The road to Wanaka...

On Wednesday it was another fairly big drive. We were headed down the West coast to Haast, then over the Haast Pass to Wanaka. Unfortunately we finally lucked out with the weather, & drove most of the day in rain! This was a shame because it was one of the most scenic drives of the trip, & there would have been stunning views of the Southern Alps on a clear day. The first stop was Franz Joseph & Fox Glaciers.

There were also lots of pretty waterfalls along the way, which made a good excuse to get out & stretch the legs. We stopped at the Thunder Falls first... And then the Fantail Falls...We arrived in Wanaka at around 5:30pm & luckily the weather had cleared up a fair bit by then. We are staying at the Purple Cow Backpackers (www.purplecow.co.nz) & it is a fantastic place. It must be up there as one of the best hostels I've ever stayed in. We have a lovely double room with ensuite, overlooking the lake & mountains. Our room even has a TV/DVD player in it, which isn't bad for a hostel! I love Wanaka, it really is a stunning place. It reminds me a lot of Bled in Slovenia, it has the same Alpine resort feel to it. The weather was better today so we had a good look around the town, then in the afternoon we went for a walk up Mount Iron, which gave lovely panoramic views of the lake & surrounding mountains.

Tomorrow we are driving the 100km or so down the road to Queenstown where we have 1 night. Then it is over to Dunedin on the East coast where we are staying 3 nights with the Roe family. The Saturday we arrive is Rach's 40th birthday party, so it should be a good knees up! I'm sure you'll hear all about it in due course...