Wanaka and Queenstown

In Franz Josef we had planned a hike to a viewpoint high above the glacier. Since the mountains around the glacier were quite cloudy, we set off for a lower viewpoint. After a while, we turned back as the trail crossed many streams and more rain was forecasted for the day. Therefore, we only walked the shortest path, which promised a view of the glacier. As we continued south, it soon started raining. We took a short walk around one of New Zealand's most beautiful lakes, Lake Matheson (unfortunately without the beautiful panoramic view). After that, we crossed the Haast Pass to the Blue Pools, a relatively unspectacular pool with glacier water, where we spent the night.

Early in the morning, we set off towards Wanaka. From there, we drove for another hour on gravel roads into a valley where we had a beautiful view of the mountains. We hiked to the Aspiring Hut, from where we had a view of Mount Aspiring. Back at the car, we stopped for ice cream at a campground by the lake, where we cooled off with a swim.

Full of enthusiasm, we woke up the next morning. Canyoning was on the agenda. First, we drove 45 minutes to the area where we hiked the day before. There, we got all the equipment and walked for an hour to the gorge. And then it was time for "action". With jumps as high as 10 meters, abseiling, and some slides, we went down the canyon through the very chilly water (about 12°C). We had a lot of fun, the excursion was worth it. Back in Wanaka, we were warm enough to take a swim in the lake since we didn't have a shower for the night. Instead, our sleeping spot was right by a small lake towards Queenstown.

Once again, very early in the morning, we set off for Queenstown. When we arrived, we had a quick breakfast before heading to the local mountain, Ben Lemond. The path led steeply uphill, through a forest, across meadows, and finally through rocks. After climbing 1400 vertical meters, we enjoyed a magnificent view of the surrounding mountains and lakes.
For the rest of the afternoon, we relaxed and went swimming.

The next day, we first went to our van rental. On a gravel road, the lid of the water pump broke. After it was replaced, we went for a major grocery shopping for a multi-day hike. Then we drove through a monotonous prairie-like area to Manapouri in Fjordland.