Peak search and wine tastings

On Monday we left paradise and drove to a lake and along a gravel road until it ended. From there we hiked quite steep switchbacks through the forest and debris, always higher above the treeline. The view of Lake Rotoiti was breathtaking and the trail continued to climb higher. We passed a shelter and continued up along a ridge. The wind blew colder and we searched for the summit of our destination, Mount Robert. In the guidebook, it was mentioned as a pile of rocks - but we saw rock piles everywhere! So we continued hiking higher in search of the second shelter. When we crossed paths with people, I asked how much further it was. They replied that they expected it to be about 1 km away - so we had passed the summit without even realizing it... So we turned around and hiked back down. We still couldn't see the summit, but we followed the signpost. Thirty minutes later, we arrived at the Bushline Hut and had our picnic. From there, we descended steeply toward the lake. The last kilometers led us through boulder fields and forests, sometimes uphill again back to the parking lot. Tired and relieved, we drove towards our destination for the day - Blenheim. The last 40 km (!) of the drive were surrounded by vines! We settled into our apartment and treated ourselves to dinner out. Today we took it easy. First, we explored the town and then went to three different wine regions to taste. We enjoyed all the wines, but not all at the same price! We took two bottles home for the evening and drank them with dinner...