Wanaka

The first evening in Wanaka was an interesting trip to the town's unique cinema. The single screen was operated by a bloke who had to change the film reel halfway through (so we had an oldskool intermission). This wasn't a bad thing though as we got to eat home-made cookies and ice cream in our comfy sofas. The film was a bit weird but the whole experience was great fun!

Our first full day in Wanaka was a 'relaxing day'. We woke up late, had lunch on the lakeside, and took a dip in the freezing glacial lake. In the evening (because it was too hot during the day) we went for a walk.

We chose to do the Diamond Lake loop track that takes you to the top of Rocky Mountain. This was a three hour round trip which gave us brilliant views of the surrounding peaks and valleys (not to mention Lake Wanaka). It was great to do it at this time of day as the sun cast long shadows and we were the only people for miles around.

The next day we had planned a more challenging walk to the summit of nearby Mount Roy (1600m/5280 ft). It was a hard slog to the top but once we were there the views were incredible. It was another clear morning and we had a 360 deg. panoramic of Mount Aspiring and Lake Wanaka.

Having set off early, we were back in the town by 2pm to enjoy the day and rest our weary legs. Next stop Queenstown for a Fergburger!