Sleep-ins & Scenic bliss

Sunrise not until 8am; cold and rainy outside ..... conditions were perfect for a cosy morning of dosing! The alarm clocks were turned off and we snoozed to the sounds of rain on the roof of our cosy little (or rather big) vans. We woke, after catching up on some much needed sleep, in the beautiful Rakaia Gorge, 1hr southwest of Christchurch. It was wet, rainy and cold, but that didn’t deter us from jumping out of bed for a quick breaky of croissants & coffee followed by some wandering of this incredible gorge.

The incredible glacial water was so blue, yet crystal clear it ‘blue’ our minds. 😳 Surrounded by incredible pine forests and sheer cliffs, it was a perfect starting point for our scenic tour of NZ’s South Island. But with a late start to the day and the hours of daylight ticking by, we had to get on the road.

So get on the road we did, and wow was it amazing. As we made our way from Rakaia Gorge down to Geraldine and then on to Lake Tekapo, every bend in the road brought an audible ‘wow’ to our mouths. We drove through valleys of rolling green hills covered in white sheep, which slowly turned into huge mountain ranges covered in white snow. It was spectacular! Like nothing we’d really seen before. We couldn’t help but be utterly amazed at the scenery.

With a quick and delicious lunch stop and restock of groceries in Geraldine, it wasn’t long before we arrived at Lake Tekapo. But unfortunately our hopes of finding a lakeside freecamp at Tekapo were dashed as we were confronted with our worst fear on this trip.... No Camping signs.
So with the sun disappearing behind the ever darkening mountain ranges and the temperature plummeting, we frantically consulted our mapps (map apps). It wasn’t long before we found a beautiful spot, at the southern end of Lake Alexandrina. A smaller but equally as beautiful lake, 15 minutes away, along a winding dirt track. Our Wilderness motorhomes held up beautiful and we arrived with minutes of daylight to spare. Just enough time for Jo to capture the shot of the day with snow capped mountains reflecting off the perfectly still lake.

Lake Alexandrina in itself is an incredible place. Situated in the middle of the Mackenzie plains, it’s considered an oasis of life well known for it’s rainbow trout and salmon. In 1881, 10,000 trout were brought to the lake and when they were fully grown, the fishing commenced. Motorboats and Sailboats are prohibited on this spring fed lake, so row boats are the only way to really get your catch. To this day small clusters of fishing huts are located at each end of the lake and many small row boats litter the shore line. Perhaps we could manage to score some dinner for tomorrow night, who knows?

So with darkness finally upon us it was time for a feed, readings, Hudson cuddles, and bed. Thanks James & Jess for cooking up a storm and having us over.

Seriously excited for tomorrow’s adventures.

Asher ☺️Read more