Wonderful Wanaka

Wanaka, Otago, New Zealand
Tuesday, December 3, 2013

We thought Queenstown was pretty special, but Wanaka has it hands down. The drive takes about an hour and we took the scenic route, up and over the Crown Ranges. We climbed and climbed, giving fantastic views over The Remarkables (so named because of the mountains propensity to change colour according to the light and time of day), Queenstown and Lake Wakatupi. When it seemed that we would soon be up in the snow field the road evened out and we found ourselves in an alpine valley. It was really lovely. The hillsides are clothed with tussock grass, giving a textural quality to the landscape. It looks like someone has taken a giant icing gun and decorated the hillsides with closely packed beige icing dots! A stream runs along the valley floor and yet again lupins abound, interspersed with the wild dog rose and broom. It is a sight to behold. We stopped for coffee in Cardrona, another gold mining settlement, that is still tiny and has retained some of its original buildings from that era. The Cardrona Hotel which was the only spot for refreshment, was like something out of a bygone era decoratively, although perfectly adapted for modern expectations. We drank our coffee out in the garden on a gloriously sunny morning. The roses were in full cry. My word can they grow roses out here.
Gradually Lake Wanaka came into view. The town of Wanaka is a smaller version of Queenstown. Set beautifully on the vivid blue Lake Wanaka with Mt Aspiring National Park in the background, It is simply stunning and less commercial than its big brother.
According to the locals, it is how Queenstown used to be 20 yrs ago and they are determined to avoid the trap of over commercialisation. We'll see, it is a difficult trap to escape from.
Our home for the next two days is the Edgewater Resort and our studios have a fabulous view of the Lake and the snow capped peaks. It is just overwhelming. We drove around the Lake this afternoon stopping frequently to admire the views. It was so hot and sunny as to be unbelievable after the arrival in Te Anau not that many days ago. This is how the South Island is apparently, like the UK, the weather is unpredictable and can turn on a sixpence! I will upload some photos to whet the appetite and talking of appetite, I'd better change for supper. Italian tonight. Ciao!
PS. What an Italian! I don't think we've eaten better Italian outside of Italy. Peter & I had gnocchi with braised beef cheeks and pecorino, plus an authentic tiramisu to follow. Almost as good as Emma's according to Reg. If you're in Wanaka, Francesca's is the place and book if you want a table.
PPS. Richard, there was rabbit on the menu, you would have loved it!Читать далее