Adventure tour in Wanaka

Hi there,

When we arrived in Wanaka, we realized that there is a lot to see and experience in the town and its surroundings. So we decided to stay here for a few days at a campsite and explore as much as possible. We selected the most beautiful hiking trails through our travel guide and apps.

The first one we did was called Mt Iron Track. It took us 3 hours with the return journey and many pictures on the mountain. The path was steep and it was very hot, but you can enjoy a 360-degree view at the summit...

So the next day we went on the Rocky Mountain Track. Seen from Mt Iron Track, it is located on the opposite side of Lake Wanaka. During the ascent, we came across a sign that showed us two paths, the Eastern Track and the Western Track. Since we were unaware, we also took the more difficult and longer path up. :D Once we reached the top of the mountain, we enjoyed the view, had something to eat, drank a lot, and then descended on another, easier path.

On the third day, we set off for Rob Roy's Glacier. There is only one road to get there. This track is about an hour away from the town, and the further away you get from the town, the more animals you can see in the fields and even on the road. But not just cows with calves, sheep and lambs, or bulls, but also elk and deer. This fascinated us a lot. But the fascination with animals soon came to an end... Then came the fascination with the road. It actually turned into a big dirt/gravel road... When we saw the "FORD" sign on the side of the road, we didn't think much of it because nothing inconspicuous came after it, so we just kept driving. After passing this sign 2-3 more times and then having to cross a small stream each time, we knew what it meant. The further we drove, the deeper the streams became. We only drove slightly into one stream, and when I opened my door, the water was almost high enough to come into the car. We immediately reversed out and Daniel walked into the stream with rubber boots to see if we could even drive through it with our car. Luckily, it looked deeper than it actually was, and we were able to drive through it completely without any problems.

In New Zealand, everything is a bit more relaxed than in Germany, so the farmers let their animals roam freely. Suddenly, there is a big cow right next to you at the window that you have to pass, or sheep and lambs on the road. Finally, we arrived! The surroundings were fantastic. You could really smell the grass and the forest, along with the mountains and the water... :)

The path to the viewpoint takes about 1.5-2 hours through the forest, and in the end, you come to a hilly observation platform. You can lie down in the grass, have a picnic, observe the glacier, and enjoy nature. We spent over an hour there for lunch. It was beautiful, and because it was so hot that day, we even saw several times how the glacier was melting. Small avalanches were the result of the melting snow. It was very impressive.

On the fourth day, I was so motivated in the morning that I went jogging at 07:00 am. It was heavenly!! I ran down to the lake and through a park with gigantic trees. Along the lake with the sun and the mountains, I almost forgot about time. When I arrived back at the camp, I had been gone for almost 45 minutes. After a shower and a great breakfast, we treated ourselves to a day of relaxation. We looked for jobs and lay in the sun. There were many cool ads that we responded to immediately and sent the people an application email. Within 2-3 hours, everyone replied, and only positive feedback. We decided on two ads. One week of work each. The first one is in the town of Hawea, and the other one is near the town of Cromwell.

So we enjoyed the remaining days until we had to start working again and strolled through the town and around the lake, and also took a picture of the most photographed tree in the WORLD. It grows out of the water. I also went for another run in the park with Daniel to show him the huge trees :)

Then we chose another track that is near Hawea. From this mountain, you are supposed to admire both lakes, Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea. We did this track on Monday (30.10.) before we drove to our new job.