We left Te Anua well rested and full of joy, what a place to spend a few days and recharge. Today we were heading to the bright lights of Queenstown for a two night stop over so we could have a full day and and a half in the town. This leg of the journey was more of a tourist sight seeing event than a wildlife one but we were looking forward to exploring and enjoying one of the famous Ferg Burgers we had heard so much about ! Our house was a small but nice bungalow just on the edge of town, only a short drive away. We arrived too early to check in so we went directly into town for a Quick Look around and something to eat. The town itself reminded me of Keswick, just a lot posher and boy was it busy. Its sits on the lake side and is surrounded by high fells on all sides, its home to speed boats, Jet boats and submarine tour, and a steamer as well as the cable cars and numerous other attractions. Over the course of the two days here we tried the Ferb Burgers which were amazing, ate at a Mexican restaurant, and did a little shopping .
Our friends went on the cable cars, but we decided to spend some time shopping, exploring and getting a hair cut in town, and we might have eaten more ice cream than was good for us !
After the cable car ride had finished we all headed off to the Kiwi and wildlife park in the town, I must admit I didn’t expect much as it was nestled in under the cable cars but it was well worth the visit. We had a talk from one of the rangers about the native wildlife in NZ and the problems of invasive species, bu the highlight was the Kiwi house. Kiwis are of course shy and very nocturnal so the chances of seeing one in the wild are slim, however here they run a rehabilitation and release program, and the birds that the can’t release are kept in a very large indoor enclosure which is kept out of sync with daylight, so its dark during our days and light at night which means that tourists can quietly go inside a pitch black room and once your eyes have got used to it you can see the Kiwis running about. We spent a good hour in the room listening to a talk and watching the Kiwis running about, they are bigger than I expected and great to see, all be it a bit artificially !
Queenstown was certainly full of life and interesting, but one full day was enough for us and we were glad to hit the road and make our way to Wanaka. This would be the last of our stops on this side of the West coast mountains, as after this were were doing the long trip over the passes further North. Along the way we stopped at a few places, and old mill and restaurant centre, a walk around a local lake watching the Great Creasted Grebes and Cormorants fish, and a good look around Arrowtown, and old gold mining area and popular tourist centre.
Arriving in Wanaka we heard to our house which was out of the town itself but only a ten minute drive, this was one of our luxury houses, and when we arrived we were not disappointed! it was a huge house built around a huge main hall, surrounded by gardens with mountain views and a water feature you could paddle in, before having a bath outside in the copper bath on the patio.
The house was surrounded by trees with Bell birds hiding in them, despite trying to spot them we only managed to hear them and had to settle for the wild Californian Quals and House Sparrows that were pottering about the house, and the Paradise Shellducks in the local fields. The first thing on the agenda was a trip into the town itself, and it was I think my favourite so far on the trip, a lovely place with a relaxed feeling on the shores of the lake.
We took a trip to see the famous Wanaka tree in the lake at sunset, although the light wasn’t great and it was busy so Lee and I decided to go back at sunrise to try and get some better photos ( see below ).
Over the next few days we explored the area , visiting the local lavender farm, walking along the river, and enjoying our luxury home. We ate out a lot , and had some of the hottest Mexican food so far ! all eaten outside. The Wanaka tree at sunrise was a lot busier than expected, and we had to work around a couple having the wedding pictures there, as well as someone flying a drone about. That aside we got some nice shots and enjoyed the fantastic views, and walks along the lake.
Back at our house the night skies were out of this world, if astro photography was my thing I would have some great shots, but sadly its a lot harder than it looks to I left that to Lee who as always excelled at his photography. Our last night here was spent enjoying a fantastic meal at a very posh restaurant, we weren’t exactly sure what we had ordered, but it was very much enjoyed.
I hope the photos do some justice to this remarkable area, if we return we will defiantly include it on our next itinerary, but for now it was the last pace before we heard over the mountains in the morning to the Glaciers of Franz Joseph and a helicopter flight if all goes to plan.
click the smaller images to view the larger
