Wonderful Week in Wanaka and Beyond

First off, Happy Easter to everyone! Hope you had a fun celebration with friends or family!

Over here and down under New Zealand continues to be grand. After a busy first few weeks getting things in order up in Christchurch and then marching off to our first couple of pre-scheduled treks, we finally had a chance to take a deep breath and relax and chill out for a week. We chose Wanaka as the town in which to do that. It's a smaller, more mellow Queenstown - beautiful lakeside town, surrounded by mountains and outdoor activities but without the hordes of tourists and all the adrenaline. It's also the former home of my Aussie friend Sheena from Kelty who gave us the inside scoop on all the hot spots to hit. Thanks, Sheena! The place suited us well, and we enjoyed our week in Wanaka.

On the summit of Mount Roy with Lake Wanaka and Mount Aspiring behind

In addition to taking a much-needed shower, we explored the surrounding mountains. First we hiked to the summit of Mount Roy and enjoyed panoramic views over Lake Wanaka and the nearby countryside. We also did an overnight trip into Mount Aspiring National Park, spending the days hiking to glaciers and mountain lookouts and spending the evening in the backcountry Mount Aspiring Hut. Mount Aspiring is the second highest peak in NZ, and it sits at the the head of a quintessential New Zealand valley - green, glacier-carved, filled with sheep and cattle, stream meandering down the middle, mountains on either side, glaciers feeding the river - simply beautiful.

Rob Roy Glacier

Hiking up the gorgeous Matukituki Valley

The valley from above looking across to Mt. Aspiring

During our time in town, we enjoyed strolling around the quaint, hip, compact Wanaka downtown. One of the highlights was checking out a flick at the Cinema Paradiso, a cool theater that features unique couch, lounge chair, and even old car seating in the film room and the most sumptuous freshly baked cookies at intermission. And through it all, we just enjoyed having the time and open schedule to relax and stay in one area and check out our surroundings at an unhurried pace.

The comfy seating of Cinema Paradiso

After leaving Wanaka, we retraced our steps back north to Mount Cook National Park. When we drove through this region earlier on our quick trip south, the Southern Alps were socked in by clouds and rain. Upon our return, we were psyched to enjoy clear and sunny weather and were blown away by the striking, glacier-filled mountain vista as we approached. The range rises up dramatically from the plains, and Mt. Cook stands out well above the rest as the tallest peak in NZ. We did a few dayhikes to the nearby glaciers, but the highlight of the trip was a two-day backcountry trip to the Mueller Hut. This hut sits high up on a ridge opposite the many dramatic summits and glaciers of the park. It provides the perfect perch for taking in the scenery and watching and hearing the glaciers and seracs tumble off the edges of the hanging valleys that they have carved out. It was one of the most spectacular spots I have ever spent a night in the mountains and will stand out as a distinct memory of our trip here.

The majestic Mount Cook

Glacier crashing off Mount Sefton

Now we have rendezvoused with our friend Aly from Colorado and are in the midst of a whirlwind tour of the south island. We met her in the east coast town of Dunedin and spent a few days catching up while checking out the birds and water-based wildlife of the Otago Peninsula. She's an avid bird-lover and so we checked out the Royal Albatross Center, a place where these mighty seabirds with 10-foot wingspans make their home. We were fortunate to see them in flight. We also spent a few evenings at beaches awaiting penguins to make their way from the sea to their nests on land. We caught some sightings of both yellow-eyed and blue penguins. Our place of residence on Otago was the homey McFarmers Backpackers which provided a perfectly relaxed environment to catch up with Aly and enjoy the harbor views.

Aly and Erin on Otago Peninsula

Now we're on our speedy tour of all corners of the south island. We drove the whole south coast and made out way to Milford Sound. We had some minor drama on Easter Sunday morning when our car wouldn't start due to a dead battery after camping out on Milford Road on the way to the sound. But with some with some very generous help from a pair of American guys, an Austrian couple, and the Kiwi park ranger, we managed to get our hands on some jumper cables and our problem was solved. Our version of an Easter egg hunt, I suppose. We all handled it super-well and were feeling blessed on Easter Sunday for the kindness of some fellow travelers. One of the best lessons that I have learned on this trip is to relax and take things as they come and that things will work out - but in their own way and in their own time and without being forced. I hope I'm able to bring back these lessons and this mindset and apply it to my everyday life in the "real world." We shall see.

Doh!

Right now we're in Queenstown again and on our way to the west coast to check out glaciers and the mighty Tasman Sea. Then we'll head to the north coast of the South Island for another backcountry trip along the coast and hopefully some relaxed wine-tasting in the renowned wineries of NZ. Hope everyone is well in their respective corners of the world.

Cheers,
Drew