From Wanaka to the Glaciers

The drive north towards Wanaka took us through the same roads that we had passed the week before, but the weather was nice enough to make it a pleasant drive again. Plus we picked up a German hitchhiker in Te Anau, and the conversation with him made the time pass faster. We left him in Queenstown and by lunch time we were already at the camping in Wanaka. It's still too cold for the tent, but hopefully not for a cosy little (heated) cabin.

Riding old style

Our home for a couple of nights

Wanaka is in a postcard location, right on a lake surrounded by hills and mountains. Obviously we didn't want to let the sunny afternoon pass without at least some sightseeing so we went out for a walk. A short but steep climb up Mt Iron gave us short breath and a beautiful 360 degree view of the area. Wanaka in itself doesn't have very much to offer. After a stroll around the few streets of the town's centre there wasn't much else to do for us, and we headed back to the camping. The town looks like a very nice place to live though, especially if you can afford one of the large houses that populate the streets away from the centre.

View from the camping beach

Wanaka from Mt Iron

That night in the common kitchen we met an Italian couple that is currently working at the camping. Andrea and Laura have been travelling for about one year and a half so far and they hope to keep travelling for a few more months before going back home (or not). A very nice couple with a lot of stories to tell, especially about places that we still have to visit. It was interesting to hear about their way of travel: without a clear return date, with longer stops and working along the way to finance it. It is similar to what I had in mind when I started dreaming about a trip around the globe, so it was quite cool to hear the impressions from someone that is actually doing it.

For the next day we planned to do a longer hike in Mount Aspiring National Park, about one hour drive from Wanaka. We got up early and started driving under a clear sky and few scattered clouds. As you may imagine, things didn't go as hoped... The few and far away clouds merged together and followed us while we were driving at snail pace along a gravel road. It took quite some time of slow and bumpy driving over rocks and between cows (literally between them) to give up and go back under the persistent rain. It's well known here that the weather is unpredictable and rapidly changing here. We can confirm it. Not only that, but the weather seems to get worse as soon as we start planning a hike... It even snowed on the surrounding mountains.

Our goal was the snow-capped mountain in the distance

Black swans training for synchronised swimming

Cows can be quite stubborn, especially when getting out of one's way

Dark clouds, time to go back

After a rather cold night, our time in Wanaka was over and the Glacier Region was awaiting us. Even there the weather wasn't good enough to allow long hikes, but over a couple of days we could still enjoy some hours of clear skies and spectacular views over Franz Josef Glacier (the same one on which we landed a few days ago ), the Fox Glacier, and the peaks of Mt Cook and Mt Tasman. Very short but rewarding walks.

Fox Glacier

K wanted to get to the top of Franz Josef, this time running

Mt Cook and Mt Tasman reflected in Lake Matheson's water

The clouds on the right will cover everything in less than two hours

During the last days I have started to realise how nice it is to be travelling with someone. I have always stated that one has to travel alone to really get in touch with the explored environment. Being with someone makes it too easy to isolate from the world and be content of each other's company. On the other hand I'm glad to be sharing these days with K, since it allows us to share so many memories of all the moments that we're living together. One of the hardest things about returning from a great experience is realising how difficult it is (not to say impossible) to convey thoughts and emotions to friends and family. Even those who make an effort to really understand won't probably catch but a glimpse of the world of images and feelings that whirls in your mind. With K a few words will be sufficient to awake the same flow of images and emotions.

Tomorrow we'll be driving North, although the final destination is still undecided. K's teeth cringe with this "hippie" way of travelling, but I'm sure that everything will be fine after all.