15/03/2018 - Good morning Wanaka

After a week's break in Queenstown, we continued our road trip through New Zealand's South Island. Our next major stop was the nearby Wanaka. On the way, we made some smaller stops.
At Lake Dunstan, we skipped a few stones over the water and spent the night.
The next day, when we arrived in Wanaka, we visited a war memorial at the beginning. From here, we had a nice view of the city and the lake of the same name. We got a sense of how big or small the town is. This was followed by check-in at the new campsite where we spent the next four nights. Right after arrival, we discovered a car wash with a vacuum cleaner! We didn't want to miss this opportunity. So we took everything out of the car and vacuumed it completely - a wonderful feeling. :)

The next day, the sun greeted us - nothing stood in the way of a hike. Well, except for the probably most adventurous road we had to drive in New Zealand so far. We are familiar with driving on gravel roads from time to time, but this time we had to cross twelve fords on the way to our destination. - But before we reached this part of the route, we discovered the most beautiful swinging view in our entire life! Hidden on a campsite, you can take a seat on a rope knot attached to a tall tree hanging over the lake shore. The view was incredibly beautiful - clear lake water under us, blue sky above us, and green forests and high, partly snow-covered mountains in the distance. Fantastic!
When we were able to leave this beautiful spot, we dared to cross the fords. Luckily, it had been relatively dry, so not all fords were filled with water. However, there were some crossings that made us hold our breath. SUVs have little to no problems with such crossings, but with our relatively low-lying car, we felt a bit uneasy. Driving through flowing waters, sometimes filled with large stones, is not something you do every day. However, the effort is worth it. During the drive, we were rewarded with beautiful views of the surroundings. We had to slow down regularly due to wild animals. Shortly before the end, a herd of cows even blocked our way. But we and especially our car safely arrived at the parking lot of the Rob Roy Glacier. Several day hikes start from here. We opted for the 1.5-hour hike that leads directly to the glacier. The track wasn't particularly spectacular and the view from the first lookout, which we reached after an hour, didn't impress us. So we went another half an hour to the second viewpoint. On the way there, we were often looked at with confusion. Wearing shorts and a T-shirt in bright sunshine is not unusual, right!? However, the people we met, some of them were wearing gloves and hats. We found that a bit exaggerated, but okay - to each their own. When we arrived at the end of the track, we found a nice stone to sit on and rest. We enjoyed a wonderful view of the glacier and the waterfalls arising from it. Our bodies cooled down slowly and the cold air blowing over from the glacier was clearly noticeable by now. Now we also understood why the many hikers had worn hats and scarves. A warm jacket would have been good at that time. After taking a few photos, we watched as the clouds fought their way over the mountain. A light rain set in, so we headed back.
In the evening, we visited the "highlight" of Wanaka. It is one of the most photographed sights on the entire South Island. In Lake Wanaka stands a lonely tree surrounded by water. We saw that a pianist placed his mobile piano in front and started playing - so the moment was "perfect"; a beautiful atmosphere.
Honestly, as hobby photographers, it was an exciting subject for us. But the big hype, that even tourists are chauffeured there by buses, we find a bit exaggerated.

The next day, we devoted ourselves to the city center of Wanaka. We started at the lake shore, visited the information center (I-Site), and Tobi fulfilled a long-awaited wish: a visit to the hairdresser. After the hair was freshly cut and styled, he was super happy, and we went to the nearby supermarket. Since we were going on a slightly longer hike the next day, we had to buy some supplies.
The rest of the afternoon consisted of writing and uploading blog posts. In the evening, we went to bed a bit earlier because the alarm was set for 03:00 a.m. the next morning.

At 03:45 a.m., we started one of New Zealand's most infamous hikes. The ascent to Roys Peak can be more or less strenuous depending on the time of day. The route runs up the mountain in switchbacks. The total running time for the ascent and descent is given as 5-6 hours. The goal is the summit, which is at an altitude of 1,578 meters. We consciously decided to climb to the summit in the middle of the night. Not only to avoid the relentless sun that can shine on your head the entire way, but also to watch the sunrise. So we started climbing the first meters and quickly realized that this wouldn't be an easy walk. We took breaks to drink and tried to guess where the summit could be. It's hard to say whether it's better to know the distance to the summit or not?! Do you even want to know that with such a long hike? Probably not. For our part, we were definitely out of breath.
The 16-kilometer route is very monotonous. Flashlights kept blinking on the way. Like little fireflies, everyone fought their way up the seemingly endless mountain. After about two hours, we had a banana for strength. The starry sky was gradually being displaced and some light appeared in the distance.
The last section to the summit became really uncomfortable. Although we were wearing jackets, hats, and scarves, we were freezing due to the strong, cold gusts of wind. But after exactly three hours, we finally reached the goal. Countless meters in altitude later, we took a relieved seat on the summit of Roys Peak. A few had already arrived and more arrived over time. A total of ten crazy people had gathered just in time for the sunrise.
We set up the tripod we had brought and took a few pictures. With trembling hands, we enjoyed our sandwiches for breakfast and the sunrise. Unfortunately, it wasn't as beautiful as we had hoped. Clouds kept floating over the mountain, so the view was partially restricted. Nevertheless, we enthusiastically followed the play of colors. The view of the valley got better and better. We had a view of Wanaka, the lake, and high mountains all around. When it started to drizzle and the cloud cover became denser, we decided to start the descent. The first meters were accompanied by strong wind. But the further we went downhill, the milder the temperature became and the wind subsided. After about 30 minutes, we reached the most popular photo spot of this hike. During the day, long lines are said to form here, as everyone wants to take a picture. A narrow bridge leads along a mountain peak. Directly behind it is the abyss. You are facing a beautiful backdrop: high mountains frame several lakes and rivers. The scenery reminded us of the already visited Fiordland.
We took advantage of the situation and set up our tripod with the camera at the beginning of the path. We could comfortably control the camera from the top using our cell phones and take our pictures. Without any pressure from the waiting visitors. Because there weren't any. ;)
The rest of the descent was not particularly exciting. We walked through several flocks of sheep, which were much creepier at night, and after a total of seven hours (ascent and descent), we reached our car.
In conclusion, we are of course overjoyed that we made it. The sunrise, the challenge, and above all the experience will remain a fond memory for us.