This year our Summer holiday was very relaxed. And it was exactly what we needed after all the lockdowns and stress of this pandemic. We didn’t make any elaborate plans to go away and we relished our downtime after the busy festive season.
But a couple of weeks ago we decided to pack a bag and spend a long weekend in Wanaka with friends.
To fly locally in New Zealand during this pandemic, you have to have a vaccine passport and wear your mask at all times on the flight.
Day One
On arrival in Queenstown, we kicked off our weekend in Wanaka by hopping into our friends’ car and heading straight to lunch at The Cardrona Distillery. There are so many great eateries in this part of New Zealand.
We were blown away by the food at this place – so many delicious flavours, and the venison was melt-in-your-mouth sublime. Also, if you have the time and have a fascination with the distilling process, you can book one of their tours.
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Day Two
The next morning we got our walking gear on and drove out to hike the Rob Roy Glacier Track. Because you can’t visit Wanaka without doing a walk of some kind. This area has so many great tracks to explore. Every time we’ve gone down there, we’ve done a different one.
There are two lookouts on this track. When you reach the benches at the lower lookout, you’re rewarded with the loveliest surprise through the trees. And then you follow the river to the upper lookout which takes you closer to the glacier.
The view from the upper lookout is sensational, so it’s worth every step of walking. From the river, the waterfalls, to the glacier – it’s all amazing.
That night we had dinner at Kika to celebrate our friend’s birthday. And what a treat that was. The food was superb.
Day Three
Day 3 was a lake day. We took a boat to Mou Waho Island in Lake Wanaka, walked up the hill and swam in the lake on the island in the lake!
That’s us swimming in a lake within a lake, way down there.
Day Four
And on our last day, we cycled along the river to Lake Hawea.
And then it was back home to pack and off to the airport.
Our long weekend in Wanaka was just what we needed to kickstart our new year. And now it’s back to work and gearing ourselves up for Omicron.
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