Exploring the Wanaka Countryside

Ridgeline Adventure Tours go off the beaten track to share their love of Wanaka with you.  They have a great variety of tours you can do with them including nature tours, scenic tours and photography tours to name a few. I chose to do the Wanaka Highlights Safari and my only hope that morning was the tour wasn't cancelled due to dodgy weather!

I woke to birds cheeping and the sun attempting to come out, which seemed to be a promising start and sure enough, it was all systems go so I headed off to the lake front to the pick up point.

There were four of us who went out on the tour, a young woman from Melbourne and a couple from Sydney who were both doctors and myself, so an eclectic bunch of Aussies. They were great company and the guy who was driving, George, had retired to Wanaka with his wife a few years ago. 

George was telling us that he and his wife holidayed in Wanaka for over 25 years and decided a long time ago they wanted to retire here. His wife is an Aussie, George is from NZ and they’ve lived in NZ most of their married life. He was a farmer and used to buy deer from the farm we visited.

The tour was interesting and informative and hopefully I’ll be able to remember enough of the details to share with you! Apparently Shania Twain and her previous husband bought a farm in Wanaka and put in a walking track from Wanaka to Arrowtown that’s still in use today.  

They kept the farm as a working farm and have also sectioned off 50 000 acres that they’ve sought permission to have it kept as non-farming land and have been planting trees on it. Shania no longer owns the property, however, her former husband still does.

The property we visited was West Wanaka Station, a working farm that sits on 30 000 acres. It used to be 100 000 acres but was sectioned off over time. The farm runs approximately 10 000 (if I remember correctly) sheep, 6000 deer and around 1000 head of cattle that are either Angus, Herefords or Angus x Hereford. 

They were shearing that day and we were able to go in and watch for a while. When we got out of the vehicle, the first thing we heard was rock music blasting from the shearing shed. They had great taste in music! 

I have to say it is one of the cleanest shearing sheds I’ve ever seen in action. There were approximately 6 or 7 shearers, plus 4 girls and another guy who were moving the wool and cleaning the floor as the sheep were shorn. It was like a precision operation!  The shearers shear around 300 sheep each per day.

The tour then took us through some 4WD only parts of the farm. Apparently we were heading towards George's office and on the way, we saw some very curious deer.

We continued up the hill until we arrived at George's office for morning tea. What an office! Check it out in the pic below, I can't think of a better office space to have! 

A change in weather was coming across as packed up our morning tea gear to head off. Our curious little friends had also been enjoying a snack and were just as curious about us on the way back.

Of course, there were more scenic pics to be taken on the way through... I know some are similar, but they are snow pics. Snow pics! I live in the tropics these days so that stuff is always fascinating to me.

One of the doctors was a mad keen photographer who apparently has gone on a few photography tours over the years. His wife was funny and was saying she’d only had to beep the horn for him once this trip. His response was that he’d been restrained this trip, so she didn’t have to beep more than once.

As we came back past the shearing sheds, there were a few more curious animals to meet us.

Time for one last scenic pic and a moment to soak up this beautiful farm before heading back into the lake side.

By the time we returned, the weather was just starting to change again and we'd had a few drops of rain. There was a change expected that afternoon and perhaps a little more snow. I'd noticed that morning when going into town that we’d had some snow overnight, so it seems I went up to Treble Cone on the right day the day before, otherwise I would have needed snow chains on the car plus it would have been much colder.

I haven't shared the Treble Cone experience yet, so will do that in my next post.

The first days of spring in Wanaka

I drove from Franz Josef to Wanaka with only a fuel stop, as it rained pretty much the whole way. It started to clear a smidgeon just before arriving in Wanaka early afternoon. Given I was too early to check in where I was staying, I headed off to the newsagency/bookstore which has an awesome range of reading material. 

Every time I've been here, I've ended up in this store and something invariably follows me home! I'd already finished two books this trip and given the crappy weather, thought I may need another. Once the important job of book selection was done, I grabbed a few groceries, found some lunch and sat down by the lake for an hour or two. 

