hikes together with this routine, it had been hectic.

The schedule continued to live hectic packed alongside hikes residuum of the agency also but staying 2 nights at the same house cutting downward a fleck of the stress! We could non allocate to a greater extent than days to the previous destinations due to paucity of time... all are worth hence much to a greater extent than time!!

However, what if nosotros had allocated to a greater extent than fourth dimension at all destinations together with it had rained? It'all such a hazard actually together with nosotros are hence thankful to God for such cracking weather... particularly every bit it had been raining heavily all through summertime earlier our arrival! In January, the helicopters had done trips alone on 2 1/2 days for the whole month... all residuum washed out due to inclement weather!

Here's our lovely room alongside stunning lake view. YHA is on the Wanaka lake... alone ane plug indicate at the TV worked... nosotros made produce every bit nosotros had a ability cube for charging multiple...

Snow covered peaks of the Southern Alps inward the background of Wanaka lake...

We picked upwards provisions from the nearby New World... after Christchurch this was he adjacent grocery shopping. We did non store at all inward the smaller towns. The mild temperatures kept everything fresh during our drives together with the hostel fridges were great.

BLUE POOLS:

Erly forenoon nosotros ready off for the Blue Pools. It had been on the agency when nosotros arrived at Wanaka. In fact I had started the hike but boy firmly said nosotros were out of fourth dimension together with had to accomplish our destination. He was right! So nosotros backtracked for the Blue Pools. There were hence many cars at the parking lot I was annoyed for missing the hike the previous night. Surprisingly at that topographic point were alone a few inward the Pools together with it was an AWESOME sight!

Then nosotros retraced our agency dorsum to Wanaka,.. awesome views of the lakes Hawea together with Wanaka...and the mount attain Remarkables

We had a repast inward our room together with hence drove inward the other direction for our hikes

Puzzling World:

We took a few light-headed pics at this fun house but did non purchase tickets to enter. We had earmarked it for a rainy day, but alongside the cracking weather, it was mandatory to produce the hikes...

DIAMOND LAKE CONSERVATION AREA:

It was a glorious sunny twenty-four lx minutes catamenia together with nosotros would conduct hold loved to cash inward one's chips to the Mt Aspiring National Park... but the terminal 10km is on gravel where ane has to ford streams together with our rental auto was non allowed on such roads... whatever occupation at that topographic point volition hateful nosotros are uninsured.

We drove along Mt Aspiring route till an inconspicuous sign on our right.

It's a comparatively curt walk to Diamond Lake from the auto park. The Sun was blazing together with I was a fleck tired from all the hikes on this trip. The sentiment was pretty rewarding though..

This is the Yellowhammer bird...

WANAKA LAKE VIEWPOINT:.

The trek from thereon to the Wanaka Lake sentiment indicate is to a greater extent than challenging, alongside many steps together with unopen to steep ascends every bit alongside the treks nosotros had been doing on previous days. We had unopen to confusion on which tracks to conduct every bit at that topographic point were 2 options...east together with west. nosotros chose the ane alongside the lake sentiment throughout together with came dorsum yesteryear the same route. Reviews are a petty confusing... ane is supposed to live besides steep!There are unopen to stunning views of Wanaka Lake from the top!

INJURED HIKER:

We were trying to tape the birdsong of a melodious aeroplane together with were irritated yesteryear the constant helicopter sounds every bit a helicopter hovered correct over ... it kept returning together with nosotros idea it was a pesky tourist ride...

At this indicate our retention carte du jour 32 GB had cash inward one's chips full... nosotros switched to our pocket-sized camera. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 span who passed us offered to conduct hold a pic...

They said they had seen an ambulance at the parking lot together with the helicopter was circling trying to pickup an injured hiker. It made a span of landings also after quite a piece together with hence it went away. It was a sobering moment.

There is a 3rd phase of the trek ... Rocky mount track...which volition conduct hold us correct upwards to the mount top. I decided non to test it... nosotros had had a lovely hike hence far, it was getting slowly together with no indicate killing oneself for however unopen to other view. We enjoyed the views at the Wanaka lake sentiment indicate which was on somebody land, hence made our agency back.

Hope the injured hiker is OK!!

THAT WANAKA TREE:

There is a pocket-sized willow tree at to the lowest degree seventy years onetime growing inward the lake... it was in ane lawsuit business office of a debate to maintain sheep safe. It has surprisingly survived together with grown into a tree when residuum of the debate had withered away. The tree has cash inward one's chips a symbol of resilience together with affords a pretty moving-picture present at sunset alongside the backdrop of the Southern Alps.

It was a curt 2 infinitesimal crusade from our room together with nosotros went through however unopen to other lovely garden to admire THAT WANAKA TREE!

DAY 10, February 27, 2017, Monday:

Te Anau was our adjacent halt for 2 nights. We decided to encounter the Lavender Farms earlier setting off. The weather condition was going cracking together with nosotros did desire to produce our Milford Sound cruise inward such glorious weather. We wondered if nosotros tin displace brand it to the terminal cruise for that twenty-four lx minutes catamenia or produce the cruise early on inward the mroning tomorrow. Plan was to avoid the tour crowds that come upwards inward buses from Queenstown together with crowd all cruises from 10.30 to 3.... they conduct hold a long 41/2 lx minutes trip ane way, hence if nosotros handle to avoid them, nosotros were assured a non crowded experience!

I had also picked Mitre Peak cruises... a smaller boat, for an exclusive experience.

Anyway, nosotros did non brand an early on get-go but went to the lavander farm

THE LAVENDER FARM:

It's a somebody farm opened upwards for visitors... quite beautiful...just $2 entry to the rose gardens. The alpacas were cute too...

Had their organic H2O ice creams alongside a combo of lavander together with boisson berries for son, chocolate for me. His was good, mine only OK. Incidentally, these cups were $41/2 each, later on I bought a 2 liter tub of TIPTOP icecream for only $6 at the supermarket. Did that twice together with alongside our added walnuts, raisins, they made a cracking dessert.

Te Anau:

We started off for Te Anau... should conduct hold taken the Crown Range route but took SH6 instead. Missed out on unopen to scenery... regretfully.

Reached Te Anau early on inward the afternoon but it was a fleck slowly to get-go the crusade for Milford Sound every bit nosotros may non live able to brand the 4.30pm terminal cruise.

BIRD SANCTUARY:

We went to the Bird sanctuary (Free entry) together with saw the endangered Takahe... 4.30 pm was its feeding fourth dimension together with a lady volunteer took a grouping within the enclosure... nosotros joined the grouping together with listened to her interesting utter on conservation efforts alongside TAKAHE.

We hence moved on to the parakeets, mccaws, owl etc earlier moving off.

Feet dip inward the mutual frigidness waters of the lake was welcome...

Here's a takahe at the urban marrow center...

unopen to wild lavander bushes...

together with a model of the Te Anau lake...

We wanted to conduct hold the early on forenoon 9.30 cruise on the famed Milford Sound...the crusade is to a greater extent than than 2 hours. We retired for the day...

Our adjacent 2 days ... Milford Sound cruise together with crusade to Queenstown, twenty-four lx minutes catamenia trip to Glenorchy are covered inward the adjacent post:
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