Off to Wanaka

On our way, we saw many amazing things,

There were many waterfalls, for example Roaring Billy fall, Thunder Creek Falls, Gates of Haast, and Fantail falls.

In between, we stopped at a beautiful viewpoint and had a picnic there. There was also a restroom available. The view and the delicious food... I could have stayed there longer.

Next, we visited the Blue Pools. The water is turquoise and in some places it is so deep and calm that you can swim in it. We cooled our feet in it for a short time and I can say it was freezing cold... and in no time we were eaten alive by sandflies... the color of the water and the surroundings were breathtaking.

On our way, we drove along Lake Wanaka and the mountains next to the lake were simply stunning... everything was so green and the water was blue. It felt like being trapped in a beautiful picture... We stopped at good opportunities and enjoyed the view because the weather was getting better during the drive.

It continued like this. When we drove through the mountains, Lake Hawea appeared right in front of us. It was breathtaking.... During the drive, I even managed to take a picture where a piece of the mountain (hill) looks like a turtle :D

Then we spent a night at a campground in Hawea, right by the lake. After check-in, we went to the supermarket and treated ourselves to ice cream, it was soooo hot. While strolling through the supermarket, we found sourdough bread, liver spread, Thuringian sausages, and sauerkraut. Of course, we took everything with us :D and in the evening, we immediately grilled the sausages. They were very tasty, compared to other sausages in New Zealand... BUT (!!!) the best ones are still from the butcher Haupt :). The next day, we explored Hawea a bit and then went on a 'field tour' to Wanaka, as my dad (Reiner) would say.

Definition of 'field tour': You have to imagine the road between Flein and Eggelstetten in Germany, where the road is paved. In New Zealand, on the other hand, the road is called 'gravel road' and is nothing more than a slightly wider dirt road... :D