The lake never fails to soothe me and the emotional attachment to this place just grows stronger and stronger. Not sure what it is, perhaps I've lived here in another life time if that's the way things go, I just know that I need to spend more time here and that this is a healing happy place for me.

Of course, given the cooler weather I didn't need to worry about cold groceries warming up in the car as you do in Queensland, so I was able to spend my time just soaking it all up and people watching.

The plan worked well and when I was ready, I wandered up to where I was staying a couple of hours later. I was most pleased to see my room had a washing machine and dryer which was just what I needed given I was down to my last clean pair of socks and undies!  Not to mention there were not too many clean clothes left either.

After settling in and putting some washing on so I didn't have to pong along the next day, I went back out for a drive and was a little disappointed there didn’t seem to be much snow about. I was expecting more seeing as how it was only a couple of days into spring. I realised later there possibly was more snow, but it was likely hidden behind the low lying clouds and all I needed was a fine day to see it. 

I’d planned to go for a walk around the lake when I headed out for the drive, but as I pulled up the rain started and by the time I’d walked a few metres, it was much heavier than just a shower so that was the end of that idea. I did find some waterfalls and curious cows in my driving around though.

I’d been hanging for some home cooked food, so when I got back to my room I made a stew with meat and veggies that was very yum, with enough left to have more the next day. Gotta love a place with a fully equipped kitchen!

The place I was staying mentioned that Treble Cone had started a Scenic Chairlift ride for $20 that includes a hot drink at the top and even some pizza if you're peckish.  I decided my trusty camera and I would definitely have to check that out while I was there.

I was hoping for a sunny or sunnier day the next day. I'd realised not only how tired I was, but also emotionally exhausted so I was very much needing and looking forward to winding down.

While the travelling has been good in many ways, I think I was just trying to run from everything on this trip and all the driving was keeping me occupied.  But I was now exhausted in every which way and more than ready to stop.  My hope now was that the time in my beloved Wanaka didn't fly too fast.

After an early night and a lazy start to the next day, it was so nice not to have to be or go anywhere. I headed off to the lake for a walk and basically wandered all over the place enjoying the views and having a day of taking pics. One can never take enough pics! 

I so love this place and wished more than anything that I could stay. It surely must be time for me to start seriously considering a much longer period of time here!

I took myself out to dinner at Sasanoki’s and as always, the food was delicious!  I've mentioned them in previous post and they offer some of the best Japanese food I've tasted! 

I also bought myself some daffodils because they are so cheery and I needed some of that cheer while I start to unwind and relax over the next few days. Everything is a big decision at the moment so I figured the best way to go would be to try to stop thinking, keep it all simple and just let the days evolve.  

I booked in to do a Ridgeline Adventure tour the next day, something I'd been going to do since I'd been visiting this place so was looking forward to that. I'll keep those juicy details for my next post!

The Tranz-Alpine train

I woke to beautiful warm sunny day, perfect for a train ride from east to west. I bought a book on the interislander ferry the day before and had read 2/3’s of it so made sure I had that out with me for when I wasn't gawking out the window at the scenery and of course, finished it on the trip.

This is trip you could easily do repeatedly, or at least I could, especially when it's snowy! The train went through beautiful scenery, however, I have to admit that I'd managed to see a lot of that type of scenery already driving in the South Island. 

As mentioned in an earlier post, there wasn't a lot of difference between what you see on the train and when you're driving as I did the year before with my partner, however, it is nice to be sit back, relax and enjoy it when you’re not driving. 

I spent about an hour or so (until I couldn't feel my fingers) in the open air carriage where the air was rather fresh!  I took a few pics, many of them blurry just from the movement of the train and probably a little to do with operator error as well. Not sure how I'd go in the winter months in the open air carriage, but I'd love to try as the scenery would be spectacular with all the snow about.

The train itself is comfortable to ride in and they offer a good selection of choices from the menu. I can recommend the cheese board and the ice creams they bring around about half an hour before the train arrives in Greymouth are locally made and delicious.

