Before I start the next entry, here's a picture I meant to include at the end of the last blog post but couldn't find at the time:
 |
| The Crown Range road - yes, that grey ribbon snaking up the hillside! |
And now carrying on....Lake Wanaka and its surrounds are
another picturesque area in a country stuffed full of them. Outside of winter (when the Cardrona ski
slopes come alive) the resort is much quieter, but this suited us fine after a
pretty full couple of days. We both agreed it would be a good place to settle
if you were looking to put down roots in NZ – it’s a reasonable size town (i.e. has shops),
centrally located on the South Island with good transport links (in NZ terms!)
to Queenstown, decent schools and an excellent local community if the
entertaining newsletter in our accommodation was anything to go by!
Speaking of accommodation, we
stayed in a lovely B&B just outside the town that was basically an annexe
of the owner’s house. We had our own kitchen, lounge, en suite, even a private
deck complete with BBQ that led to the owner’s beautiful garden, full of colour
and fragrance. We were also delighted to find amongst their DVD collection a
copy of Fiordland on Film: Ata Whenua (Shadowland). We’d wanted to see this on
the big screen in Te Anau but unfortunately the timings didn't work out. It’s a
short 20 minute film of Fiordland atmospherically set to music and it is well
worth seeing for a stunning showcase of the region’s beauty and majesty. We were suitably impressed to purchase it, so if
anyone wants to borrow our copy, just let me know J
After a tasty meal out at the
esteemed local Indian, we opted for an early night followed by a lie in the
next morning – our packed itinerary was beginning to take its toll a little
bit. Mid-morning we headed out to local attraction Puzzling World, where we
explored the illusion rooms and had some fun with some of the exhibits as
evidenced below! We also attempted the famously difficult maze but had to
abandon our endeavours, much to Paul’s chagrin, before we were late to our next
pitstop: Cinema Paradiso.
 |
| Sarah getting rather confused and not really quite sure how to pose .... also lipreading instructions from a distance is difficult! |
 |
| The fiendishly difficult maze - I know, it doesn't look that hard, right? (Trust me, it is) |
 |
| Even the toilets are another illusion.... |
Cinema Paradiso is not your
average chain cinema. Instead much of the seating comprises comfy armchairs and
sofas with a Morris Minor or two chucked in for good measure. They even have an
old fashioned 30 minute interval during which they serve delicious homemade
food and everyone piles into the foyer for freshly baked cookies. Unfortunately
though they don’t yet subtitle films so after some serious(!) discussion we
settled on Twilight’s finest with Breaking Dawn: Part 2 as our movie of choice,
mainly so that Sarah could follow along as she knew the plot.
 |
| Inside Cinema Paradiso |
We followed up the cinema with a
visit to Wanaka Ale House on the lakeside, where we watched the sunset and
amused the barman who gave the ½ pint to Sarah and the pint to Paul by swapping
them over. We in turn were amused by one of the regulars - a friendly bird that merrily flitted in and out through the open door and windows. That evening we decided on a meal at a local hotel, the Edgewater
Resort – a bit posher than our usual haunts! (Not that this makes a difference to the dress code which in NZ is nearly always 'casual'.) On returning back to the B&B
to change we bumped into our hosts who generously offered us a lift down so
that we could have a drink or two. Not only that, but our transport would be a
3 wheeler motorised trike very similar to the one Billy Connolly used in his
tour around NZ. This thoughtful unexpected gesture was a real highlight - it was excellent fun zipping
down the hill! Apparently – we didn’t know at the time – but they run tours of the local
area by trike and if we ever return this is on our to-do list!
 |
| Ale supping |
 |
| Wonderful Lake Wanaka |
 |
| You're never far away from a mountain (or three) in New Zealand... |
 |
| Not us on it, but a piccy of the fabulous trike! |
The next morning our friendly
laidback hosts had a prior engagement, so they left us the keys to the house (!)
and asked us to lock up before we left. After a few final cuddles with their beautiful (if slightly over-enthusiastic) dog Poppy, we set off mid-morning on another long drive, this time up the Haast
Pass to glacier country.
 |
| Walks aplenty - route planning, NZ style |
 |
| Poppy |
Next time, Franz Josef, Hokitika, Arthurs Pass, Christchurch, Singapore and home - the finish line is in sight, folks.
No comments:
Post a Comment