Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Wanaka is around 60 km east of Fox Glacier but the journey involves a two hour drive down the west coast followed by a futher two hour long climb over the Southern Alps.
Between Fox Glacier and Haast there is nothing. Well that's not quite true, there is a lot of temparate rain forest and a few lakes that are stunning but after a night of rain seem to have been infested with nasty bighty sand flys. So we stopped to take few photos before quickly getting back into The Goat. Even with impressive quick shutting door action one or two of the blighters found there way into the van. Harriet had great pleasure in squashing them but sadly too late on some occaisions!
Haast, on the southern most point of highway 6, has a population of 300, so our guidebook tells us. After the drive down the uninhabited coast this felt like a metropolis especially as it had useful facilities such as a petrol station, cafe and loo.
After our pit stop we had a magnificent drive up a wide glacial valley through more forest passing impressive waterfalls and then through a narrow gorge until we popped up over Haast pass, around 600 metres above sea level.
Almost immediately we left the dense forest behind to enter a more open landscape. We were now in the Lake District. Much to Mike's pleasure Harriet found a lunch spot on the shores of Lake Wanaka without sand flys and a great view of the mountains we crossed earlier.
Our drive continued down along Lake Wanaka and Lake Howea until we reached the town of Wanaka. Wow! It's the hugest place we've stayed in for days. There are loads of shops and restaurants and any number of companies promising to take you on exciting adventerous and or sporting activities.
Harriet managed to sniff out a wool shop and has purchased some merino and possum wool to make a hat and scarf. After all the retail therapy we had to have a beer and then we spent a quiet night in the campsite. We know how to live!
- comments