There is a brief stop at Arthur's Pass where you can get out and stretch your legs for 10-15 minutes and another a little further along at Moana if you want to stop for a picnic, then catch the return train on it's way through about an hour or so later.

For those interested in engineering, there are some pretty cool things to look at with viaducts, bridges, rock shelters and waterfalls channeled into chutes along the way.

 The train took about 4.5 hours and although I was a little tired from the last couple of days travel, I was glad I'd gone on the train as it gave me the chance to enjoy the scenery without the driving for a change.

On my arrival in Greymouth, I picked up another hire car which again wasn’t what I’d ordered but this time it was disappointing rather than the excitement of an upgrade! I’d specifically requested a 4WD - Holden Trax or Toyota RAV 4. Alas it was a Toyota Corolla Wagon which they told me was ‘similar’. Not quite sure how it was similar to a 4WD, however, apparently it was and they'd included snow chains in the boot for free in case I needed them. 

Unfortunately, they didn’t have any alternatives on offer so I had to get over it and suck it up. They were also going to charge me more than my quote and luckily, I'm in the habit of printing everything I might need before I travel (Yes, I know, some might say a little OCD) so they were able to photocopy it. As it turned out, they ended up deducting an extra $100. I have to say despite all the hiccups with my car bookings on this trip, the hire car company was excellent and did their best in each place to rectify whatever was happening.

Car sorted, I had a wander about, took a few pics, picked up a few things from the supermarket plus some ointment to treat an infected finger that had become annoying before heading out to my accommodation which was very basic but adequate.

I got unpacked and decided to get online to send a friend a message to let them know I was ok. I learnt something new that day. I learnt that Facebook has a phone type of service.  I had no idea!  I didn't have a clue how long that had been a feature, still don't know now I come to think of it! I thought all you could do was send messages. Isn't technology wonderful?

In the meantime, I'd had a very upsetting contact with someone back home and decided I needed to do something so things didn’t overwhelm me anymore than they already were. On the spur of the moment, I decided to leave where I was staying and go to Franz Josef instead. 

I packed up the car again, went to hand in key and apologise, just saying plans had suddenly changed, then promptly burst into tears!! Such a girly thing to do! The woman at the motel was lovely, came straight round and gave me a hug, told me not to worry, things would be ok.  

So I drove. And tried not to think. And drove faster than I should have. I made it to Franz Josef in 2.5 hours or just under with no stops. I even missed the turn off and had to ask for directions, then backtrack about 5 kms. Alas, I've been known on occasions to accidentally take the scenic route, however, night time isn't really a time that I'd choose to do that!

Eventually I found the place I was going to stay around 8.30pm. I quickly got sorted and went back into town to find some dinner. If you're ever in Franz Josef, I can highly recommend King Tiger for delicious Thai Food and a great atmosphere. My plans for dinner, a long hot shower and bed were all checked off.

I slept reasonably well and was awake earlier than I wanted to be, so got up for a little while and had a hot chocolate before going back to bed for a couple of hours. I've noticed a lot of the accommodation places in the southern alps region provide hot chocolate and they are little sachets of absolute deliciousness! 

Given it was raining, I decided not to rush that morning and enjoyed another warm shower to wake up. Have to say it was great having a shower with decent water pressure! 

When I checked out just before 9am, the gentleman at the motel saw me come out the door of my cabin/unit (reception was opposite) and came out to say good morning, then helped put my bags in the car. 

He asked where I was going that day and when I told him Wanaka, he said it would be good to be on the road soon because a big storm was coming through around midday. People are so friendly and helpful over here, it's one of the things I love about the place!

I had wanted to go to the Wildlife Centre and see the kiwi’s, however, they told me they weren’t open until 9am so I decided to leave it for another time and got on the road instead. I was thankful I'd chosen to get moving at a reasonable time because the weather was pretty crappy the whole way and rained the majority of the drive.  

