Monday 14 April 2008

Sunday 9th March 2008


Packed up and headed out of Te Anau, past Queenstown and over the Crown Range Road which cuts through and over yet more magical vistas; lush valleys, foothills and snowy peaks. It's a twisty windy affair but ofcourse the Pulsar cruised up without even the slightest hint of the temperature guage moving from medium to hot.

Wanaka
Cruised into Wanaka, the views that greet you as you descend the Crown Range Road and round the corner to be presented with Lake Wanaka and the Mount Aspiring National Park as it's backdrop is epic. I immediately began to like the place, it was so much less stressy and over-developed/spoiled than Queenstown, yet it is just one short mountain pass away. I had a stroll on the lake frontage to confirm my vibe. Yep, this was nice.


After a visit to the i-Site (a sort of one-stop tourist info / booking agency shop) I was booked into the Altamont Lodge for two nights. It turned out to be four as I like Wanaka so much.


Stir It Up
A wee spot of shopping culminated in me cranking up the barbie and making myself some lamb and vegie kebabs and roast corn on the cob (still in it's green sheath like it has just been plucked out of the field). Sat and chilled with a glass of local red (Pinot Noir is the red grape of choice around here). Regal.

Friendly bunch
Mosied into the little town and found a very chilled out bar. Met the wife of a a chap who run a local builders yard called PlaceMakers. She was so friendly, she was entertaining one of the workforce whose birthday it was as her husband was off on a regualr jolly of skydiving, or hangliding or somesuch. After giving me her card and number and declaring that I'd aways if I'm ever stuck for somewhere to stay that they have loads of spare rooms I wandered home up the hill and had a jolly good nights sleep.

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