A continued break in the routine

Day five of our road trip had a frustrating start with news that the road through the Haast Pass, our route to Wanaka, had been closed by a slip after the heavy rain that had started the previous day and continued through the night. The only way to get to Wanaka was over Arthur’s Pass which meant back-tracking pretty much all of the previous day’s drive, turning a five and a half hour’s drive into nine hour drive. So we headed off at 8:00 AM. Below you can see the angry sky at Franz Josef, with a glimpse of the Southern Alps through the storm clouds.

The rain had gone and our trip north was speedy, but just north of Hokitika, after we turned off towards Arthur’s Pass the rains returned, nothing sustained, but quite strong squalls nonetheless. Between the squalls we got some stunning mountain views. Then as we reached the summit we had snow - well sleet really and nothing too heavy - that cleared quickly as we descended into sunny but cold weather on the eastern side of the Alps.

We raced across the Canterbury Plains for an hour or so before entering the Mackenzie country. Again I had never visited this ruggedly beautiful part of the country, with vast areas of dramatic tussock covered hills, lakes and broad rivers.

Below is a gloomy looking Lake Tekapo (although it was nowhere near as gloomy as the shot shows), followed by a shot of the stone church beside the lake.

By 4:00 we had reached Lindis Pass (below is a shot back down the pass from the summit) that carried us though to our destination, Wanaka, arriving there a little after 5:30. 

The place was abuzz with skiers returning from the nearby slopes and we soon found a great Indian restaurant with views over the lake. We are dinner watching the sun set over the surrounding hills that had a fresh dusting of snow that very day. It had been a long, tiring drive, but the scenery enroute made it well worth it. An early night was called for.

Wanaka has an impressive reputation for beauty and this shot from our hotel room at 7:00 AM reinforces that reputation. 

There was a strong wind blowing off the lake that chopped up the water, but views were breathtaking.

We visited the Warbirds museum, a collection of vintage cars and aircraft before checking out a lavender farm (that was surprisingly enjoyable) and returning to the town for lunch.

An afternoon of shopping, followed by a glass or two of Otago Pinot Noir on the hotel deck before another great dinner in town.

Late that night the wind picked up and in the early hours of Thursday a thunderstorm hit. I had visions of being trapped by snow on the passes - oh what a tragedy to be trapped in such a lovely place - but with the dawn the rain  gone and there was no snow, but the winds were still strong. Our next stop was Akaroa, southeast of Christchurch and a six hour drive from Wanaka back through the Mackenzie country and Canterbury. We arrived there, very tired, at around 4:00 PM and went for a walk.

A harbour town with a French influence (French settlers landed here in August 1840) Akaroa has a mix of hotels, gift shops, restaurants and a strange cannon (that looks like a six pounder with an arsenal stamp of 1808, but the loop on the breach of the gun indicates that it was originally a naval piece).

Overnight the wind picked up and the rain fell. The temperature must have dropped too because a dusting of snow could be seen on the hill tops, but the day was sunny and warm, making the harbour picture perfect.

An afternoon “see the dolphins” cruise caught the drama of the swell on the southeast edge of the peninsula, outside the harbour entrance, driven by last night’s strong winds, but failed to find any dolphins.

While within the harbour the azure blue water stood out against the rugged shoreline.

 Then, as we sat down for dinner, we watched the sun dip below the western hills to close out a perfect day.

Tomorrow we head into Christchurch and back home after a well earned break from the stresses and hassles of daily life.