Wonderful Wanaka

Hello dear ones,

Today I'm writing to you from beautiful Wanaka. Well, actually I'm sitting at Gillespies Beach where I'll be spending the night, but in this blog post I want to talk about the last two days in Wanaka.

Two days ago (on September 18), I left Haast and drove over the beautiful Haast Pass. The weather was better that day than the previous days, and I drove in a mix of sun and rain. First, I passed by the beautiful Roaring Billy Waterfall. Then I saw the Thunder Creek Falls and the Fantail Falls. Behind the picturesque name Gates of Haast Gorge, there is a bridge, once again a one-way bridge. Finally, I walked to the Blue Pools, which were really shining blue. And as I write this, I have the feeling that I have already told you about this day. But unfortunately, I don't have internet here, so I can't check. Because I'm writing with my note function and when I have internet next time, I'll just upload this blog post. Sorry if I'm repeating something.

Anyway, yesterday was a beautiful day in Wanaka. I woke up relatively late, at 8 o'clock when my alarm clock rang, and I got up even later because the plans for the day were still a bit vague. Yesterday evening, my friends from Christchurch contacted me. Unfortunately, they somehow got confused with the dates and thought that I would arrive later in the week, so they had made an appointment at a workshop because their car was giving them problems. So in the morning, I strolled along the lake because the weather was simply fantastic. During this walk, I also passed by the 'famous' Wanaka Tree, which grows in the middle of the water. After that, I continued my walk along the lake. By now, I could even walk around in a T-shirt, it was so warm.

At around 12 o'clock, my friends contacted me again, saying that we could start the planned hike now. However, since it was supposed to take 6 hours and was described as difficult, I didn't think it was a good idea. I didn't want to have to race against the sunset. After some back and forth, we agreed on a short hike near their place. The lesson of the day: never agree to a hike without researching it beforehand. The short hike they had planned was indeed scenic, but much too difficult for me. Following a small trail over rocks and stones, sometimes more climbing than hiking, we went up a mountain. Well, I admit that the view was beautiful because we could see the beautiful Lake Hawea. However, at some point I started feeling dizzy, whether from the exertion, the poor air quality (the higher up we went, the warmer it got strangely), or if I suddenly suffered from a bout of fear of heights, I cannot say. In any case, about halfway (I guess) I decided to turn back and not take any unnecessary risks. When I reached the lake again, I sat down and took a break, eating some fruit. Not long after, my friends joined me again. After spending some more time at the lake, we drove back to their house and then walked to a nearby store where we had ice cream. Since they had to babysit in the evening, I made my way back to my hostel. After a quick trip to the supermarket, a quick dinner, and a quick shower, I skyped with my mom and my grandma who are also traveling at the moment. Meanwhile, it turned out that other acquaintances of mine are also in Wanaka. We couldn't miss the chance to meet up, so I went to see them in the evening. It was a nice evening and it was very fun to talk about the old times in Christchurch and exchange news. And for me, it was even doubly worth it because I got a taco from them, as I arrived just in time for dinner. :) After driving home, I went straight to bed and slept.

This morning (September 20), it was time to pack my bags and head back to the West Coast. With sunny weather, I drove back over the Haast Pass and this time I could stop at all the beautiful viewpoints and take photos. Arriving at Fox Glacier, I took the opportunity to visit it while the weather was relatively dry and the road was open. Once again, I have to say that I can't imagine how impressive the view must have been a few decades ago. After that, I drove to the beach where I set up my camp for tonight. I was able to make a short detour to the beach before it started raining. Tomorrow, the journey continues northward.

See you soon,

Your Jessi