About Clyde to Wanaka

Heading north and inland, the next destination was Wanaka, located on the eponymous lake in the mountains, just a pass away from Queenstown. We stayed overnight in Clyde at a campground with the charm of the 70s, attached to a rugby field. Besides us, there were only Kiwis, many of them permanent campers, for some reason. Nevertheless, the town has a few beautiful old, nicely restored houses, including a brewery.

The next day, we continued on to Wanaka, passing through Cromwell and the beautiful Lake Dunston, where we wanted to stop briefly for a photo. It turned into almost an hour because a nice woman from East Westphalia approached us as soon as she saw our German license plates. We had a nice conversation, she was traveling with her friend and also rode motorcycles herself. As a female biker from the women's motorcycle club who also rides a Triumph Tiger, she wanted to take a photo of us with Martin's moped.

But now, let's continue quickly to Wanaka, which went quite well despite the strong wind. On the summit of the curvy and breathtaking Crown Range Road, we had another chat, this time with two guys from Israel. Then we continued on the pass road through Cardrona, where we stopped at the hotel of the same name for a coffee. It was a beautiful old building with a very nicely restored beer garden. From here, it was only a few kilometers downhill to Wanaka.

We set up our tent for 3 days just outside of town, at a very well-equipped campground. There were even 2 warm spa pools and a sauna. We could use them well on the last day because it got cool and rained heavily. The two days before, it was dry and relatively sunny, but there was a strong wind. At Lake Wanaka in town, it was so windy that no one sat by the lake, and the green of the weeping willows on the shore stood horizontally in the storm. Really crazy.

One day, we went to a winery by the lake, which was within walking distance, and enjoyed a few sips and the amazing view of Lake Wanaka. On the other day, we went on a motorcycle trip, including riding the Thomson Gorge Road, an old farm road, without luggage. We managed to pass the first few cattle gates and a flock of sheep confidently, but then we had to go up a steep path with deep furrows and ruts. Our courage left us, and we decided to turn around with our not-so-lightweight motorcycles and our "riding skills". Even so, it was a nice trip!

In any case, Wanaka is quite touristy, but not overcrowded, and is a beautiful, almost kitschy place located by the lake, with a breathtaking mountain backdrop and good gastronomy. Despite the unpredictable weather, we had a great time here. We particularly liked a cozy cafe with a hand-knitted rainbow on the facade, where they served delicious coffee.