Holiday with Debbie

You may remember my friend Debbie, who I met on my tour in Nepal and that I stayed with her in Hong Kong at the end of my China trip back in November. She has come to New Zealand to join me for a holiday. The main thing we are going to do is a 3 day tramp in the south west of the island. We have 3 days to drive Josephine down through the middle of the island to the start of the tramp, which is not far from Queenstown.

I pick her up from Christchurch airport and we start off with a short visit to the city centre for her to see the devastation of the fenced-off ‘red zone’ and the Re-Start container mall.

Debbie at Re-Start, Christchurch

Then we drive out of the city and stopping for a picnic lunch out of the back of Josephine, we head for Lake Tekapo, which is our first overnight stop.

Picnic Lunch

We book into the YHA hostel, which is located right on the lakefront, with a fantastic view from the lounge across the lake to the mountains. The following morning dawns bright and clear and we take the opportunity to walk along the lake-side and up to the top of a hill, with fantastic views across the lake and down to the little town. The lake is famous for its striking turquoise colour, which is a phenomenon resulting from finely ground rock being suspended in the water.

Lake Tekapo

Me (posing) at Lake Tekapo

On the bank of the lake there is a small stone-built chapel, which is situated in a most picturesque spot. This location is often chosen for wedding photographs, particularly by Asian couples, but today is not a good day for photographs because for some reason the whole contents of the chapel have been moved outside and the pews, font and organ are lined up on the grass outside the front door.

Chapel of the Good Shepherd

After our walk we set off driving further south. We cross a wide, flat, brown prairie-style landscape and stop for a beautiful view of snow-topped Mount Cook, all misty in the distance across Lake Pukaki.

Mount Cook

Next the road climbs into a pass through wild mountains covered in a velvety cloak of short brown grass.

Lindis Pass



 Then we drop down to Wanaka, a town on the edge of another beautiful lake, which is our destination tonight. We check into our hostel and then take a walk along the lake-side as the sun goes down and the pink clouds of the sunset are reflected in the water. The clocks went back 1 hour at the weekend, so it now gets dark at about 7pm.

Wanaka

Then Debbie makes a great suggestion and we sit outside a lively bar on the lake front for a beer. Can you believe this is my first beer in New Zealand! It tastes bloody marvellous.

Beer

The next day we have a fairly short drive over a high pass, with great hairpin bends, to Queenstown, again located by a lake, but if anything this town is even more picturesque than the previous 2 places. We have to stop here for the last arrangements for our tramp. We have to get our hut passes from the DOC office, visit the company which will relocate Josephine, so she will be waiting for us, as if by magic, at the end of the walk and pick up supplies for the 3 days of the walk. We like the atmosphere in Queenstown, it is lively and people are jumping off a mountain behind the town with parachutes and landing elegantly on the rugby field.

Coffee at Queenstown

Queenstown

Having completed all our arrangements we carry on driving out of Queenstown and along the lake side. We stop at a convenient lay-by to admire what I think is the most stunning view I have seen so far I New Zealand. The surrounding mountains are reflected in the glassy surface of the lake and the eye is drawn to the snowy mountain peaks in the distance. Again the photograph doesn’t really capture the whole beauty of the scene.

Lake Wakatpu

Our accommodation tonight is remotely situated quaint old wooden-built hotel and hostel at the head of Lake Wakatpu that has been here since 1868. Our tramp begins tomorrow and we are ready for it and excited.

Kinloch Lodge