I managed a couple of stops and as always, got more excited the closer I got to Wanaka! It's like coming home every time I go there.

Well that's it from me for this post. I'd like to acknowledge that not all of the pics in this post are mine, some are from Mr Google.

From the North Island to the South via the Interislander ferry

I was booked on the Interislander Ferry which I thought was huge! Amazing how many cars, buses, trucks go on along with all the people. The ferry turned out to be just over an hour late leaving due to an issue with the ferries the night before. 

The weather was a bit wild and windy that morning and I was a little concerned about seasickness as I've had a few unfortunate experiences with it.  So I thought it may be wise to find a pharmacy to pick up some tablets before getting to the terminal. I was glad I did and although I only took the one tablet and was a little queasy early in the piece, it settled again and I was able to enjoy the ferry ride.  

I've not been on a larger ferry before, let alone a cruise ship so I was fascinated by all that was on offer. There's even a cinema on board, along with a gift shop, bar and a variety of food available so plenty to keep one occupied. Couldn't really go outside though due to the weather so I found myself a window seat right up the front instead, like the tourist I was!

Despite the weather, it was still picturesque and I imagine the scenery would be absolutely beautiful on a clear day. The waters became calm once we got into the Marlborough Sound area and I would love to be sailing on a fine day as I think there would be some stunning photo's to be taken. This next pic is one from Google, so I can't lay claim to having taken it but it gives you an idea of the ferry and the scenery on a sunny day.

Alas, I only have one decent pic that I took during the crossing and it was taken as we were docking in Picton.  It looks out over Marlborough Sound.

I had no end of mix up’s with my hire car booking on this trip mostly because of me wanting to go from the North to the South Island and thinking I could take the vehicle on the ferry. Of course, there was a little more waiting for me on arrival in Picton.  The manager there was very patient and managed to sort it all out, in between showing me video footage of the seal colony near Kaikoura that I'd be driving past.  

Once again, my vehicle had been upgraded and this time I had a Mitsubishi Pajero with only 22 km’s on the clock!  Both were diesel thankfully which has made a big difference with fuel as it’s almost half the price of petrol here.

Absolutely beautiful drive down to Christchurch as mentioned in a previous blog post.  The scenery is stunning.  In one section you have the ocean on one side of the road (right along-side the road) and on the other side, there is green meadows and hills, with snow-capped mountains beside them!  I managed to capture that in a pic although it didn't really do justice to seeing it with your own eyes.

I've mentioned in a previous post how much I loved the Kaikoura area and the seals. Sadly that coastline was badly affected by earthquakes just weeks after I drove those roads, so it is quite a different view now and there is no road for part of that section of highway.

The last part of the trip was tough as I started to get really tired. It had been a long day and I hadn't slept well the night before. Coming into Christchurch Airport at night time was nightmarish as there was an enormous amount of roadwork happening. 

There were no fuel stations on the main road heading into the airport anymore or if there are, they are impossible to find. I spent an hour looking for one and getting lost, before giving up and taking the car back without it being re-fueled. I was a little upset about it and the guy felt a bit sorry for me, acknowledged that it was hard at the moment with all the roadworks and said unfortunately, it will be a penalty for me from my bond. I was at the point where I really didn’t care anymore. 

I wandered back out to catch a cab feeling absolutely shattered and the cabbie was kind enough to tell me that the motel I'd booked have a shuttle service so he saved me a cab fare. 

The motel room was also upgraded to a ground floor room.  Obviously that exhausted I'm over it look helped and the fact I had two bags, so one of the motel people were going to have to cart it upstairs otherwise. The room I was given was much ritzier!!  

Because it was so late, I'd just missed their restaurant so dinner ended up being what was in the mini bar.  Ah well, it was enough to get by.

The motel also organised a cab for me for the next morning to get me to the train station on time as I was catching the Trans-Alpine train across to the West Coast.  I was relieved to find it didn't cost me my firstborn son and was a little closer to where I was staying than I thought. Next up, the Trans-alpine train!